Out Of The Silent Planet

Title: Out Of The Silent Planet
Author: C.S. Lewis
Genre: Science Fiction
Age Level: Adult
Characters: Dr. Ransom, Devine, Ransom, and Oyarsa
Plot: Dr. Ransom was seeking a place to stay for the night. He came to a woman's door where she darted out in front of him. The woman explained that she thought he was her Harry. She told him that he worked at The Rise, and was coming home later than usual. Ransom decided to go check it out, and his life was forever transformed. After a bunch of bad circumstances, Ransom ends up on a space ship with two men named Devine and Weston. The three travel for a long time through outer space. Ransom wonders where they are going and why. He soon finds out. Finally, they land on a planet. Everything is completely new and different to Ransom. The planet has a beautiful blue sky with warm water beneath it. Purplish tree-type things are spread out all over the landscape. After hearing many conversations between Devine and Weston, Ransom concludes that he is on the planet to be sacrificed by a creature called a Seroni (Sorn). Terrorized with fear, Ransom takes off running. Eventually, he meets up with a furry creature known as a Hross. The Hross takes him to his village, where Ransom spends a long period of time. Among the Hrossa, he learns of their language and begins to speak it. Ransom finds out that the planet is Malacandra (Mars in our language).One day, an eldil showed up among them and asked that Ransom be taken to Oyarsa, who is the ruler of the planet. Thus, Ransom began his journey. He meets a Seroni (Sorn) and finds out that they are peaceful creatures. The Seroni help him to get to Oyarsa. Once there, Ransom is asked many questions by the ruler. Ransom is told that Earth in their language is Thulcandra. Oyarsa explained a lot to Ransom about the different planets. During this meeting, Devine and Weston are brought in. The two men had murdered three hrossa. Oyarsa would not allow these evil creatures to stay on his planet any longer, and prepares their space ship for them. Ransom is given the option to either stay on Malacandra or go with the two evil ones. He chooses to go home, to Earth. An eldil is sent to guard the space ship as it travels, so Devine and Weston do not kill Ransom. They are given a set number of days to reach Earth, until the ship would self-destruct. When all hope seemed to fade for making it on time, the three finally reach Earth.
Precautions: This book is definitely for adults, meaning that it has some adult content in it. The adult content is randomly dispersed throughout the whole book. There is a little bit of language problems also. Other than those two reasons, this is a great book.
Ratings: This book is a great fiction novel for adults. For those who love science fiction, this is an awesome book. Be sure to read the other two novels in this series.

Five Little Monkeys Go Shopping

Title: Five Little Monkeys Go Shopping
Author: Eileen Christelow
Genre: Fable
Age Level: Toddler to Five Years Old
Characters: Mama, Little Monkeys
Plot: In this story, Mama takes her five little monkeys to the store to buy school clothes. She tells them, "Stay right here and don't go wandering off." The whole time they are in the store one monkey after another disappears and Mama has to look for them. Soon, monkey friends show up and make it even more confusing for Mama. After this goes on for awhile, the saleslady tells Mama to stay here, and she makes an announcement for all the little monkeys to come to the children's clothing department. Once everyone was with their right parent, they all bought school clothes and headed for the car. The monkey family get in their car and she exclaims that she finally has all five little monkeys. One little monkey says, "No you have six." Mama wonders how this is and she keeps on driving.
Precautions: This is a cute book that will delight a young child. The Mama's anger is dealt with in a calm, and proper manner. The great thing about this book is that it teaches your child how to count and add and subtract.
Ratings: I would recommend this book for young children who are starting to learn how to add and subtract. On the side bars, it shows the math worked out for each monkey that is missing or found. This is a cute way to introduce them into math.

Rules

Title: Rules

Author: Cynthia Lord

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Age Level: Nine to Twelve Years Old

Characters: Catherine, David, Jason, Kristi

Plot: Catherine just wants a normal life. However, that is near to impossible because she has a younger brother who has autism. During the summer break, Catherine goes to Occupational Therapy with her brother David. There she overhears a mother getting upset at her son because he wanted a guitar. He is a boy named Jason who is bound to a wheelchair and has to use a book full of words to talk. The cards in his book are very plain and have no pictures on them. Catherine volunteers to make new word cards for Jason that have bright and colorful pictures on them. During the summer days, Catherine spends time making these word cards, baby sitting David, and wondering about the new neighbor. Recently, their neighbors moved out and Catherine was hoping that a girl her age would move in. It turns out that a girl her age does move in next door. Sadly, the first time the two girls meet, Catherine is thoroughly embarrassed. David made a scene, as usual, and the new girl, Kristi, did not yet know that he had autism. Catherine has been making rules for David as long as she can remember. He has his own rule book that includes rules such as, "No toys in the fish tank." One day, Jason invited Catherine to his birthday party. The only problem is that it was on the same day as a dance that Kristi had invited her to attend. As it ends up, Catherine makes it to Jason's party where she gives him the guitar he wanted. The two then go to the dance together where Kristi is informed that Jason is handicapped. Everyone has fun at the dance. Catherine then decides to accept David as he is, an autistic child.

Precautions: This is a safe book to teach older children to accept those who are physically or mentally handicapped. Some of the kids in this book are mean to one another but in the end they understand why it is not right to make fun of others. There are some divorced parents in this book but understand that this is morally wrong unless it is for unfaithfulness. The dance is just for fun, meaning that there is no romance involved. Overall, this is a clean, safe book for older children.

Ratings: This book is great for those who may have some handicapped individuals in their family or friends. Rules is a great book for indirectly emphasizing that God made us each special in our own way. I would highly recommend this for people who have a hard time understanding autism or other handicaps.

Franklin's Baby Sister

Title: Franklin's Baby Sister
Author: Paulette Bourgeois
Genre: Fable
Age Level: Toddler to Six Years Old
Characters: Franklin, Mom, Dad, and Baby Harriet
Plot: Franklin lives with his Mom and Dad. They inform him that his Mom is going to have a baby in the spring. Franklin becomes very excited. Every day, Franklin hopes that spring would hurry up. At home the turtle family prepares for the new baby. His Mom has a baby shower at their house one day. Franklin misunderstood at first and got out his umbrella and rain hat. His Mother then explained to him that it was a time to open gifts for the new baby. Franklin wished that they would bring spring instead of gifts. One day, Franklin came home from school and found his granny at home. She explained that his baby sister was born that day. The baby was named after Franklin's Great-Aunt Harriet. Baby Harriet lived with her turtle family and everyone was happy.
Precautions: This is a clean, family oriented book. It does not go into any depth of where babies come from, which is a plus. The author did a great job of exploring the possibilities of a new sibling.
Ratings: Franklin's Baby Sister is a great book to read to young children who are preparing to have an addition to the family. It explains many questions young children have to ask such as, "What is a baby shower?" What I like about this book is that no topics of where babies come from are covered. This ensures that your children will be kept safe. I would recommend this to be read to a child by their Mom, if she is about to have a baby.

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Horse and His Boy

Title: The Chronicles of Narnia: The Horse and His Boy

Author: C.S. Lewis

Genre: Fantasy

Age Level: Eight to Twelve Years Old

Characters: Shasta, Bree, Aravis, Hwin, Prince Corin, Aslan

Plot: In this third book in the Chronicles of Narnia series, we meet up with a young boy named Shasta. He lives with his supposed father in Calormen where he works hard to satisfy his cruel father's needs. One day, he hears his father discussing selling him as a slave to a stranger. Shasta walks outside and finds the man's horse. Soon, he finds out that his horse is a Talking of Horse of Narnia. Shasta and Bree, the horse's name, escape together from slavery. As they are traveling on their way to Narnia, the two encounter a girl named Aravis and another Talking Horse of Narnia named Hwin. Aravis is escaping an unwanted marriage. When they go through the city of Tashbaan, Shasta is accidentally mistaken for a Prince Corin, and is taken to the Narnians who are in the city. Queen Susan and the other Narnians welcome him and discuss a plot to get out of the city. The real Prince Corin shows up later and Shasta and he trade spots. The Narnians are now fleeing the city. Meanwhile, Aravis is found by one of her childhood friends. The two end up in a bad situation where they accidentally overhear a plot to conquer Narnia. Soon, Shasta, Bree, Aravis, and Hwin meet up together again and head towards Narnia. Shasta is able to rush ahead to tell of the plot. Battle erupts between the two sides. In the meantime, Shasta meets Aslan, the lion. He finds out that Prince Corin and he are twins. His real name was not Shasta but Prince Cor. Everything works out in the end. Aravis and Prince Cor get married and become a good King and Queen of Archenland.

Precautions: This book is a family friendly book. Although it does have a battle scene in it, the battle is not detailed enough to gross readers out. I would highly recommend this book along with the others in the series because it is pure, clean entertainment.

Ratings: This book is great for children. It will keep their minds engaged to the story throughout the entire course of the book. C.S. Lewis does a great job with fantasy.

You're All My Favorites

Title: You're All My Favorites

Author: Sam McBratney

Genre: Fable

Age Level: Birth to Six Years Old

Characters: Mommy Bear, Daddy Bear, and three Baby Bears

Plot: Once upon a time there was a bear family. Included in this family was a mommy bear, a daddy bear, and three baby bears. They all lived happily together. One day, the parent bears told their children that they were the most wonderful baby bears in the whole entire world. The three bears asked how they knew they were so wonderful. The mommy bear replied that daddy said that they were the nicest bears when they were born. Soon, each baby bear began to wonder whether or not their parents liked them. Each came up with a reason why they wouldn't like them best. Then the three bears asked their parents which one they liked best. Mommy bear and daddy bear told them that they were all their favorites. The parents told each bear what was special about them. The baby bears were satisfied and went to sleep.

Precautions: There are not any precautions for this book. The intention of this book was to be an encouragement for all of the kids out there who feel that their sibling is better than they are. The author uses a friendly approach to tell children that they are all special.

Ratings: This book is a great tool for those who have children that feel they are not as good as their brothers or sisters. I would recommend reading this book to your children even if they are newborns. A newborn baby enjoys hearing it's parent's voices. The pictures are very intriguing and will delight children who like bears. I hope this book helps solve some conflict in your family.

Curious George Goes to the Hospital

Title: Curious George Goes To The Hospital
Author: Margaret & H.A. Rey
Genre: Fable
Age Level: Toddler to Seven Years Old
Characters: Curious George, the Man With The Yellow Hat, Doctor Baker, and Betsy
Plot: In this story, Curious George is curious about the man with the yellow hat's puzzle. The monkey accidentally swallows a puzzle piece and becomes ill. The man with the yellow hat calls Doctor Baker and he makes an x-ray of the monkey's abdomen. The x-ray reveals that Curious George swallowed a puzzle piece. The monkey is admitted to the hospital where he meets several children his age. George stays the night in the hospital. The next morning, he is prepared for surgery. Doctor Baker explains that a tube will be inserted down the monkey's throat and the piece will be removed. A few hours later, George wakes up in pain. He sleeps the rest of the day. The next morning, George feels better and has loads of fun. He goes to the playroom and meets a girl named Betsy who is very sad. No matter how silly George acts, he can not get her to smile. After playing with all of the children, Curious George tries out a vacant wheelchair. Unfortunately, the little monkey loses control and ends up crashing. The mayor was touring the hospital, when the wheelchair crashed into the meal carts, and George landed in the mayor's arms. At first, everyone is terribly upset, but then laughter is heard. The mayor and the crowd look up and see Betsy laughing hysterically. George is then forgiven because no one was able to make Betsy happy. However, George had finally made her happy.
Precautions: This classic children's book is good for the whole family. Curious George is a fun-loving monkey who gets caught in some bad situations but makes the best out of them. He is very curious.
Ratings: This story would be a great book to read if you have children. My Mother used to sit me down on her lap and read me books such as this one. It creates a great moment to bond with your child and have a little fun. Also, the pictures in this book are phenomenal. The drawings will simply delight you as they compliment the text. Curious George is good for all ages and even for those who don't have children. Be curious!

Young Cam Jansen and the Dinosaur Game

Title: Young Cam Jansen and the Dinosaur Game
Author: David A. Adler
Genre: Mystery
Age Level: Five to Eight Years Old
Characters: Cam Jansan, Eric, Mr. Bell, and Robert
Plot: Cam Jansan's real name is Jennifer but she was called the camera because of her photographic memory. Soon, people shortened it to Cam. This young girl attended a birthday party one day with several of her other friends. The first activity they did at the party was estimate how many toy dinosaurs were in a jar. Cam and her friend Eric were the last ones to arrive, so they were the last ones to guess. Eric guessed that there were 150 dinosaurs in the jar. After the chocolate cake was cut and served, Mr. Bell told them that there were 154 dinosaurs in the jar. He announced that Robert had guessed 154 exactly. Cam looked at the strip of paper and noticed that there was chocolate smeared on it. She took a mental picture of it. Later, while they were playing musical chairs, she confronted Robert. Their were only seven children at the party, but there were eight guesses. Cam explained to Robert that he had slipped away after Mr. Bell had told the number of dinosaurs. Robert admitted to this and gave the prize of dinosaurs back. Eric was given the jar of dinosaurs since he had really deserved it. The boy shared them with the rest of his friends. Everyone had a great time at the party.
Precautions: There are not any precautions on this book. It was written specifically for children who are beginning to read on their own. The plot of this book is mystery, but it is not scary. This is the type of mystery that will not scare young children.
Ratings: I highly recommend this book for young children who are just beginning to read by themselves. Cam Jansan will keep them intrigued throughout the whole entire book. This book also introduces the concept of chapters. By the way, there are several other books in the Young Cam Jansan series so be sure to read those too.

3:16 The Numbers of Hope

Title: 3:16 The Numbers of Hope
Author: Max Lucado
Genre: Inspirational Non-fiction
Age Level: Teenagers to Adults
Description: This wonderful book is constructive to Christians. Max Lucado spends a whole book analyzing John 3:16 and its impact on Christianity today. Each chapter is divided into a different part of the verse. The book begins by discussing Nicodemus and the situation in which Jesus told him of salvation. The author of this book is able to talk about a serious subject without making it boring. The book is written with a good sense of humor and jokes are made throughout the entirety of the book. Words from John 3:16 are explained, using Greek to understand the context in which Jesus said them. For instance, in Greek there are different ways of saying love, whereas in English there is only one way. By breaking down the Greek word we can tell what kind of love Jesus was talking about. Featured in this book are many personal stories that will bless you. These stories go along with the particular chapter and reinforce a certain concept. Included in this book are chapters on heaven, hell, love, Jesus, etc. This Christian resource is instructive for analyzing the true meaning of John 3:16.
Precautions: There is not anything to warn you about. This book was written by a godly man whose desire is to see people come to God.
Ratings: I cannot reiterate how much this book will bless your life. The author wrote it in such a way that you will be crying one moment and laughing the next. John 3:16 is one of, if not the most, powerful Scripture in the Bible. It is widely quoted among people, but many do not understand its full meaning. Everyone who reads this book will have a much wider understanding of John 3:16 than ever before.

Nancy Drew: The Secret of the Old Clock

Title: Nancy Drew: The Secret of the Old Clock
Author: Carolyn Keene
Genre: Mystery
Age Level: Nine to Twelve Years Old
Characters: Nancy Drew, the Crowley's, the Topham's, and Carson Drew
Plot: Nancy Drew was driving along a country highway when she noticed a little girl on the road. The young girl just barely avoided being hit by an aggressive moving van. The girl fell over a bridge beside a river. Nancy jerked out of her car and rescued the girl. She brought her to the Crowley's who introduced themselves as the girl's aunt. The aunts sadly tell Nancy that the movers were in a hurry because they had stolen their silver. They tell Nancy how they don't have much money although a man had promised them that they would be included in his will. However, the man's last keepers, the Tophams, had received all of the will money. Nancy reports the stolen silver to the police and later runs into several other relatives that stated the same thing about the will. Everyone seems to believe that there was a second will. The young adult decided that she would take on this case herself alongside her Dad, Carson Drew. Nancy's Dad is a lawyer, so he takes care of all her legal problems during the case. First, she starts out by interviewing relatives and the Topham family. Pretty soon, she learns some clues that lead her to believe that a second will has something to do with an old Crowley clock. Nancy learns that the clock is found in the Topham's house on a lake. She goes to talk to the housekeeper about it. However, once there she sees the same moving van that stole the silver and the housekeeper is missing. Eventually, the robbers find Nancy and lock her in a closet. Nancy manages to get out with the help of the housekeeper. Once out they notify the police and follow the van. Nancy is able to get hold of the Crowley clock inside the van and finds a notebook hidden in the clock just as she anticipated. The notebook includes a key with instructions to go to a bank and put the key in the corresponding box to find his late will. Nancy and her father find the will and the money is given to all of his deserving relatives and friends. The Tophams put up a fight, but did not win. Nancy is overjoyed at the success of her first mystery and celebrates with all of the jubilant people she helped.
Precautions: There are no major precautions in this book. Although there are some thieves in the book, the author gives the indication that this is a wrong act. Overall, this is a pure, clean book that is perfect for the young mystery lover.
Ratings: I highly recommend this book for the mystery lover. Nancy Drew keeps you entertained and engaged in the story at all times. Be sure to check out the rest of this series, as this book is the first in the series.

A Series of Unfortunate Events: The Bad Beginning

Title: A Series of Unfortunate Events: The Bad Beginning
Author: Lemony Snicket
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Age Level: Nine to Thirteen Years Old
Characters: Count Olaf, Justice Strauss, Mr. Poe, and Violet, Klaus, and Sunny Baudelaire
Plot: The three Baudelaire children were on Briny Breach one day when Mr. Poe walked up to the children and changed their lives forever. He told the children that there was a massive fire in their mansion and that both of their parents had perished in the flames. The three orphans were devastated that they had lost both their parents and all of their belongings at the same time. Luckily, they still had their fortune. Mr. Poe took them into his household until a new guardian was found. After a while, the man found a suitable guardian whose name was Count Olaf. The children were sent to live at his home, where they encountered many unfortunate events. Every morning, the children were awakened to find a list of chores and instructions. One day, the orphans were asked to cook a whole entire meal for Count Olaf and his theatre troupe. The children had no idea how to cook, so they went over to Justice Strauss' house and borrowed a cook book from her enormous library. Klaus and Violet picked out a recipe for an Italian dish and cooked it for the theatre troupe. Count Olaf became very angry because he had wanted roast beef, although he had not mentioned it. Consequently, Klaus is struck across the face and Olaf tells the children that he only wants the Baudelaire's enormous fortune. Days drag on as the children are tormented by the evil Count. One day, Olaf tells the children of a play that he is putting on that they will perform in. It is called, "The Marvelous Marriage." Violet will play the woman who is getting married to Count Olaf, while Klaus and Sunny are the audience of the marriage. To ensure that the orphans cooperate, Olaf has suspended Sunny in a metal cage above a tower wall and threatens to drop her if they don't cooperate. The two eldest children find out that the marriage in the play will be real because Justice Strauss will be acting as judge. Unfortunately, every attempt that the children make to save Sunny fails. Count Olaf and Violet act in the play, and after she signs her name on the document, Olaf announces his plan to the audience. Mr. Poe is very upset, but then Violet reveals that the document is void because she signed it with her left hand instead of her regular writing hand. Justice Strauss says that Violet is correct, and Count Olaf will go to jail. Sadly, Count Olaf and his troupe escape, but not before he tells Violet that he will find them, get their fortune, and kill them.
Precautions: There are some things that I would advise about this book. First of all, the author of this book has a rather depressing outlook towards life. The book, as the title hints, is about rather unfortunate events that take place in the Baudelaire children's lives. These events are basically an evil man inflicting torture on orphans. It teaches some bad lessons on greed and other wrong things. This book does not instill good Christian morals.
Ratings: I would not personally recommend this book. It's author did not write very Christianized ideas into this book.

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Magician's Nephew

Title: The Chronicles of Narnia: The Magician's Nephew
Author: C.S. Lewis
Genre: Fantasy
Age Level: Eight to Twelve Years Old
Characters: Digory, Polly, Uncle Andrew, Queen Jadis, Aslan
Plot: Digory and Polly are neighbors in the town of London. One day, they decide to explore the attics above their houses. The children end up in Uncle Andrew's room, where he makes them put on magic rings. The rings transport them to woods where there is ponds. Eventually, the two are in the ancient world of Charn. Once there, they accidentally wake up an evil Queen Jadis. The Queen goes with the children back to London, where she causes a disruption. Digory and Polly scheme up a plan and transport the Queen to the woods in between worlds, but in the process take Uncle Andrew, Frank, and a horse with them. The group then go to the land of Narnia, where they witness Aslan the lion create everything. The Queen escapes and Digory is sent on a mission to retrieve a golden apple for his sick mother. In the garden, Digory finds the Queen and is tempted by her to eat the apple. He refuses and returns to Aslan. Digory, Polly, and Uncle Andrew then return to London. The golden apple was eaten by Digory's mother. She immediately became better. The core of the apple and magic rings were buried in Digory's backyard. Pretty soon, a tree grew from the core of the apple. This tree was later made into a wardrobe, which leads into the second book, "The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe."
Biblical Allusion: C.S. Lewis did a great job of symbolizing the book of Genesis through fantasy. "The Magician's Nephew", closely parallels with the book of Genesis. It starts with the creation of the world of Narnia. Aslan the lion represents God/Jesus. There is also temptation in the garden. There are some minor differences. For instance, Aslan did not create man. Man simply came from another world. Also, sin was before the creation of the world in Narnia, where as in the Bible, sin came after creation. Lastly, all of the animals had souls in Narnia, while only men have souls in the Bible.
Precautions: On this particular book there is not any real issues you should be concerned about. The book was written by a Christian man specifically for children, so it is family-safe.
Recommendations: I strongly recommend this book for children/pre-teens. The text is safe, clean, and fun. A great book for symbolically reinforcing the account of Genesis. Hope you enjoy!

Dear America: Voyage On The Great Titanic

Title: Dear America: Voyage On The Great Titanic
Author: Ellen Emerson White

Genre: Historical Fiction

Age Level: Ten to Fourteen Aged Girls
Characters: Margaret Ann Brady, Mrs. Carstairs, Sister Catherine, William, Robert, Florence

Plot: Margaret Ann Brady is a fourteen year-old orphan. She was left by her brother William at an orphanage in London, while he went to make money in America. Margaret longs to go to America to be with her brother, but does not have enough money to get on a ship. Mrs. Carstairs is an American lady who was kind enough to pay Margaret's passage on the Titanic if Margaret agreed to be her maid on the ship. The two traveled together in first class along with Mrs. Carstair's dog, Florence. Mrs. Carstairs husband could not accompany them on the trip. Miss Brady became quite fond of her steward, Robert, while on the Titanic. The passengers spent their days eating, talking, and exploring the great ship. On the night of April 14, 1912, Miss Brady becomes aware of a slight jolt on the ship. Pretty soon, Robert comes to her door and asks her to put on a life jacket and report to the boat deck. Margaret starts to become frightened. Mrs. Carstairs also goes to the boat deck where she eventually boards a life boat with her dog. Margaret Brady waits to make sure that Robert will board a life boat with her. To her dismay, only women and children were allowed on the boats. Margaret and Robert share a kiss and say goodbye. Miss Brady gets on one of the last life boats. The Titanic survivors are rescued by the Carpathia. Once in America, Margaret stays with her brother William. She regrets leaving Robert to die on the ship everyday for the rest of her life. Her mind is filled with guilt for why she survived and so many others did not.

Relevance: The diary of this teenage girl is fictional. Most of the events are true in this book. Also, a lot of people whom she talks about were really on the ship. Margaret Ann Brady is a completely fictional character.

Precautions: The only warning that I would give about this book is the kissing scene. It is nothing bad, but be sure that you or your kid is mature enough to read that. Due to the nature of the diary, I would recommend this for girls. Boys would definitely not be interested.

Rating: This is a great book. I like it because it has a fictional character in a real historical event. This would be great for reinforcing the story of the Titanic, if you or your child has just learned about it.

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, And The Wardrobe

Title: The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, And The Wardrobe

Author: C.S. Lewis

Genre: Fantasy

Age Level: Eight to Twelve Years Old

Characters: Lucy, Edward, Peter, Susan, Professor Digory, Jadis, Aslan, Mr. Tumnus

Plot: One day, four children (Peter, Susan, Edmund, Lucy) were sent to live with Professor Digory out in the country. The children were playing hide and seek, and Lucy decided to hide in a wardrobe in the house. She discovered that the wardrobe had no end, she kept walking until she found herself in snow. Mr. Tumnus encountered Lucy as she entered the world of Narnia. Lucy goes to his house and learns about the White Witch. Despite the White Witch's orders, the faun safely returns Lucy to her home. She tries to tell her siblings about Narnia, but they don't believe her. Edmund and Lucy hide in the wardrobe together one time when playing hide and seek. Edmund ends up on the White Witch's sledge, but she introduces herself as the Queen of Narnia. The Queen has placed a spell on Narnia so that it is always winter in Narnia. After feeding Edmund Turkish Delight she tells him that if he bring back the three other children she'll make him King of Narnia. Lucy and Edmund leave Narnia, and Lucy tells the others that Edmund was there with her. Edmund decides to be mean and says he wasn't there. The others become mad at him. Another day, the children were trying to hide from Mrs. Macready, in the wardrobe. Soon they were all in Narnia. They found out that Mr. Tumnus had been taken for not reporting Lucy to the White Witch. The children go out on a search to save the faun. A beaver couple takes care of the children and helps them to find Aslan. In the meantime, Edmund sneaks off to seek the Queen of Narnia. While Father Christmas comes and gives gifts to the children. Edmund is being tortured by the Queen. The snow begins to melt, and her sledge becomes stranded. The Queen/Witch meets up with Aslan the lion, and he is sacrificed. The lion is raised back to life at dawn. There is a battle in which the White Witch is killed. Edmund apologizes for his betrayal. The siblings reign Narnia. Afterwards, they tell the Professor of their adventures and he believes them.

Biblical Allusion: Aslan the lion is symbolic of Jesus Christ/God. In this book he was sacrificed and raised again. Edmund can also be seen as the figure of Judas. He gave the White Witch (Pharisees/others who didn't like Jesus) information of where Aslan (Jesus) was. This book was an excellent example of the betrayal and death of Christ.

Precautions: There isn't really anything that is concerning about this particular book. There is a battle and death, but it is not in much detail.

Ratings: I would highly recommend this book. It is a great tool for symbolically retelling the betrayal and death of Christ.