The Magician’s Nephew
By C.S. Lewis
Wednesday, January 13, 2021 @ Wednesday, January 13, 2021
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What if you could travel between different worlds through magic rings? When Digory and his new friend, Polly, are convinced by Uncle Andrew to test out the rings that he made from fairy dust, the two find themselves caught up in an adventure with talking animals, destroyed worlds, and brand new creation.
Join this club to read a children’s classic fantasy from CS Lewis’ Chronicles of Narnia Series, The Magician’s Nephew—where you’ll follow along with Digory and Polly as they travel between worlds, awaken an evil witch, and witness the surprising creation of Narnia. This is a fun and educational club—where you and your Literary Guide, Ms. Schuett, will analyze the imagery, themes, and conflicts within the story—and explore the way C.S. Lewis uses the amazing literary skill of allegory to create Narnia and lay the magical foundation for the rest of the series!
What Makes This Special
It’s a Classic! The Magician’s Nephew is not the most well known book in the Chronicles of Narnia. Though it is the sixth published book in the Narnia timeline, the tale of Digory and Polly’s adventures is chronologically the first book in the Narnia timeline—and Lewis himself said that it didn’t matter in which order the books are read! Because it may be easier for young readers to read the entire Narnia series in chronological order—and you’re interested in your child or teen reading the entire series (or joining the series clubs here!)—the Magician’s Nephew club is a perfect fit!
Also, your student will learn that this book is a classic example of the awesome literary techniques of “worldbuilding” and foreshadowing for the many books to come.
Your Guide is a teacher with a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Creative Writing—a terminal degree in Genre Fiction, story, and writing! And along with her qualifications as a master of story, Ms. Schuett works with middle school writing students across the globe. She enjoys reading books in all genres, has led students through Chronicles of Narnia in the past, and is a CS Lewis enthusiast herself! She has a Bachelor’s (BA) in English, where she spent significant time reading and studying classic and modern literature, and her favorite classes were the ones with extra time discussing the books in a group.
So when you sign up for this club, you’ll get to spend time with a professional, highly skilled fiction writer and Literary Guide who helps your student develop a love for reading—and learn how to dig deeper into story.
Your Guide
Ms. Anna Schuett is a professional writer and teacher with Bachelor of Arts (BA) in English degree from Concordia University (with an emphasis in Creative Writing) and a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing, Genre Fiction (MFA, terminal degree) from Western Colorado University.
While studying for her MFA, Ms. Schuett was an elementary school Para-Educator and Librarian/Technology Assistant. Spending a great amount of time with students who struggled with their studies, Ms. Schuett found a love for helping students learn and grow.
Ms. Schuett currently works as an I.T. Coordinator for Physical, Occupational, and Speech Therapy clinics across the state of Nebraska and also designs and maintains her church’s website. Because of a love of working with students, Ms. Schuett is also excited to be an Instructor Access Instructor with Aquinas Writing Advantage (www.aquinaswritingadvantage.com).
Born, raised, and living in Nebraska, USA, Ms. Schuett enjoys reading, quilting, baking, and writing epic fantasy novels—all with a cup of coffee or tea within arm’s reach. You can reach Ms. Schuett at aschuett.hsc@gmail.com.
About the Book
- ISBN-10 : 0064405052
- ISBN-13 : 978-0064405058
- Buy from Bookshop.org
(From Amazon) Witness the creation of a magical land in The Magician’s Nephew, the first title in C. S. Lewis’s classic fantasy series, which has captivated readers of all ages for over sixty years….
On a daring quest to save a life, two friends are hurled into another world, where an evil sorceress seeks to enslave them. But then the lion Aslan’s song weaves itself into the fabric of a new land, a land that will be known as Narnia. And in Narnia, all things are possible.
This is a stand-alone novel, but if you want to journey back to Narnia, read The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, the second book in The Chronicles of Narnia.
Age Range – 8 and up
Parental Guidance
The Magician’s Nephew is a classic children’s fantasy book that was written by an English scholar, CS Lewis. Published in 1955, there are some cultural differences and dated concepts. For example, Digory believes that he is smarter than his friend Polly just because he is a boy—though Polly has no issue challenging the idea.
As the title suggests, Digory’s Uncle Andrew is a magician who “practices magic” and talks about the existence of fairies. The characters end up traveling to a new world that becomes Narnia, where “magic” is abundant.
There are a few intense scenes and themes in the story that may be challenging for young readers. For example, Digory stays with his uncle because his mother is ill and dying. And when Digory and Polly are in another world, the two awaken an evil witch who is violent and destructive. There may also be some challenging vocabulary for your student, and readers will be encouraged to search for and bring up challenging words in our discussion. Words that parents may like to know about ahead of time include a character with bare arms, described as a “hussy,” and when speaking of the dazzling beauty of the Queen, Digory’s uncle calls her “a superb creature, a dem fine woman” (in place of profanity).
Reading Schedule
- Week 1: January 13 – Chapters 1-4
- Week 2: January 20 – Chapters 5-8
- Week 3: January 27 – Chapters 9-12
- Week 4: February 3 – Chapters 13-end
How To Begin
It’s easy! Follow these steps to get started…
- Sign up and get in (before it’s full!) — Use the blue button at the bottom of this page to save your spot.
- Receive your information — Within 48 hours of signing up, you’ll get an email with your Club’s details. Save this email, bookmark the zoom link, and add the club dates to your calendar.
- Prepare for your first meeting — Get the book from your own favorite source, or buy your book(s) directly from your Book Club pages. Read the assigned chapters ahead of time, and download and print the supplies list for crafts (young readers), activity pages for during the Club time (older readers), or the handout to guide the discussion (older students).
For more information, visit the How It Works page.
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