The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (1952)

Putting on my 'Childhood Favorites' shelf is a misnomer, as I never read this as a child. Again, with the silly Christian undertones. Then end where Aslan tells Lucy she will never return to Narnia (riiiiiiight) but she will know him under another name in her own world, that's why she had to meet him in Narina... hmmm... what could that name be?

I think it's nearly criminal to feed such loosely veiled propaganda to our (any!) unknowing child. If Christianity is the 'One True Faith' then children will find it (as cognizant adults) without being duped or brainwashed. Ick.
( )

We take voyage to the right hand side of the map, and the sea is filled with wonders. I liked this book, perhaps the second best Narnia tale, and I always will. It was the first nudge that I received in the exploration of medieval literature.
This is the Narnia book with Pauline Baynes' greatest illustration, "The heartbroken Dragon"! ( )

A slight book. Some of the adventures were interesting, but it didn't hold together as a story. And Aslan laid it on pretty thick there at the end, didn't he?

I really don't know what to do with Lewis's snide implication that being a vegetarian/pacifist/progressive makes you a horrible person and parent. Blecch. ( )

The usual mixture of very clever and humorous writing and really creepy Christian message. It's a bit more overt this time around as Aslan explains that he is in Lucy's world as well (but by a different name).

C.S. Lewis was a conservative (in the modern sentence of Christian values) so the parents and school of Eustace Scrubb come in for a few snide comments. C.S. Lewis keeps it up in the next book, "The Silver Chair".

Reepicheep's swagger is fun. ( )

Each Narnia book gets better and better. In this case we are introduced to Eustace Scrubb, a thoroughly unpleasant cousin of Edmond and Lucy.

They all go to Narnia, have adventures with Caspian and then go back to England.

I find it amazing how simple and concise these stories are and yet just how engaging and wonderful at the same time. I would find myself thinking "Well, what if..., or How would this..." and I would have to pull myself back and remember that Lewis was writing this primarily for children.

And yet I was never bored, nor did I ever roll my eyes at a simplification. This was great writing. And it really shows. ( )