The Horse and His Boy (Chronicles of Narnia, #5)
by C.S. Lewis
Shasta has lived all his life with a poor Calormen fisherman who adopted him when he was a baby. His adopted father is cruel, and so when Shasta meets a Talking Horse named Bree, they make plans to run away together to Narnia. Along the way they meet some other runaways, Aravis and Hwin, and together they must sneak through the bustling city of Tashbaan and cross the desert to reach Narnia.
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The Christmas Doll
by Elvira Woodruff
4 out of 5 stars
Lucy is terrified that her little sister, Glory, will die of the sickness that is infecting everyone at the orphan’s home. After several children die, Lucy decides that they have to escape. It would be better to live penniless and hungry on the streets than be exposed to the sickness. In the midst of the winter cold, Lucy cheers her little sister with stories of a beautiful doll, Morning Glory, until one day they find an old doll among the trash of the river.
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The Silver Chair (Chronicles of Narnia, #4)
by C.S. Lewis
Eustace has returned to the world of Narnia with his classmate, Jill Pole. The two friends are charged with a quest to find the missing Prince Rilian, who disappeared ten years ago. Joining them in their journey to the North is a Marshwiggle named Puddleglum, who guides them through the lands of giants.
This book just gets better and better every time I re-read it! Rereading it this time around, I was struck with how many times forgetting and remembering are mentioned. The whole theme of the book is about remembering Aslan’s instructions regarding the quest. Unfortunately they often forget the instructions and the signs that they are supposed to look for along the way. This theme has another spiritual layer as well, since we as Christians have been given spiritual instructions about how to live a holy life, but we often forget and make mistakes.
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The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (Chronicles of Narnia, #3)
by C.S. Lewis, Pauline Baynes (Illustrator)
Lucy and Edmund are back in Narnia, this time accompanied by their annoying cousin, Eustace. The siblings join King Caspian again, this time on a quest to the Eastern edge of the world. They sail through rough seas, encounter sea monsters, chart magical islands, and fight battles. But the greatest adventure of all is what they find at the edge of the world.
This one is my favorite of all the Narnia books! It appeals to something deep inside me on many levels. The magical adventures, the spiritual themes, poor sad Eustace and his character development, the beautiful imagery, and the imaginative settings all resonate with me in special ways. There are so many sweet little moments that tug at your heart!
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Prince Caspian (The Chronicles of Narnia, #2)
by C.S. Lewis, Pauline Baynes (Illustrator)
5 out of 5 stars
Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy are back in Narnia a year after their previous adventures. They find that Narnia has changed a great deal, and now the evil Telmarines are in power. The siblings go to war to help Prince Caspian reclaim his throne and restore the Old Narnian dwarves, fauns, and tree-people.
I love the themes of obedience and faith in this second book of the series. The siblings try to rely on their own wisdom and ignore Aslan’s instructions and they get into huge trouble. It is only when they follow Aslan and obey with faith that things start to go right again.
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The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (Chronicles of Narnia, #1)
by C.S. Lewis, Pauline Baynes (Illustrations)
Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy finds themselves stumbling through a magical wardrobe into the land of Narnia, where animals can talk and the White Witch uses her magic to make it always winter and never Christmas. The siblings must travel to find the Great Lion, Aslan, who is the only one with the power to defeat the White Witch.
This book is so near to my heart, not only because of the nostalgia since I read and reread it again and again as a child, but also for the deep spiritual themes of sacrifice and redemption that mirror Christ’s salvation of this poor sinner. I find myself relating closely with each of the siblings as they interact with Aslan and as their spiritual journeys with Him begin.
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Dragon and Liberator (Dragonback, #6)
by Timothy Zahn (Goodreads Author)
5 out of 5 stars
In this final book of the series, Jack and Draycos are running out of time to stop the genocide of Draycos’ entire race, the K’da. The machinery of war is lining up to annihilate the K’da spaceships that will be arriving soon, but Jack and Draycos don’t know where the final rendezvous point will be. Their only hope is to follow their enemies and hope that they can warn the K’da in time.
I loved this book so much! Every book in the series is action-packed and full of mystery and danger.
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Nathalie Lete Fall Foxes 1,000 Piece Puzzle
5 out of 5 stars
This 1,000-piece puzzle is beautifully designed and thoughtfully crafted. I love the beautiful fall colors and the vibrant design of the foxes and little forest creatures!
The puzzle comes with a little 8″x6″ poster of the art, so that you can use it as a little poster, put the art in a frame, or use it to help you complete the puzzle. I was especially impressed to see that the backs of the puzzle pieces are not just blank, but have a beautiful deep green color. It’s delightful to see little details like that which make this puzzle really special and show the exceptional craftmanship and careful thought that went into the design and manufacture of the product.
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John Derian Friendship, Love, and Truth 1,000 Piece Puzzle
5 out of 5 stars
This 1,000-piece puzzle is beautifully designed and thoughtfully crafted. The puzzle comes with a little 9″x6″ poster of the art, so that you can use it as a little poster, put the art in a frame, or use it to help you complete the puzzle. It’s delightful to see little details like that which make this puzzle really special and show the exceptional craftmanship and careful thought that went into the design and manufacture of the product.
I love the interesting artwork! It’s such an enigmatic picture like a symbolic puzzle within a puzzle. I love everything about this beautiful puzzle! Even the box it comes in is very sturdy and well-made.
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Dragon and Judge (Dragonback, #5)
by Timothy Zahn (Goodreads Author)
5 out of 5 stars
In this fifth book of the series, Jack and Draycos make a quick stop at the planet where Jack’s parents died in an accidental mining explosion. Jack is kidnapped by aliens from a remote area of the planet, and they think he is a Judge sent to mediate their petty legal matters. Jack begins to uncover clues that suggest that his parents were not just miners who died in an accident. They were most likely murdered, and they were not miners at all!
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