.jpg "Summer Reading")
I know, old school, but perfect timing for him, because he hadn’t seen the movie, didn’t know the story, and I hear there’s a new Narnia series due out sometime in the future, so, last chance to meet the book for the first time.
I did a quick re-read before he joined me in reading it.
Environment
I taped up a Lamppost in the snow poster welcoming him to Narnia,
rolled up a map of Narnia for him to discover and place the action as the tale progressed.
A faux-stone lion, (a college mascot), sat in our reading area.
A jigsaw puzzle of a mystical lion would be our reading breaks activity,
with games of hide and seek, (when it wasn’t too hot), like the children played when the wardrobe was discovered. .
- Lottery: I also prep a “draw” bucket, with each of our names for Read Aloud, and with options for Silent Reading, and Choice.
- This "game of chance" was more important for getting through the books when he was a new reader, but it is still a nice opportunity every now and then to hear him reading for fluency and pronunciation, and to check understanding of harder words.
- And on the occasion when I am doing the read aloud, it’s good for witnessing his listening skills, and sometimes, to serve as a model. The final chapter, for instance, has the children talking in the manner of ancient kings and queens, which would be a familiar diction for children brought up reading Le Morte d’Arthur, but is probably news to this class.
Setting the scene:
I supplied the following historical information before he started reading.
Lewis wrote the story for his goddaughter.
The story takes place in England, during the Second World War.
At the time, children were sent from their homes in London, because of the bombing risk, to live with relatives in the country. The four sibling children characters in the book arrive at an uncle’s great house in the country.
- Because of the war and the need for food to supply soldiers at the front, food at home for civilians was rationed. Sugar and other ingredients were limited in availability. [This becomes relevant as a background to Edmund’s temptation later in the story, and even to Lucy’s temptation to overstay her visit with Mr. Tumnus..]
Enrichment I:
This novel can be read wholly as a fantasy adventure story. There is absolutely no explicit doctrine. (The characters do bemoan that since the Witch's reign in Narnia, it is always winter and never Christmas; and a character named "Father Christmas", makes a brief appearance on a sleigh and leaves gifts.)
- Christians may want to recognize parallels to Jesus in Aslan’s sacrifice to the Witch on Edmund’s behalf, the Deep Magic from the Dawn of Time requiring his death on the Stone Table; and the even Deeper Magic before Time, Aslan’s resurrection, and Edmund’s confession, forgiveness and penitential courage he exhibits in battle.
The metaphors weren’t obvious to my reader. He really suffered the impact of Aslan’s death, and lost interest in reading further when that terrible scene happened. After all, we do want good to triumph over evil, and don’t want the wicked witch to prevail over someone so loved and seeming to have such power.
I had to hint at a happy ending to encourage his reading on, which he did on his own at home, outside of camp. When Aslan returned, our student wasn’t conscious of the lion’s return as a resurrection. I asked this: Do you remember how they humiliated the noble Aslan before he was killed, by cutting off his mane and teasing? Does this remind you of anyone?
And then he got it instantly, in the Passion events, “Ohhhhh! Jesus!”
The Stone Table/Altar connection was hazy for my reader. But that’s all right, it’s hazy for us all...
Enrichment 2:
I said I always learn something. These were reflections which changed my summer, and which I tried to share with my camper.
Inspiration for the Witch's statues in the tragedy of war: Watch a clip (at 4:23 to 5:08) of Episode 6, “Bastogne”, of the series Band of Brothers, currently on Netflix.
C.S. Lewis served in action in WWI and in the Home Guard in WW2. In WWI he was shipped home in mid-December, having been injured in No Man’s Land in France.
Enrichment 3:
I was struck by a distinction between Lewis’s story and Tolkien’s, in the two “sides” at war, the good guys and the bad guys.
In Lord of the Rings, it seems to me there are instances of species or races inclined to be on the side of wrong, vs. goodness. The eagles are the rescuers, for example, and the crows, wargs, and cave trolls serve the other side. Granted, many of the minions of darkness have been created or perverted from other origins.
 |
| A Spider visited our Map of Narnia |
- In reading The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, we discussed how some of the giants, satyrs, wolves, dwarves, and other creatures served the Witch, and some fought for the true king of Narnia, or fell to become statues of the Witch’s making, because they opposed her. Being on the side of good or evil was a choice, not an inherent birthright or doom.
 |
| tea and a puzzle |
The Menu:
My boy is a fussy eater, but he did try and like new foods in our Narnia menu!
I tried to use plates and basketry which suited the rural woodland habitat of the children’s hosts, Mr. Tumnus the Faun, and Mr. and Mrs. Beaver.
Chapter 2: Tea in the Cave with Mr. Tumnus
Herbal Tea
Hard-boiled Brown Eggs
Sardines on Toast
Buttered Toast
Toast with Honey
Sugar-topped Cake
- [
Treacle - I added molasses to the table to introduce British treacle,
a cross-reference to Alice’s tea in Wonderland…]
Chapter 4: Turkish Delight
Turkish Delight
I considered making my own. The boy has a tree-nut allergy so I typically prepare his snacks from scratch, making our own gummy candies, etc. There are lots of recipes for this jelly-like, gummy squares snack, dusted in cornstarch. I was very lazy this year though and purchased a tin of Turkish Delight from a candy supplier which seemed to be nut-free. Warning: Many brands and recipes have a pistachio Turkish Delight which would be hazardous for those allergic. Pistachio is one traditional flavor, along with rosewater.
These candies were lovely, fruit flavors and hues, no pistachio, nuts not listed in ingredients as an allergen warning. They were from Sarah's Candy Factory, Turkish Delight with Assorted Fruit Flavors (30 oz) Gift Box for Everyone. We did not have any allergy issues from eating them. [That said, do your own research, I cannot vouchsafe the product.]
Chapter 7: A Day with the Beavers
Pan-fried fish filets, [or Smoked trout ]
Potatoes
Homemade bread
A big lump of deep yellow butter
Jug of creamy milk
Tea
Gloriously Sticky Marmalade Roll from the oven
Gloriously Sticky Marmalade Roll: I would like to try this again and bake an actual marmalade roll, I think as a sweet yeast bread rolled and sliced, like cinnamon rolls, though a jelly-roll sponge would also be nice. I haven’t seen any recipes for the versions I have in mind.
I cheated and baked a quick bread machine poiund cake which I cut up and coated with orange marmalade. We are all now marmalade devotees, and have added it to our toasts for more Narnia teas.
Chapter 10: The Spell Begins to Break
- [
Red and White Striped Peppermint candies
Jam-filled Thumbprint or “cave” cookies]
(The above were my addition to acknowledge the return of Father Christmas to Narnia.)
Bread and Ham sandwiches
Tea
Cream
Sugar
Chapter 11: Aslan is Nearer
Tin cup of water
Hunk of dry bread crust
And after all our work on this book concludes, one big, glorious, proper teatime, to celebrate!
Next up
Just in time for our big local 4-H fair: E. B. White’s Charlotte’s Web.
Menu is fair foods like corn and ice cream and popcorn, but no more ham or bacon!
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