You might recognize the name of this book, and if you do that’s because it’s part of a super famous series called The Chronicles of Narnia. The series was written by C.S. Lewis, a Christian author. This is Book 1 of 7, so if you like this one, there’s a lot more ahead. I read Narnia in chronological order, so this was the first book I picked up.

Ready for The Magician’s Nephew book review? Read on!

There are two main characters in this book: Digory and Polly. Digory has a dad in India and his mom is sick, so he’s staying in London until she recovers. Polly has lived in London her whole life, so when Digory moves in next door, she’s got a new friend to explore with.

When Digory and Polly go exploring through the attics of their row of houses, they accidentally end up in Digory’s Uncle Andrew’s study. This room has always been locked, so Digory’s never been inside before.

His Uncle Andrew is a magician, and he tricks Polly into putting on a yellow ring. She disappears! Digory learns that green rings bring you back to London and yellow rings send you to a different world. Uncle Andrew is too scared to go himself, but he tells him that Digory can go.

Will Digory go save Polly? You have to read to find out!

The vibe of this book is mysterious and magical and adventurous, but not scary. What makes it really special? C.S. Lewis was a Christian author, and there are a lot of connections to the Bible in this book. When Aslan the Lion (the only character who appears in all seven books) sings a new world called Narnia into existence, it feels a lot like creation from Genesis.

You feel like you’re standing right there, watching a whole world come to life.

If you like magic or fantasy, you should read this. These books are also based on events of the Bible, so it’s an even cooler read when you start piecing the puzzle together.

One heads-up though: I tried to read this series when I was 9 and couldn’t get through it because of the old-fashioned English. So if you try it and it’s hard right now, that’s OK. Just come back to it when you’re a little older. I came back and loved it.

If you’re looking for a great The Magician’s Nephew book review from a kid who’s reading the whole series, this is it.

This book includes magic and sorcery. Uncle Andrew experiments with magic rings, and the villain, Queen Jadis, uses dark magic including a spell that destroyed her entire world. There’s also a theme of serious illness, as Digory’s mother is dying throughout the story, which could be emotional for sensitive readers. Jadis causes some chaos and mild violence in London, but nothing graphic.

The strongest theme in this book is actually faith. C.S. Lewis wove in a beautiful creation narrative that mirrors Genesis, and there’s a garden temptation scene that older kids may recognize.

One practical note: the language is old-fashioned British English, which can be a challenge for younger or reluctant readers. Grey himself tried it at 9 and came back to it at 11. If your child struggles with it, audiobooks are a great option (or just give it a year and try again).