What age were your children when you introduced them to Narnia?

[Momofeat]

Thanks for all the feedback.  

I'm not so much worried that they won't get the deeper symbolisms or anything... just that they won't be interested.  :scared: 

(I did so love the series when I was younger and I've read them several times through...)

 

I think we'll give it a go soon.  

Now to decide if we should do The Hobbit before or after...

 

Personally, I would read Narnia first. Both of my girls either listened to me read or read the series to themselves when they were 6 years old. Now my oldest dd wants to share the joy with my ds, and she's been reading The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe to him. He's 8.

 

I'm teaching a writing class based on The Hobbit, so I have read it recently. I feel like it's harder to read & follow than the Narnia books.

[mommy2ella]

I think DD was just turning 5 when we started the Narnia series.  She's since read through them all several times and often listens to the dramatized audio versions of them, as well.  We're holding off on the movies for a few more years (she's 7 now). 

 

Oh, and I feel strongly about TLTW&TW being first!  :)

 

Julie

[HS Mom in NC]

We read it aloud to them for the first time when they were 4 or 5.

[alisoncooks]

UPDATE:

Encouraged by the responses here, we sat down and began TLTW&TW tonight after bath time.

They LOVED it!  We got through the first 4 chapters before bed time and they were begging for more!

 

  :party:

 

Now.... where to buy Turkish Delight?  I told them we'd find some when we head into town tomorrow for church... there's got to be somewhere that carries it...

[North Coast School]

We did the whole series as bedtime readalouds last summer, kids 6 and 8.  They looooooved it.  DC7 just read the Horse and His Boy again this spring.  Didn't really remember a whole lot from hearing it last year and loved it again the second time.

 

I have read the whole series start to finish at least 5 or 6 times since I was a kid.  i don't think you can read them too many times.  Start now!

[thegirlwhopaintedtrees]

We are currently reading them.  My youngest is 4.5 and oldest is 6.5

[dbaeimers]

*Lurker*

 

I am curious if you all are talking about what age your child would read the books themselves or what age you would read the books out loud to them?  Thanks :)

[Heathermomster]

DD listened to the first 5 books (audio version released by Focus on the Family) just before her 6th birthday.  We were driving to visit family, and her favorite book is The Lion, Witch, and Wardrobe.

[alisoncooks]

*Lurker*

 

I am curious if you all are talking about what age your child would read the books themselves or what age you would read the books out loud to them? Thanks :)

Neither of my children are fluent readers -- I'm reading aloud them.

[Monica_in_Switzerland]

I am reading them aloud to ds7 right now and he is loving them.  We've done LWW, Horse and His Boy, and now Prince Caspian. 

 

Horse and His Boy was a little complicated, but he begged for the story every evening anyway, and now Prince Caspian is a bit more straightforward. 

 

It is very important to me that my kids enjoy these books.  :-) 

 

My son is capable of reading them on his own, but does not yet have the stamina to read them.  He's decided that since "all is revealed" in Magician's Nephew, that he'd like to switch to reading that aloud to me during his reading lesson time, while I continue to read the other books aloud to him at bed time.  :-) 

[happypamama]

You can google for a recipe for Turkish Delight. Since it uses rosewater, which google says is available at Middle Eastern grocery stores, you might also find premade TD at one of those.

[Momofeat]

*Lurker*

 

I am curious if you all are talking about what age your child would read the books themselves or what age you would read the books out loud to them?  Thanks :)

 

I began the series as read-alouds for my girls around age 6, but both girls took over my job and read them to themselves. 

 

My dd(14) is now reading The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe to ds(8). I do not expect him to take over the job because he's not that strong of a reader yet.

 

I believe they're 5th grade reading level.

[chelsmm]

We did the entire series this year. Ages 6 and 8, and we loved them!!!

[alisoncooks]

UPDATE:

 

In the past 6 days, we have blown through LW&W and Prince Caspian.  (I'm a staunch, publication-order purist. ;))

The girls are still enchanted but my voice is giving out! :p

 

After a failed attempt to check out audiobooks from our library (they were the abridged, play-like version -- bah!) I did some searching online.  A few false leads (Good night! $9/book on Amazon?!) I came across these free podcast readings.  

 

Yay!  My voice is saved!

Hope this helps someone else!  Looks like these can be downloaded as mp3s and they are done with permission from the CS Lewis Estate (so they're not bootlegs or anything sketchy. :D)

[cintinative]

Read all of them aloud this year to my six and eight year old boys.

[AdventuresinHomeschooling]

My husband is a little Narnia obsessed.  He has had a giant cardboard wardrobe with a real working light that was a movie display since before we got married.  He just gave it away because we are moving across the country.  When they're 5, they are allowed to watch the movies.  My kids have stuffed Reepicheeps and a giant lion on their bed.  My 4 yo is familiar even though he hasn't seen the movies or read the books, although he has been to Disney Narnia displays and special traveling exhibits at different museums, etc.  My husband has them all on audio, and we have listened to them on road trips, and he listens to the soundtrack when he does dishes.  (I told you he is obsessed.)  As far as the books, gauge when they have the attention span and reading ability for similar length of books.  We were studying the Middle Ages, and my oldest loves Narnia already, so we bought him a set for his 8th birthday.  My husband started out reading it aloud to my 8 and 4 yo, but my 8 yo kept begging to read ahead on his own.  So my husband complied and then read a chapter aloud from wherever he was at.  In less than 6 months, my 8 yo has read the entire series at least 3 times for each book and constantly goes to my husband with new parallels or interesting tidbits he uncovers.  

[Joyful Journeys]

What a thread to stumble upon! We have an abridged version I picked up on a whim used and I read it to my 6 year old a couple nights ago and she is totally into it. I told there's a much longer book/series with lots more details and adventures and she is waiting not so patiently for me to get them! I wish my 4 year would pay attention, but perhaps down the road big sister will read to her too. 

[mhaddon]

My oldest listend to them all on audiobook at 4. He loved them, at 8 he still talks about Narnia and remembers names and details.