They NEED it: Here are 5 reasons why your homeschool high schooler should read Narnia again!

Your Homeschool High Schooler Should Read Narnia

When’s the last time your homeschool high schooler read the Chronicles of Narnia? Or HAS your teen read ALL 7 of the C.S. Lewis’ fabulous Narnia books? (I am running into more and more adolescents who have never even read The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe– a problem that should be corrected for their own sakes!)

Here are 5 reasons why your homeschool high schooler should read Narnia (all 7 books):

1) Examine Deep Theology

C.S. Lewis wove powerful theological concepts throughout all 7 of the Chronicles of Narnia books using symbolism (a concept akin to allegory and explained in the 7Sisters’ Chronicles of Narnia Study Guides). (Click here for an excerpt from the Chronicle of Narnia Literature Study Guides.)

Obviously Aslan is a symbol of Christ, but the books are awash in other symbolic pictures:

• Eustace being “dragoned” and “undragoned”  as pictures of sin and redemption
• Caspian and Edmund’s argument at Deathwater Island as a symbol of the blinding power of greed
• The witch’s speech in The Silver Chair as she tried to twist truth and lure the children into captivity as symbol of satan’s lies by which he tries to ensnare us
• The list goes on and on…

2) Discover Basic Philosophy

Each book has some basic philosophic symbolism. For instance, the underground captivity of Prince Rilian is a symbol of Plato’s Allegory of the Cave. The 7SistersHomeschool.com Chronicles of Narnia Study Guides explain these philosophic concepts at a level teens can enjoy.

3) Learn Great Writing Strategies Employed by Lewis

Lewis (and his friend, J.R.R. Tolkien) popularized the myth-fantasy genre. They followed a detailed process to prepare the stories:

• dividing a sub-creation
• developing surprising friendships
• detailing a defeat of evil
• and more (if your homeschool high schooler is interested in writing a myth-fantasy in the Narnian genre, see our 7Sisters Myth-Fantasy Writing Guide).

Lewis also used some of the Narnia books to pay homage to a special type of literature- for instance, The Last Battle is an example of apocalyptic literature and The Voyage of the Dawn Treader is an epic.

4) Employ a Creative Vehicle for Critical Thinking

Each of the Narnia books offers, through  the personal development of each character, opportunities for teens to develop their critical thinking skills- (and in our Narnia Study Guides we ask questions to help teens grow in their thinking skills) .

5) One NEVER Outgrows the Stories of Narnia

“No book is really worth reading at the age of ten which is not equally (and often far more) worth reading at the age of fifty—except, of course, books of information. The only imaginative works we ought to grow out of are those which it would have been better not to have read at all.”- Lewis in “On Stories”.

Your homeschool high schooler should read Narnia with the help of 7Sisters’ Study Guides for The Chronicles of Narnia.

Each study guide has options for learning at an average high school, college prep, advanced, or honors level.