The Magician's Nephew

I don’t always know how much Nicholas is paying attention. He’s always preferred books that had pictures in them, whether they were comic books or just chapter-type books that had pictures every few pages, like The B.F.G., which I read to him a couple of months ago.

Nicholas and I were part of the way through The Magician’s Nephew, the first of the Narnia books. (First in author-preference and chronological order, sixth or seventh in publishing date) I couldn’t guarantee that he was paying attention to what I was reading but I was enjoying reading it anyway. He floored me this evening, however, when I was reading a scene at the end where it described a wondrous smell and how it smelled like greenery and life, Nicholas said, “That must be the garden.” Now, I knew there was a garden but I can’t say that I expected him to remember, if he’d known at the beginning. I guess his excitement over the Narnia books is more than just passing the time.

I wonder how much he really is picking up. It’s exciting.

The story is pretty much exactly the way I remember it. I read it once when I was a kid and once two years ago. I hope Nicholas got a lot out of this one because if he did, I have a feeling he’s really going to enjoy the next one… and the one after that, and the one after that, and the one after that…

47 to go!