The Magician's Nephew

This Narnia novel goes back to the beginning of the series. In London, at the turn of the twentieth century, two children, Digory and Polly, are tricked by Digory's odd uncle into using magic rings. These carry them out of their own world and into other places, including a silent, dying city and, eventually, a young world where something new is being created. Their curiosity and mistakes bring trouble with them. The book explains how Narnia began and how several familiar features of the series came to be. It is a story about temptation, responsibility and wonder.