Learn about the author, C.S. Lewis, as he incorporated many of his own childhood experiences into "The Chronicles of Narnia." Born in Belfast, Ireland, in 1898, he had ample opportunities to use his imagination. He studied literature at Oxford, becoming a part of a group of young writers including J.R.R. Tolkien.
Buy the boxed set. This includes illustrated adult editions of all seven books. Note that this edition numbers the novels in chronological order rather than publication date.
Read the series in the order of publication. The debate about this dates back to 1957, when Lewis advised a young fan that the chronological order might be a better way to read the stories. However, others point out that references in novels published later won't make sense unless you've read the ones published previously.
Begin with "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe," first published in 1950. This will introduce you to the main characters, the lion Aslan and the evil White Witch. "Prince Caspian" comes next with the four children helping the rightful heir to the throne, Prince Caspian, fight a false king.
Move on to "The Voyage of the Dawn Treader," published in 1952, and sees the return of two of the children and Prince Caspian. "The Silver Chair," published a year later, focuses on two other characters called to Narnia by the lion Aslan to find Prince Caspian's kidnapped son.
Finish off the series with the last three books. "The Horse and His Boy" and "The Magician's Nephew" don't follow the chronological order of the story, but they fill in gaps you'll have wondered about. "The Last Battle" is the final book in the series, published in 1956, which won the Carnegie Medal award.
Visit "Into the Wardrobe," a website on C.S. Lewis to learn more about the "Chronicles of Narnia" and his other works. You'll find a list of literary commentary works, illustrations, a discussion forum and a list of other resources.