The Magician's Nephew

"A little like Lee for Tolkien and Kidby for Pratchett, Baynes is the visual voice accompanying Lewis. This anniversary edition had to be her. And did I mention it has a ribbon?"

"Yes. It was written later, but in the timeline it comes first. I prefer it, and I think it’s criminally underrated. Polly and Digory are neighbours and friends, and they are exploring the attics joining their houses, when they realise that they have accidentally found a way into the forbidden study of Digory’s uncle. I think a lot of good portal fantasy starts with something that feels like it should lead to another world – anyone who explored a strange, liminal, slightly-off-limits space as a child will remember the feeling that they were on the brink of discovering somewhere entirely other. In Polly and Digory’s case, they find Uncle Andrew and his magic rings. And through some disgraceful trickery, he manages to get them both to touch the rings and so become his experimental subjects, transported at once out of this world. Beautifully, they aren’t immediately in another world as such – they are in the wood between the worlds, a peaceful forest full of identical round shining pools. It’s the pools that lead to the other worlds. It takes them a little while to work this out, and work out the magic of the rings. Well – in the end yes, and I don’t want to give away too much there – but first they find themselves in Charn, a dying world. They wake Queen Jadis, a formidable woman quite determined to go back to earth with them and rule it… If you’re familiar with the later books, you might be able to guess who she becomes. Along the way, they rip up a lamppost and plant a tree that is later cut down to become a wardrobe… There are so many lovely touches for readers who know The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe. But it’s also a beautiful little standalone."