For The First Time, Again.

One small consolation for the impracticalities of widely-spaced children: getting to read the classics for the "first" time, over and over and over.

We started The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe tonight, in honor of Theo's sixth birthday.  His eyes could not have gotten any wider.

I can still remember starting the Narnia series with Isaac, in Paris.  He's read it on his own, several times, since then.  But this is the first time we've read it aloud in ten years.

We counted through the chapters and discovered that there are seventeen.  Isaac said, "Wait, that means we'll finish it in, like, two weeks.  That's not right.  You can't rush through this book."

I do remember it taking at least a month when we read it with Isaac.  I don't remember why.  Certainly not because his attention span was shorter than Theo's.  Perhaps mine was, back then.  I think I only read parts of chapters.

Two weeks does seem rather quick.

I was looking over at Amos while we were reading, thinking about how little he understood, and how much fun it will be when we do this all again in five or six years.

I can't wait.

If you had the chance to introduce a book to someone precious to you, at just the right age for him or her, what book would that be?

I would have a hard time picking just one book.  Charlotte's Web, Farmer Boy, Pride and Prejudice, the Borrowers, A Wrinkle in Time, the Screwtape Letters--how could you choose?

But the Narnia series is special.