C. S. Lewis' Letters to Children

I LOVED this book! LETTERS TO CHILDREN by C.S. Lewis is a delightful collection of short notes and letters that the “Narnia” author wrote to children in answer to their letters over a period of about nineteen years, from 1944 – 1963. Lewis received thousands of letters from young readers. He believed that answering these letters was a God-given duty. (The last letter was written just the day before he died!)Many of the first letters told how much the children liked one or more of the series. Lewis always thanked them for saying so at the beginning of each of his responses. Sometimes the children would ask questions, such as when the next book would come out, in what order they should read the series (The Magician’s Nephew first), and about the characters, meanings, and themes in the books.He answered one boy’s question this way, "The books don’t tell us what happened to Susan. She is left alive in this world at the end, having by then turned into a rather silly, conceited young woman. But there is plenty of time for her to mend, and perhaps she will get to Aslan’s country in the end.”Occasionally a remark or question would be about his other books. And quite often he would remark about England’s foul weather, which was “doing my old bones a bit of no good!” He always answered their letters with kindness and with details according to their age.Lewis kept a “index” of the letters, and could continue on with conversations over the months and years with some of the children (or occasionally with a parent).Some of the frequent letter-writers would send Lewis either drawings of his characters, or stories and poems that they wrote themselves. He would always comment, some with helpful critiques and suggestions. “The content of the poem is good but the verse “creaks” a bit!”He would often encourage them to write stories of their own, even to continue the Narnia story. And there was always a deprecating bit of humor about himself. “I’m so glad you liked the Narnian books. Everyone is pleased, you know, to be appreciated, even elderly authors!”With the older, frequent-correspondents, he would mention his wife, how she very sick she was. This one was so sweet. “I’m sure Aslan knows best and whether He leaves her with me or takes her to His own country, He will do what is right. But of course, it makes me very sad. I am sure you and your mother will pray for us.”And my favorite, “If you continue to love Jesus, nothing much can go wrong with you, and I hope you may always do so. I’m so thankful that you realized the “hidden story” in the Narnian books. It is odd, children nearly always do, grown-ups hardly ever.”The book begins with a nice Introduction and a few pages about his own childhood with insights into the writing of the Narnia tales.FIVE STARS

I read this in two sittings and had a smile on my face for almost all of it. Lewis had such a way of talking to kids that makes you feel such hope! Always uplifting the dignity of children and making you rethink how our world views kids, these letters are worth the little time to read. As a Narnia lover too, I just really enjoyed reading more about the world of Narnia from the Author and seeing how much everyone loved the books.

If you have read any of CS Lewis' "Chronicles of Narnia" books, you are probably enchanted by his work. This collection of letters to children is equally enchanting into the person of who he was; kind, thoughtful, and caring toward children. These are his written answers to letters from children and are precious. You will be delighted by this small treasure of a book.

I treated this book as though it were a treat to be doled out as a daily dose; I was saddened to come to the end. This book is filled with little insights, and tips on writing, providing as well historical information into the daily life of C.S. Lewis.

Lewis had a self described shyness with children, making the two years both he and his brother Wernie took in children during the Blitz of WWII amazing. This willingness led to a girl asking him about a wardrobe he had that led to the Chronicles of Narnia stories. It's a lesson in stretching yourself in areas of your life that don't come easy.

This is a delightful title. Lewis at his most authentic and unassuming as he addresses some of the vast mail he received from children around the globe. I could not put it down. I had read a few of his letters to children in an anthology before but this book is only letters to his younger fans, and Lewis is a pure pleasure to read.A highly recommended read!

I loved reading this! I've already read several C.S. Lewis books but this one especially made me love C.S. Lewis! My daughter, 11, read it also & felt the same way!

Oh, to have such a caring person come into our lives at a tender age when we need that influence. C.S. Lewis was a very in-depth intellectual and was able to convey the gospel in terms that children and adults could grasp, finding that God is able through His Son Jesus Christ to give direction for a meaningful life.

in my opinion the most beautiful edition of c s lewis book letters to children. Its great if you have questions about lewis and the chronicles of narnia, because through the book many of mine were perfectly answered.