chronicles of narnia Archives | Little Book, Big Story

June 10, 2016 / 8 Comments

9 Unusual Books About Princesses

When a friend asked for advice about raising daughters (he and his wife were expecting their first), all I came up with was, “Expect to find baby dolls in strange places. And there will be glitter all over your house, but you won’t know where it came from.” In retrospect, I’d like to add: “People will buy you princess things—so many princess things. Even when they know that you don’t want princess things in your house.”

Also, I’d probably say something about daughters being a gift from the Lord, and it being such a joy to raise them. And so on.

I’ve written before about our family’s approach to princesses, and have meant, for a good long time, to revisit that topic with a list of the books that our girls have fallen in love with—books that do a little, at least, to combat the pull of the Disney franchise by portraying princesses and queens in a courageous, wise, and truly beautiful (not weirdly-animated beautiful) light.

Some of these leading ladies aren’t technically princesses, but you’ll find queens in the mix and ladies and little girls who display beautifully what true princess-ness means. Here are some unusual books about princesses.

The Chronicles of Narnia, by C. S. Lewis

Every good book list ought to open with these books, I think. And any list of books about strong leading ladies who are loving, empathetic and brave ought to open with Lucy Pevensie. (Read the full review.)

The Princess and the Goblin, by George MacDonald

This book is old and wonderful: the story of Princess Irene, the miner Curdie, and Irene’s great-great-grandmother gives a great illustration of what it looks like to be a princess during the good times and the bad, in safety and in danger. (Read the full review.)

The Ordinary Princess, by M. M. Kaye

When a cantankerous fairy bestows not the gift of grace, beauty or charm on the infant princess Amethyst, but instead gives her the gift of ordinariness, the story of Princess Amy, thoroughly ordinary in every way, begins. This book takes a good look at what makes us truly beautiful and how to recognize those that appreciate those qualities. (Read the full review.)

The Story of Esther, by Eric Kimmel

The Story of Esther | Little Book, Big Story

What better picture of royal courage can we pull from Scripture than that of Esther? Though married to King Artaxerxes against her will, Queen Esther serves the Lord where she is placed and through her obedience, saves his people. She’s beautiful, faithful, and brave! (Read the full review.)

I’d Be Your Princess, by Kathryn O’Brien

I'd Be Your Princess | Little Book, Big Story

This sweet picture book follows the conversation between a father and a daughter as she imagines what it would be like if he was a king and she was a princess. Her father ties her vision gently back to Scripture and encourages his daughter to cultivate the qualities that Scripture emphasizes. (Read the full review.)

A Little Princess, by Frances Hodgson Burnett

Though not a literal princess, Sara Crewe lives like one: pampered by her beloved papa and treated as royalty by the headmistress of her boarding school, she enjoys life’s luxuries—until a plot twist takes them all (every last one) away. But she determines to go on living like a princess in all the right ways all the same. (Read the full review.)

The Princess and the Kiss, by Jennie Bishop

Jennie Bishop’s fable about a princess who is given a gift at birth meant only for the man she marries gives a lovely picture for young girls of marriage and purity—even answering gently, at one point, the question, “What if he isn’t out there for me?” This is a book that I appreciate for the way it helps shape our daughters’ views on marriage and sexuality while telling a story about a royal family who knows what to truly value.

The Adventures of Robin Hood, by Roger Lancelyn Green

The Adventures of Robin Hood | Little Book, Big Story

Okay, Maid Marian isn’t technically a princess, but she does rub elbows with royalty, wear lovely gowns (sometimes, at least), and marry her true love at the (almost) end of the story. But she’s also fearless and loyal, willing to stand her ground against injustice and to fight for good alongside her fiance. There are many retellings of Robin Hood’s adventures, but Maid Marian’s character in this one makes it my favorite. (Read the full review.)

The King’s Equal, by Katherine Paterson

The King's Equal | Little Book, Big Story

Katherine Paterson, author of The Bridge to Terebithia and many, many other books, puts a beautiful twist on those stories that marry off princesses as prizes for killing dragons and so on. When the king dies, he leaves his kingdom to his proud and quite unlikeable son on the stipulation that he finds a wife that is truly his equal. The search for such a woman leads to lovely and unexpected results—and no one is more surprised by them than the prince. (Read the full review.)

Ten of My Favorite Adventure Stories | Little Book, Big Story

July 3, 2015 / 0 Comments

10 of My Favorite Adventure Stories

Nap time settles over our house. Those small enough to sleep, sleep. Those too big for naps go into their separate rooms armed with books—many books. I briefly consider washing the dishes from lunch or checking my email, but a breeze sweeps in the screen door and it smells like—oh, like the summers of childhood or something, so I step outside to explore it for a moment.

I come to my senses two hours later in a cushioned porch chair, sunburned and blinking. Somehow, I’m holding North! or Be Eaten.

Today, I have the privilege of introducing you (perhaps you’ve met?) to Mother Daughter Book Reviews, a site that abounds with reviews of children’s literature. I’m serving as a guest poster today and my subject is perfectly summer worthy:

Some of these adventure stories are classic; some are recent releases. Many will (hopefully) be new to you! May you spend your summer investigating wardrobes, cupboards, and tollbooths. May you pick up a magic coin, a bandolier of bells, a bow, or a ring linked to enchanted thread. May you steer clear of Voldemort and the toothy cows of Skree.

You can read the full post here.

June 7, 2013 / 6 Comments

The Chronicles of Narnia

I realize that, at first glance, this post may strike you as superfluous. We all know that The Chronicles of Narnia are awesome and most of us have hoped, since childhood, that some unassuming cupboard or closet would—just this once—take us there. These books have rightfully secured a shelf of honor in any children’s library, Christian or no, and are probably sitting on your shelves right now. So, why am I writing about them?

I’ll answer that question with a question: you’ve read them, of course, but have you read them all?

The Chronicles of Narnia | Little Book, Big Story

Perhaps, you had a well-meaning teacher who introduced you to The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe. Maybe you read that book and loved it, and gave the next few books of the series a try before you got a new set of Legos and forgot all about everything after The Silver Chair. Perhaps, in this fictional scenario that is loosely based on my own life, you didn’t realize that things got much, much better after A Horse and His Boy and just, well, lost interest in Narnia for a time.

If that is your story or something like it, then I hope that your story ends like mine did: with a dazzling rediscovery of Narnia when you, as an adult, could see layer upon layer of truth and beauty embedded within the story, so potent that it made you weep at least once per book (or was that just me?). Without exaggeration, I can say that reading the entire series at nineteen shaped the way I view both this world and the world after, and I am forever indebted to C. S. Lewis for that.

So, I’m not writing about The Chronicles of Narnia in the hope of introducing you to something new, but to gently remind you that the series is meant to be taken as a whole. To read two or three books but not the rest is to sample ingredients without trying the finished dish—you miss the richness and complexity (the beautiful complexity!) of a masterfully woven tale as it arcs from book to book.

A few notes, now, on reading these books with your child. I began The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe with my daughter when she was four. I was a little apprehensive because we had just left the Little House books, so she had plenty of experience with cozy family scenes but none at all with battles and evil witches. I wasn’t entirely sure she was ready for that but my theory when choosing books to read is, “Round up,” as in, always read just a little above what I think she’s ready for. So I took a deep breath, cracked open the book and hoped that the beauty of the story would outweigh everything else.

I’ll be honest: Lydia wasn’t immediately sold, not until the kids reached the Beavers’ house and then she announced, “I liked that chapter,” with a happy sigh. After that came wolves and betrayal and more of the White Witch, but with all of that came Aslan! We took the two crucial chapters in one sitting, and when I stopped sobbing long enough to sniffle out Aslan’s emphatic “Yes!” (you know which part I’m talking about), the game had forever changed. Lydia has answered to Susan ever since, and we’re deep into A Horse and His Boy with two more books to go.

So, you may not think your child is ready for them, but you might be pleasantly surprised. Once you get going, though, keep going! Even if it gets slow and your child seems to lose interest in spots, keep going! The story always picks up again. And if the language feels dated and you’re not sure if your child is following it, just know that you’ll be rewarded one day by hearing them exclaim, “Oh, bother!” when they drop their sliced apple. The gifts of Narnia are many and varied.

One Last Note

We purchased the set linked below, with full color illustrations by Pauline Baynes. There are more pictures and they’re beautiful, and I really think that helped Lydia get into the story. They are definitely a step up from the old black and white editions (ours were actually disintegrating in my hands as we read), and they’re worth every penny.

The Chronicles of Narnia
C. S. Lewis, Pauline Baynes (1950-1956)

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