I was recently asked this question: “What one book most inspired you as a child?“ I thought back to all my favorite childhood books.
The Trumpet of the Swan
The Redwall Series
I got in trouble for reading John White’s Archives of Anthropos
I remember sharing The Spirit Flyer Series
And, of course, I loved The Chronicles of Narnia
But the question is what ONE book most impacted your childhood. And there is one. This one book has always stayed with me. Its images remain fresh in my imagination, and they have forever impacted my spiritual life.
The third book in the Chronicles of Narnia (original order), the Voyage stood out to me. There are two characters and two particular scenes in this book that give me goosebumps even today. And I think there is a reason. The Bible often speaks in parables because sometimes we understand truth better as a story. And while the Narnia books are not straight allegories, they do carry the themes of Christianity in them. Here are the two scenes from Voyage of the Dawn Treader that rocked my world.
The first is about Eustace, a rotten child, who goes out of his way to be unlovable. Through a bizarre set of circumstances, he becomes a dragon, his outer-self finally matching his inner self. He begins to change, yet he remains a dragon. Finally, in an encounter with Aslan, the Christ-figure in the books, he realizes he is unable to shed his skin, his old self. He must allow Aslan to painfully do it for him. This scene was a gift to me as a child. It gave me an ability to grasp a spiritual truth that would normally have been beyond my reach. I can’t get rid of my sin and ugly selfishness on my own. I must let Jesus do it for me! To me, this was the most potent scene in all the Narnia books.
The second was Reepicheep’s longing for Aslan’s country. As a baby, a nymph had prophesied that Reepicheep would reach Aslan’s country. Throughout the book, we see him longing to go there. In the end, in an act of extraordinary faith, he does. But that longing for our eternal home, for heaven, I first tasted it here. In the words of the mouse:
“My own plans are made. While I can, I sail east in the Dawn Treader. When she fails me, I paddle east in my coracle. When she sinks, I shall swim east with my four paws. And when I can swim no longer, if I have not reached Aslan’s country, or shot over the edge of the world into some vast cataract, I shall sink with my nose to the sunrise.”
I’ve enjoyed introducing my own kids to Narnia. I can’t tell if the books are making the same heart-impact on them that they did on me. I suppose I never will. As C.S. Lewis writes, “No one is told any story but their own.” (The Horse and His Boy)
What about you? Is there a book that impacted you as a child or young adult? I’d love to hear about it!
I didn’t read much as a child. The only books I remember reading were Judy Blume and I feel like they impacted me, but I don’t remember them at all. However, I have been greatly impacted by reading children’s books as an adult. In fact, I’ve grown more through my faith by reading children’s literature than through all the various Bible studies I’ve taken combined.
The book that has had the greatest impact on me was also from Narnia, but it was The Horse and His Boy and for exactly the quote that you included from it. I’d say that the hardest part of my faith has been trusting God when so many awful things happen to friends around me. A friend loses a child and I’m paralyzed thinking, “What if that happens to me?” and on and on. When I read The Horse and His Boy and Aslan told Shasta that he only tells people their own stories, that was like God telling me personally that the awful things that happened to those I love were THEIR stories, not mine. I’ve had my own awful things happen, but God gave me the grace to handle those. He’s not given me the grace to handle other people’s stories b/c they aren’t MINE. He does give me the grace though to help my friends through their stories. It was truly a life-changing, faith-changing book for me.
Elaine, I didn’t “get” The Horse and His Boy at all as a child, but I’ve loved it as an adult. And I can totally identify with growing in faith from stories (Have you read Caught Up in a Story by Sarah Clarkson?). I know picture books are more your thing, but speaking of faith and books, you simply must read the Wingfeather Saga by Andrew Peterson! 🙂 I’ve enjoyed your Facebook posts. Do you plan on branching out into a blog?
SUCH a great question, and you picked many of my favorites! Some of my third graders are reading The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe this week, and it is so exciting to listen in as they discover Narnia for the first time. Thanks for sharing with the #KidLitBlogHop !
The Narnia books are so magical! I think I discovered them in 3rd grade too! Thanks for stopping by, Katie!
That’s a very tricky question but I think it would have to be Little Women. Jo proved that girls don’t have to be girly and at the time I wanted to grow up and have a ‘house full of boys’. I really should read it again 🙂
Hopping over from the kid lit blog hop.
Catherine, what age did you read Little Women? My oldest girl is an independent spirit who is nearly 10. She enjoyed Eight Cousins by Alcott. I’m wondering if she would be ready for it… I’d love your opinion!
What a lovely post! I’m heading to Buffer to share this across my networks! I don’t know if I could ever choose the book that made me a reader or most inspired me … it might be Anne of Green Gables, read in 7th grade, or Jane Eyre read in 9th grade … Both of those have beautiful memories. So does Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry, read in 4th grade! Thanks so much for stopping by the Kid Lit Blog Hop!
Wow, thanks so much for being willing to share! Jane Eyre has been one of my favorite books as an adult (there is a beautiful musical version of it that you can probably still find on Amazon).
I love all of the Chronicles! When I was younger I didn’t “get” The Silver Chair or The Last Battle. I love both now.
When I was younger, Jane Eyre was one of the books with the most impact. I read it over and over and over. Jane was an awesome heroine.
Jane Eyre is wonderful! I don’t think I got into it until college. There is a wonderful musical version of it as well!