Prince Caspian (The Chronicles of Narnia: Book 4) by C.S. Lewis

Rating: Needs Parent Supervision

Reading Level: Early Elementary, Mid Elementary, Late Elementary

Although this book has some beautiful themes regarding faith and doubt, there are a lot of concerning characters I had forgotten about. There were also issues of treason that my little ones had trouble following.

Possible Concerns:

• Alcohol and Smoking. A dwarf smokes his pipe; the God of wine (Bacchus) shows up and throws a party with his entourage of party animals.
• War. There are arrows flying, casualties, a sword fight, etc.
• Magic. Wizards, spells, etc.
• Polytheism. Trees are described as gods and goddesses. This surprised me because Aslan clearly is the highest power, and I wish Lewis had avoided referring to others as deities. Also Bacchus, the God of wine and ritual madness makes an appearance along with his entourage of women, and he throws a party to honor Aslan’s appearance. A swamp God bows to Aslan as Aslan calls upon him to break down a bridge.
• Occult creatures. Hags, tree spirits, etc.
• Peril. Deception, murder, and the like.
• Talk of Murder. Caspian’s treacherous uncle wishes to murder him; Caspian’s caretakers consider murdering the young boy, too!
• Mild name calling, and unkind language: “Shut up,” etc. Peter calls Reepicheep an“ass” when he believes him to be behaving foolishly.
• Gender disrespect between boys and girls. Edmund makes a comment about how girls don’t carry maps in their heads. Lucy responds that it’s because their heads are full of other things.
• Use of the term “fat” to describe a person.
• Use of the term “dumb” to describe the non-Narnian animals who can’t talk.
• Example of school as a boring place with bad teachers. Aslan rescues a girl from her horrid school.
• Corporal punishment. A man is beating a boy with a stick when Aslan shows up to remedy the scene.

Things I liked:

• Faith and Obedience. The story clearly illustrates aspects of faith and walking in obedience to God even when others do not see or obey.
• Honor, character, and children taking responsibility. The children help to fight a war.
• Reflections of God. Aslan’s kindness, His leading the children, His gentle rebukes, and His forgiveness are all reflections of God’s graciousness towards us.
• Imagination. The story invites creativity and possibility.

Overall, not my favorite Narnia book and needs Parent Supervision to highlight the faith themes. Be sure to check out other books in the series, such as The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (Book 2) and The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (Book 5).