When Polly Plummer meets Digory Kirke, he is very unhappy. His father is away in India, and he and his mother, who is very ill, have moved to London to live with an uncle and an aunt. Digory is convinced that his Uncle Andrew is either mad, or has a very important secret. Digory has been warned by his aunt to stay away from Uncle Andrew's study, and he's heard strange noises coming from the room late at night.

Digory and Polly become friends, and because of the cold, wet summer days, they are forced to play indoors. While exploring a tunnel that connects their houses, the children accidentally find themselves in Uncle Andrew's study. Uncle Andrew seems delighted to see the children, but Digory and Polly are frightened and anxious to escape.

Uncle Andrew considers himself to be a great magician. He explains that he is conducting an experiment and needs two children as subjects. He gives the children yellow and green rings which, when they are put on, transport Digory and Polly to a peaceful woodland dotted with pools. They soon discover that they are in a wood between worlds. By wearing the green rings and jumping into a pool, they can enter and explore any number of worlds. Though both children desire to return home, their desire to explore is greater. Assuring themselves that they can return home whenever they want, Polly and Digory try another pool.

They appear in the dying world of Charn and begin to explore its ruins. But when Digory's curiosity gets the better of him, he accidentaly wakes the evil Queen Jadis, who caused the destruction of Charn. When the children try to escape they discover they have accidentally brought Jadis back to London with them.

In an effort to return Jadis to her own world, Digory and Polly return to the wood and, together with Jadis, jump into a pool. To their dismay they end up, not in Charn, but in a brand new world on the day of its creation. There they meet Aslan, the great Lion, creator of the new world, Narnia. But the children's actions have brought evil to Narnia in the form of Queen Jadis. In order to save Narnia, Aslan sends Digory on a quest to undo the wrong he has done to Narnia on the day of its birth.

Other titles by C. S. Lewis:

Narnia Series:
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (middle school)
The Magician's Nephew (middle school)
Prince Caspian (middle school)

Space Trilogy:
Out of the Silent Planet (highschool)
Perelandra (highschool)
That Hideous Strength (highschool - book only available)

The Screwtape Letters (highschool)

Additional Resources:
Chronicles of Narnia: Boxed Book Set
Chronicles of Narnia: Audio CD Set (unabridged)