C. S. Lewis' friend and fellow writer, Roger Lancelyn Green, asked him how a lamppost ended up in the middle of a wood in 'The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe'. This was the starting point for 'The Magician's Nephew', which gives a fascinating insight into how the travels between Narnia and our world began, and even how Narnia itself came into existence.

In this eight-week course, we will enjoy and appreciate Lewis' exciting and inspiring storytelling skills through a mixture of class discussion and writing activities, as well as plenty of quick quizzes to help the knowledge stick and build confidence.

Between classes, students will read a section of the novel, which will be reviewed in each class. We will then focus on key moments where we see how the novel's hero, Digory Kirke, develops and grows as a character, finding ways to make up for what he got wrong in the past, and to pursue his dreams of happiness.

The class schedule will be as follows:

Week One: Chapters One and Two review and detailed focus on Digory's sad situation at the start of the novel.
Week Two: Chapters Three and Four review and detailed focus on the consequences of Digory's excessive curiosity.
Week Three: Chapters Five and Six review and detailed focus on Digory's sympathetic nature.
Week Four: Chapters Seven and Eight review and detailed focus on Digory's dream of happiness.
Week Five: Chapters Nine and Ten review and detailed focus on Digory's hopes for the 'land of youth'.
Week Six: Chapters Eleven and Twelve review and detailed focus on Digory's confession of what he has got wrong in the past.
Week Seven: Chapter Thirteen review and detailed focus on how Digory struggles with temptation.
Week Eight: Chapters Fourteen and Fifteen review and detailed focus on Digory's ultimate reward after his struggles.