C.S. Lewis Best Books for Homeschoolers 

Clive Staples Lewis was born November 28th, 1898 in Belfast, Northern Ireland. As a child, he was called Jack by family and friends, a name which stuck for the rest of his life. As a boy, Jack and his brother, Warnie, would create games of a make-believe world filled with talking animals. Their home was filled with books, and as a result, the boys filled their minds and imaginations with the worlds they found in the literature which was so readily at hand.

C.S. Lewis Best Books of His Childhood

His childhood was marked by the tragic death of his mother just before his tenth birthday. Up to this point, Lewis had been home educated by private tutors. However, after his mother’s death, he was sent to boarding school. Boarding school was not always a happy place for the teenage Jack, he was often poorly, and bullying was the norm.

At private school in England, he abandoned the Christian faith of his childhood. Eventually, he was sent to live with his father’s old tutor William Kilpatrick. Kilpatrick was an amazing tutor. He had a strong bent for rational logic and trained Jack and his brother in the ways of formal logic. He was also an atheist, his world-view was pivotal in shaping the young Lewis’ mind. However, Lewis never forgot the debt of gratitude he felt for the excellent education he received from Kilpatrick, saying in Surprised by Joy, “My debt to him is very great, my reverence to this day undiminished”. After this time Lewis was awarded a scholarship to University College, Oxford University.

As a teenager, Lewis discovered Scandinavian and Norse mythology. These tales fascinated Lewis, and he developed a passion for what he would describe as “northerness”. As well as a general fascination for European mythology. But it was the North which pulled at his heart: the myths, the literature, the languages, all filled Lewis’ imagination. 

C.S. Lewis: Best Books of His University Years

Shortly after his entrance to university, the First World War broke out. Lewis enlisted in the British Army, like the other young men of his generation. He found himself in the trenches of the Somme and, at 19 years old, an officer. The experiences of the horrors of that war galvanised his atheism. Lewis argued that any God must be a cruel God to allow the depths of human suffering he was witnessing. During his time in the war, Lewis was injured. A shell exploded, killing most of the men in his battalion, including his close friend. He was wounded with shrapnel and was sent back to England to recover.

On being discharged from the army, Lewis returned to his studies. In many ways, C.S. Lewis and Oxford are entwined. Oxford became Lewis’ home, he loved the old city of learning. He graduated with a double first in Classical Philosophy and History. He took a job as a tutor in English Literature at Magdalen College, Oxford, where he would later become a professor.

Lewis at Oxford and Cambridge

Professionally, Lewis became a respected academic in the field of Medieval and Renaissance literature and held positions at not only Oxford but also Cambridge University. He was a captivating lecturer, drawing crowds to listen to his lectures.

In Oxford, Lewis formed a key friendship with J.R.R. Tolkien. Together with their friends Charles Williams and Owen Barfield, they formed The Inklings. The men would meet for a pint at The Eagle and Child pub. Here the men discussed and critiqued their work. Tolkien was a committed Catholic, and the two men had lengthy discussions about faith. They also shared a passion for “notherness”, Tolkien’s great love was the languages of the northern peoples: Norse and Celt. It was discussions with Tolkien, and ultimately Tolkien’s defence of the faith, which was instrumental in Lewis coming to faith.

Who influenced C.S. Lewis?

As a believer, Lewis studied theology and became one of the greatest Christian apologists of the 20th century. He wrote many classics of Christian writing. However, for most home educating families, the Chronicles of Narnia series is likely the first of his books to captivate young readers. The Narnia books were begun out of discussions with Tolkien about the state of children’s fiction.

Both men felt they could write something of worth for younger readers. They were both greatly inspired by the work of the Scottish writer George MacDonald. MacDonald’s books The Princess and the Goblin, and The Princess and Curdie were the first examples of fantasy books for children. And the influence of them can be seen in both Narnia and the Lord of The Rings books. Narnia was a way to explain the concept of faith and salvation to children, and has become some of his most favorite books for families to read.

However, Lewis also wrote more than 30 books for adults. These books communicated Christian themes in an accessible way. Lewis was inspired by the greats of the past like G.K Chesterton, and William Blake. As an expert in medieval literature, he specialised in allegory. Unsurprisingly we see allegorical elements in his work. He wrote the science fiction books, The Space Trilogy: Out of the Silent Planet, Perelandra, and That Hideous Strength use allegory to explore sin, redemption, and humanity. His The Great Divorce is also an allegorical tale dealing with the issues of heaven and hell.

C.S. Lewis Best Books For Hurting Nation

His book The Problem of Pain was read by a producer at the BBC. When World War II broke out, tearing Europe apart once more, the producer asked Lewis to record a series of lectures for radio. In these lectures, Lewis brought hope to a broken nation. These lectures were to become the book Mere Christianity. Mere Christianity is now a true classic of Christian apologetics, it answers not only the questions of those seeking truth, but brings answers to many of the questions which crippled wartime Britain, but also for the times since: speaking hope into uncertain times.

C S Lewis also wrote The Screwtape Letters. This book deals with spiritual warfare, using the highly creative form of the epistolary novel – the series of letters between two demons: Screwtape and his apprentice, Wormwood. Lewis explores the various techniques the devil uses to attack believers. This book has proven highly effective for Christians in their personal faith journeys; as well as being humorous and a masterpiece of satire.

CS Lewis Best Books for Homeschoolers

Beyond The Chronicles of Narnia books, Lewis’ works are of great value to the faith formation of teens in this generation. The message of the Space Trilogy resonates in our culture, which changes quickly by the power of technology. Many of his books take on a prophetic quality, like the Abolition of Man, which looks at the state of modern education, of which Lewis was a sharp critic. We would do well to revisit his best books to use them as a lens to view our own culture.

Lewis was also a great lover of poetry. He held a great desire to be a poet, however he never found success in the medium. He was hugely influenced by Milton’s Paradise Lost, even writing a preface for a publication of the classic epic poem. His love of mythology led to a retelling of the myth of Cupid and Psyche in the novel Till We Have Faces. For older teens, it is an intriguing exploration of selfish love vs. selfless love. For a deeper exploration of love, readers can delve into the Four Loves. This looks are the different types of love: Affection (the most common form of human love), Friendship (the rarest form of human love), Eros (sexual love) and Charity (the most selfless and God-like love).

Lewis was also a great advocate for fairy tales. Lewis wrote The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, for his god-daughter Lucy Barfield. He famously said to her,

“I wrote this story for you, but when I began it I had not realized that girls grow quicker than books. As a result you are already too old for fairy tales, and by the time it is printed and bound you will be older still. But some day you will be old enough to start reading fairy tales again. You can then take it down from some upper shelf, dust it, and tell me what you think of it. I shall probably be too deaf to hear, and too old to understand a word you say, but I shall still be your affectionate Godfather, C. S. Lewis.”

Lewis and Tolkien both shared the view that fairytales are not only for children. It is little wonder that his classic fantasy series is enjoyed by children and adults alike.

C.S. Best Books for High Schoolers and Adults

It is well worth exploring the great works of C. S. Lewis as part of your homeschooling. A great first book (after the Narnia series) is Mere Christianity or the Screwtape Letters. They both explore such foundational principles for the Christian life. A study of the work of Lewis can be supplemented by looking at a biography or studying his life in modern Britain. Older children already familiar with Narnia may also find looking at the fairytales of George MacDonald and looking at the similarities of his work also of benefit.

A good way to discover any great writer both for your children, but also for us as parents and learners, is to journey with a writer. To do this read a number of their books over the course of a year. A good broad selection to begin with for Lewis are:

• The Narnia Series (can be enjoyed by all the family)
• Mere Christianity (older teens and adults) with this High School Literature & Composition Workbook
• The Screwtape Letters (older teens, note Lewis deals with sexual temptations.)
• The Space Trilogy (teens, more challenging than the Narnia series)
• The Abolition of Man (older teens and adults)
• The Four Loves (older teens, again their are adult ideas of sexual love)
• The Great Divorce (teens and adults)
• Surprised by Joy (this is the autobiography of the life of C. S. Lewis. It may be beneficial to read this alongside Mere Christianity)

C.S. Lewis – One of The Great Intellectual Giants of The 20th Century

Lewis is now known as one of the great intellectual giants of the twentieth century. The personal life of C. S. Lewis is one marked by great pain: the death of his mother as a child, his experiences at school, and the First World War. He became a carer for his younger brother, whose life was marred by alcoholism. And sadly, it was not until later in life that he found love in marriage. Lewis married an American, Joy Davidson. Tragically she died three years after the marriage from bone cancer. Lewis became step-father to her two sons, and raised them as his own.

In his Christian faith, Lewis found the only answer to the pain of this sin-marred world. He found a way to communicate this hope to the world, and transcended the divide between church and the secular world; academia and the popular. As a result, his work has touched millions and transform the lives of countless souls.

Homechoolers will also enjoy the free C.S. Lewis mini lesson found in this post created by our tutor, Shannan Swindler.

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