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Tales of Boldness and Faith #2
Chronicles of Wonder: The Story-Formed Life of C. S. Lewis
Chronicles of Wonder tells the story of the imaginative boy born in Ireland who loved books and poetry and grew himself to be a famous teacher and writer. But before he penned The Space Trilogy or The Chronicles of Narnia, Clive Staples Lewis found friends in other stories, including tales from Beatrix Potter, The Wind and the Willows, Phantastes by George MacDonald, and The Pilgrim’s Progress.
In this fictionalized biography, author Leah Boden intertwines the life of Lewis—or as his friends knew him, “Jack”—with literary works that impacted him. From Shakespeare to his close friend Tolkien, each chapter takes you through the life of Jack and the works that steadied and guided him.
Readers travel through Jack’s boarding school days, The Great War, and his professorship at Oxford. They learn when Jack came to trust in Jesus and how he then became a voice for the Christian world. As each chapter unfolds, young readers are encouraged by the creativity, wisdom, and humility of Jack, while gaining an appreciation for the heart shaping power of books.
In this fictionalized biography, author Leah Boden intertwines the life of Lewis—or as his friends knew him, “Jack”—with literary works that impacted him. From Shakespeare to his close friend Tolkien, each chapter takes you through the life of Jack and the works that steadied and guided him.
Readers travel through Jack’s boarding school days, The Great War, and his professorship at Oxford. They learn when Jack came to trust in Jesus and how he then became a voice for the Christian world. As each chapter unfolds, young readers are encouraged by the creativity, wisdom, and humility of Jack, while gaining an appreciation for the heart shaping power of books.
160 pages, Paperback
Published February 4, 2025
8 people are currently reading
169 people want to read
About the author
Leah Boden
7 books60 followersLeah Boden is a long-time home educator with over two decades of experience in church leadership. Currently, her life and education focuses on the practice and pedagogy of early 20th century educator Charlotte Mason. She leads the Charlotte Mason Conversations UK online community and founded Modern Miss Mason, an international initiative to help parents and children find their freedom within Mason’s philosophy. She lives with her husband and four children in the West Midlands, England.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
March 28, 2025
Oh my goodness… I loooooooved this so much. It was so heartwarming and so thought-provoking and I learned so much about a things I never thought to learn about. I LOVED learning the backstory of C.S. Lewis. This would be a wonderful read as a family. Just delightful!
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December 27, 2025Written for upper middle grade, I found this gem absolutely delightful. Quick short read but packed with so many tidbits about CS Lewis and his life. His love of stories shines throught this fictional work and makes me immediately want me to pick up Narnia again.
I love how any reader could pick up this book and learn and be fortified. Just as Lewis himself said- fairytales are for every one.
"𝘑𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘤𝘩𝘶𝘤𝘬𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘴𝘰𝘧𝘵𝘭𝘺, 𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘨𝘪𝘤 𝘰𝘧 𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦, 𝘓𝘶𝘤𝘺. 𝘐𝘵'𝘴 𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘯𝘦𝘸 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘵𝘩𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥."
💬𝘔𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸𝘴 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘣𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘵:𝘩𝘵𝘵𝘱𝘴://𝘸𝘸𝘸.𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘮.𝘤𝘰𝘮/𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘭𝘢𝘮𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘴/
I love how any reader could pick up this book and learn and be fortified. Just as Lewis himself said- fairytales are for every one.
"𝘑𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘤𝘩𝘶𝘤𝘬𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘴𝘰𝘧𝘵𝘭𝘺, 𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘨𝘪𝘤 𝘰𝘧 𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦, 𝘓𝘶𝘤𝘺. 𝘐𝘵'𝘴 𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘯𝘦𝘸 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘵𝘩𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥."
💬𝘔𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸𝘴 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘣𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘵:𝘩𝘵𝘵𝘱𝘴://𝘸𝘸𝘸.𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘮.𝘤𝘰𝘮/𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘭𝘢𝘮𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘴/
July 1, 2025
Excellent children's biography on the entire life of beloved author C.S. Lewis! Extraordinarily well written - so many thoughtful little details are included throughout this book and I guarantee the reader will learn something new about Lewis. I for one, didn't realize that Lewis and Tolkien were friends. I loved how there are literary quotes before each chapter that speak to the heart about the theme of each chapter. This would make a great biography read for a child that is a proficient reader, an amazing family read aloud choice, or even a shorter biography for an adult to read about Lewis. There is absolutely nothing inappropriate in this very tastefully written biography. I highly recommend this book.
Parental heads-up.
‼️There are themes of: war, death, illness. The word magic is used throughout as an adjective. This also written using British spellings so if you are an American this could be something to note if a child is reading this. I think it's a fabulous way to introduce British literature to children.
Parental heads-up.
‼️There are themes of: war, death, illness. The word magic is used throughout as an adjective. This also written using British spellings so if you are an American this could be something to note if a child is reading this. I think it's a fabulous way to introduce British literature to children.
March 18, 2025
"But maybe that's why stories are so important. They give us a chance to escape, imagine better times, and hold onto hope."
Starting in his boyhood in the hills of Ireland and ending in the cozy rooms of The Kilns, this tale of Jack’s life reveals him to be a reader, a thinker, and a believer in the power of story. Though much is known of Lewis’ life, this book fills in added insights that build an engaging story for young readers to get to know such an influential author.
I would've like to understand clearly what elements were facts taken from his biographical writings, and exactly what elements were added with creative liberty.
Thank you to the publishers Moody Publishers for complimentary book. Opinions expressed are completely my own.
Starting in his boyhood in the hills of Ireland and ending in the cozy rooms of The Kilns, this tale of Jack’s life reveals him to be a reader, a thinker, and a believer in the power of story. Though much is known of Lewis’ life, this book fills in added insights that build an engaging story for young readers to get to know such an influential author.
I would've like to understand clearly what elements were facts taken from his biographical writings, and exactly what elements were added with creative liberty.
Thank you to the publishers Moody Publishers for complimentary book. Opinions expressed are completely my own.
July 11, 2025
I read this one aloud to the boys over the summer. It was the perfect springboard back into homeschool!
The delight expressed over academic life inspired us to delight in books once again.
We had read Chronicles of Narnia a few years ago and The Hobbit is on the sixth grade list to read this year, so there were cheers of delight during the major moments of the book! (When Narnia is introduce or when Lewis meets Tolkien the first time!
Over all a lovely biography that I think is likely be picked up again!
The delight expressed over academic life inspired us to delight in books once again.
We had read Chronicles of Narnia a few years ago and The Hobbit is on the sixth grade list to read this year, so there were cheers of delight during the major moments of the book! (When Narnia is introduce or when Lewis meets Tolkien the first time!
Over all a lovely biography that I think is likely be picked up again!
April 11, 2025
3.5 stars, rounded up.
This book is the second in a new series of fictionalized biographies for children. It covers the life of C. S. Lewis, highlighting the influence of books and imagination throughout his life, the significance of his Christian faith, and the ways that his fiction and nonfiction writings have influenced generations of people. The book begins with Lewis's early childhood, and ends with his death. The pacing is surprisingly strong, as Leah Boden moves the reader through many decades of Lewis's life and touches on a variety of different details. She glosses over or simplifies some more complex or troubling aspects of Lewis's experiences, including his service in World War I, but the book is surprisingly thorough. It impressed me to see how many important facts Boden covered, and how many small but interesting details she found ways to include.
Some chapters cover a particular phase of Lewis's life, and others are more topical, touching on multiple different things. The book sometimes leans towards telling rather than showing, but there is enough dramatization to make the book work, and to make it unique from a standard biography. However, the downside of this is that it is unclear which aspects of the story are based on Lewis's autobiographical writings and personal letters, and which parts come from the author's imagination. As a C. S. Lewis aficionado, I was able to identify many of the embellished elements, but the average reader will not have that ability. I would give this book a higher rating if there had been an author's note to clearly differentiate between fact and fiction.
In addition to this, I thought that Boden's portrayal of Lewis's Christian conversion left much to be desired. She did not set up that part of the story well, since she never wrote much about Lewis's prior atheism. She made a few passing comments about him feeling disconnected from his childhood faith, but she didn't delve into his atheistic beliefs or his feelings about them, even when she was writing about related things in his life, like the nihilistic poetry he published after World War I. This makes aspects of the conversion narrative less clear, and Boden also left out some key details and embellished some things unnecessarily. I wish that she had set the stage better and followed Lewis's autobiographical reflections on this more closely.
Chronicles of Wonder is an engaging, well-researched story that highlights themes of faith, imagination, and creativity. The publisher recommends this book for children ages eight to twelve, but children younger than eight could listen to this as a read-aloud, and many families will enjoy this together. Although I wish that this book had clearly differentiated which parts were solely fact-based and which involved imaginative embellishments, this book is an engaging read that will appeal to the target audience.
I received a free copy from the publisher, and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
This book is the second in a new series of fictionalized biographies for children. It covers the life of C. S. Lewis, highlighting the influence of books and imagination throughout his life, the significance of his Christian faith, and the ways that his fiction and nonfiction writings have influenced generations of people. The book begins with Lewis's early childhood, and ends with his death. The pacing is surprisingly strong, as Leah Boden moves the reader through many decades of Lewis's life and touches on a variety of different details. She glosses over or simplifies some more complex or troubling aspects of Lewis's experiences, including his service in World War I, but the book is surprisingly thorough. It impressed me to see how many important facts Boden covered, and how many small but interesting details she found ways to include.
Some chapters cover a particular phase of Lewis's life, and others are more topical, touching on multiple different things. The book sometimes leans towards telling rather than showing, but there is enough dramatization to make the book work, and to make it unique from a standard biography. However, the downside of this is that it is unclear which aspects of the story are based on Lewis's autobiographical writings and personal letters, and which parts come from the author's imagination. As a C. S. Lewis aficionado, I was able to identify many of the embellished elements, but the average reader will not have that ability. I would give this book a higher rating if there had been an author's note to clearly differentiate between fact and fiction.
In addition to this, I thought that Boden's portrayal of Lewis's Christian conversion left much to be desired. She did not set up that part of the story well, since she never wrote much about Lewis's prior atheism. She made a few passing comments about him feeling disconnected from his childhood faith, but she didn't delve into his atheistic beliefs or his feelings about them, even when she was writing about related things in his life, like the nihilistic poetry he published after World War I. This makes aspects of the conversion narrative less clear, and Boden also left out some key details and embellished some things unnecessarily. I wish that she had set the stage better and followed Lewis's autobiographical reflections on this more closely.
Chronicles of Wonder is an engaging, well-researched story that highlights themes of faith, imagination, and creativity. The publisher recommends this book for children ages eight to twelve, but children younger than eight could listen to this as a read-aloud, and many families will enjoy this together. Although I wish that this book had clearly differentiated which parts were solely fact-based and which involved imaginative embellishments, this book is an engaging read that will appeal to the target audience.
I received a free copy from the publisher, and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
July 4, 2025
In Chronicles of Wonder, Leah Boden tells the story-formed life of C. S. Lewis. This fictionalized biography shares Lewis’s days as a young boy, student, soldier in the war, professor, and author. Along the way, we meet his family and friends, along with the literary works that impacted him.
Learning about Lewis
What this book does well is give context to what I’d already known about Lewis. I knew about his serving in the war, but this book helped me see how it changed him. I’ve long known about the Inklings, but this book helped me see the friendship between Tolkien and Lewis blossom.
I was also pleased to learn new things about Lewis. His relationship with Joy Davidman was unconventional—it started as a correspondence, led to marriage for practical reasons, and then developed into a deep love. I saw how he came to faith, and I was moved to see how God made Himself known.
Books, Stories, and Writing
Boden is an outstanding writer. I particularly enjoyed how the sights, sounds, and tastes of Lewis’s world came to life. She seamlessly weaves in foreshadowing and easter eggs from Lewis’ books into his life. I read the book in one sitting—I couldn’t put it down.
Chronicles of Wonder brilliantly champions books, stories, and writing. It is a beautiful tribute to Lewis, and it is a love letter to his work and the worlds he built.
I received a media copy of Chronicles of Wonder and this is my honest review.
Learning about Lewis
What this book does well is give context to what I’d already known about Lewis. I knew about his serving in the war, but this book helped me see how it changed him. I’ve long known about the Inklings, but this book helped me see the friendship between Tolkien and Lewis blossom.
I was also pleased to learn new things about Lewis. His relationship with Joy Davidman was unconventional—it started as a correspondence, led to marriage for practical reasons, and then developed into a deep love. I saw how he came to faith, and I was moved to see how God made Himself known.
Books, Stories, and Writing
Boden is an outstanding writer. I particularly enjoyed how the sights, sounds, and tastes of Lewis’s world came to life. She seamlessly weaves in foreshadowing and easter eggs from Lewis’ books into his life. I read the book in one sitting—I couldn’t put it down.
Chronicles of Wonder brilliantly champions books, stories, and writing. It is a beautiful tribute to Lewis, and it is a love letter to his work and the worlds he built.
I received a media copy of Chronicles of Wonder and this is my honest review.
November 23, 2025
This is hard for me to review as YA fiction. It’s a fictional biography of CS Lewis and lacks some of the 3-part story arc that we look for in good fiction.
I found it interesting as I learnt more about CS Lewis, however, not having read other biographies of his, I’m not sure when fact morphed into fiction and vice versa.
I also found it interesting that it’s written for younger minds as I wonder if they’ll get bored with much of the early biographical information. Once the story moves into Narnia territory, that audience will find it more appealing. I too enjoyed the Narnia sections which only start two-thirds of the way through the book. I didn’t realise that Lewis didn’t write nor release them until after WW2.
The author writes very favourably about Lewis and it lacked that character development that one looks for in fiction.
If a student is preparing an assignment on Lewis and/or the Narnia books, then I’d recommend this as a solid read with the one caveat to check the accuracy of all the facts provided.
I found it interesting as I learnt more about CS Lewis, however, not having read other biographies of his, I’m not sure when fact morphed into fiction and vice versa.
I also found it interesting that it’s written for younger minds as I wonder if they’ll get bored with much of the early biographical information. Once the story moves into Narnia territory, that audience will find it more appealing. I too enjoyed the Narnia sections which only start two-thirds of the way through the book. I didn’t realise that Lewis didn’t write nor release them until after WW2.
The author writes very favourably about Lewis and it lacked that character development that one looks for in fiction.
If a student is preparing an assignment on Lewis and/or the Narnia books, then I’d recommend this as a solid read with the one caveat to check the accuracy of all the facts provided.
April 15, 2025
I loved this book and couldn’t put it down. I have read (and loved) so many C.S. Lewis books in my life but had never read an actual biography about his life. Leah Boden @modernmissmason did a fantastic job with this one, and I loved the emphasis on his “story-formed life.” To see that “Jack” was reading the same exact classics that I love was so fun: Jane Eyre, Middlemarch, Dickens. I also loved seeing how the various books he wrote fit into the different seasons of his life. For example, he wrote “The Problem of Pain” in the middle of WWII…knowing the context of that makes me appreciate the book all the more.
This book is geared for ages 8-12, but I would say it’s great for ages 8-108.
I came away from this biography wanting to circle back and re-read all the C.S. Lewis books! I think I’ll start with “Mere Christianity”. I also have “The Last Battle” on my next-to-read pile too!
This book is geared for ages 8-12, but I would say it’s great for ages 8-108.
I came away from this biography wanting to circle back and re-read all the C.S. Lewis books! I think I’ll start with “Mere Christianity”. I also have “The Last Battle” on my next-to-read pile too!
August 11, 2025
A Delightful Tribute for Readers of All Ages
While I wasn’t sure what to expect from a fictional biography at first, I was quickly drawn in by Leah Boden’s engaging writing style. The careful weaving of creative liberties felt authentic and respectful—true to what I know and love as a C.S. Lewis fan.
Though intended for readers aged 8–12, I’d recommend this book to teens and adults alike who appreciate Lewis’s work. It’s a short but satisfying read that left me wanting to journey back into the pages of Narnia all over again! Thank you to Moody Publishing for providing a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
While I wasn’t sure what to expect from a fictional biography at first, I was quickly drawn in by Leah Boden’s engaging writing style. The careful weaving of creative liberties felt authentic and respectful—true to what I know and love as a C.S. Lewis fan.
Though intended for readers aged 8–12, I’d recommend this book to teens and adults alike who appreciate Lewis’s work. It’s a short but satisfying read that left me wanting to journey back into the pages of Narnia all over again! Thank you to Moody Publishing for providing a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
February 24, 2025
This was a really sweet read all about one of my favorite authors! I actually got choked up a bit near the end; so good. It handled a lot of tough topics well and shed light on Lewis in creative ways. Even those well versed in his life story can glean something from this read!
June 30, 2025
Excellent. My appreciate grew as did my curiosity of Cs Lewis! What a great read !!!! I look forward to many more books like this. Leah has such a way of making you too, want some warm tea and a good book such as this one on a fine day!
September 28, 2025
3 ⭐️
This style of book is not for me. “This style” being “telling a story with lots of quotes from letters and other records, but then flourished with other information.” Just felt like I couldn’t believe what was written because I know the author wasn’t there. Idk 🤷♀️
This style of book is not for me. “This style” being “telling a story with lots of quotes from letters and other records, but then flourished with other information.” Just felt like I couldn’t believe what was written because I know the author wasn’t there. Idk 🤷♀️
March 22, 2025
I really enjoyed this story. I learned a lot about CS Lewis that I didn’t know. I’m excited to share this with my kids.
July 20, 2025
good, i love is lewis
September 27, 2025
Loved this little book! Very well written look into Lewis’s life. Can’t wait to read the rest of the series!
October 10, 2025
This was a sweet and concise biography of C.S. Lewis for kids and tween readers! His story-formed life and his heart and personality were captured well.
December 19, 2025
Everyone's read books by C.S. Lewis, but do many of us read books about him? In this biography, you will discover the life of famed author Clive Staples Lewis - known as Jack to close friends and family - who wrote the wonderful Chronicles of Narnia series that have captivated children for years.
Note: This book says it is a fictionalized biography. Whether that means the author recreated facts or dialogue I am unsure of, but know that some facts may contradict others in another book about C.S. Lewis.
Thanks to Moody Publishing for my own free copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Note: This book says it is a fictionalized biography. Whether that means the author recreated facts or dialogue I am unsure of, but know that some facts may contradict others in another book about C.S. Lewis.
Thanks to Moody Publishing for my own free copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews