This juvenile biography of C.S. Lewis by Leah Boden, aka the Modern Miss Mason, serves as a good introduction for children ages nine to thirteen to the life and work of Clive Staples “Jack” Lewis. The book begins with a brief introduction entitled “Meet Jack.” Then, Ms. Boden goes on to tell readers about Jack’s childhood at Little Lea in Belfast, his schooldays in England, education at Oxford, his service as a soldier in World War I, and his Christian conversion story. The book continues through the rest of Lewis’s life; it’s not just a childhood biography. Lewis’s friends, Tolkien and the other Inklings, come into the story, and there’s a special focus on his close relationship with his brother Warnie. The book also has a chapter about Lewis’s marriage late in his life, to the American Joy Davidson, and finally her death and then Lewis’s own illness and death.

This biography, appropriate for children, doesn’t dwell on, in fact barely mentions, some of the more difficult events and personal relationships in Lewis’s life. Difficulties in Jack’s relationships with his father and with “Minto”, his deceased friend’s mother for whom he took responsibility for many years, are gently alluded to but not described with any real negativity at all. The famous break in Lewis’s friendship with Tolkien is never mentioned at all. Nor is Warnie’s struggle with alcoholism. It’s a “sanitized” version of Lewis’s life, if you will, but perfectly fit for children who are Narnia fans and who want to know about the creator and author of the Narnia tales.

I enjoyed reading about Lewis in a narrative story style. The dialog in the book is mostly taken from Lewis’s actual writings and from people who knew him and wrote down what he said at the time. So the book is as true as a story-formed tale can be. Author Leah Boden certainly achieved her aim in this biography—that children “be inspired by the writer filled with wonder.”

This biography is one of a series of such biographies called “Tales of Boldness and Faith”. The first book in the series, The Angel Orphan: Charlotte Mason Finds Her Way Home, is already available for purchase. Another book in the series is due out in August, 2025: Brave Princess Aina: The Courageous Heart of Sarah Forbes Bonetta. Patrons of Meriadoc Homeschool Library can check out Chronicles of Wonder or The Angel Orphan from the library now.