May brings with it the end of spring and the beginnings of summer – the days become longer and full of expectation. Below are recommendations (which may include spoilers) of some of the books I’ve been reading this month:

Auld Lang Syne: Words to Songs You Used to Know, by Karen Dolby – This is a fun compilation which includes folk songs, sea shanties, nursery rhymes, and wartime songs mostly from North America and the United Kingdom. There is no printed music to accompany these, but part of the fun in reading this book is trying to remember the tunes!

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, by J. K. Rowling – The first book in the saga of Harry Potter is a hero’s tale masterfully spun. We are introduced in this work to Harry Potter, Vernon, Petunia, and Dudley Dursley, Rubeus Hagrid, and Albus Dumbledore, among others. As Harry learns about the world to which he truly belongs, he also learns about friendship, who he is, and about an evil that seems to haunt him.

The Horse and His Boy, by C. S. Lewis – The fifth book (in publication order) of The Chronicles of Narnia relates the tale mentioned in The Silver Chair, one that features High King Peter, Queen Susan, King Edmund, and Queen Lucy. Focusing on a boy named Shasta, a girl named Aravis, and talking horses Bree and Hwin, this adventure takes the reader of the series to the time before Caspian, Rilian, Eustace, Puddleglum, and Jill, and helps the reader see how much larger the world is in which Narnia is set. We learn more about Archenland, Narnia’s ally, and Calormen, Narnia’s foe. This is an excellent read aloud.

The Last Battle, by C. S. Lewis – The seventh book (in publication order) of The Chronicles of Narnia introduces us to the final King of Narnia, King Tirian, and his faithful friend, the unicorn Jewel. Jill and Eustace journey back to the beloved land in this final volume in order to help King Tirian in a fight for Narnia against the Calormenes and a crafty Ape named Shift. This final story is, I think, darker than the others in the series, but is well worth the read. This is an excellent read aloud.

The Magician’s Nephew, by C. S. Lewis – The sixth book (in publication order) of The Chronicles of Narnia goes back in time to the beginning of the land of Narnia. In this story we meet Digory, Polly, Empress Jadis of the land of Charn, and Digory’s Uncle Andrew. This is an excellent read aloud.