The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe definitely gets some of its praise due to nostalgia, but on the other hand, kiddie lit does need to be judged partly based on the merits of how much kids themselves love it, and how much it sticks with them through later life. This one ranks way up there on that scale, I think because the world itself is very vivid with some great touches of whimsy, like the lamp-post that marks the beginning/end of Narnia. The hard-core Christian proselytizing is probably also distracting as an adult, whereas for a kid, it’s more likely to go right over your head.

I have also maintained in the past that some books are best read seasonally, and I think TLtW&tW is a winter story. It was really great as a kid to curl up in the blankets against the chill, look out over the snow, and read about a place where it was “always winter but never Christmas.”