Summer Reading Club: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C.S.Lewis

The Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C.S. Lewis is one of my all-time FAVORITES.  If you are familliar with the Narnia stories, you are already aware of the drastic transformation that each child goes through with each visit to Narnia.  And for good reason! Epic battles, trying sibling rivalry, and, of course, Aslan!! Whenever we spend time with God, we are drastically changed for the better.  I LOVE this series, and especailly this novel.  

Edmund, Lucy and their boisterous (and awful) cousin Eustace are pulled into Narnia throught he painting of a ship (soooo cool!!) to aid Prince Caspian in his recent plight.  They join forces with Caspian and traverse the great Eastern Ocean.  Caspian swore an oath to Aslan that he would find and bring home the 7 missing lords from the outlying islands who had been banished during Caspian's Uncle's tyrannical reign.

This novel is a fantasy classic for many reasons!! Heroism, epic adventures and leadership combine forces to create this amazing novel.  

**** Here are a few discussion questions to help you think deeper about the story: ****

Discussion Questions:

1. Is it irresponsible of Caspian, as King of Narnia, to leave his kingdom and go off on a long sea voyage? Why or Why not?
2. Why do you think Aslan send Edmund, Eustace, and Lucy to the Dawn Treader to join the quest in the first place?
3. What would you do if Aslan sent you on this kind of quest? Would you act similar or different to the children?
4. What does Aslan mean when he says he has "another name" in Edmund, Lucy, and Eustace's world? 
5. SPOILER ALERT!!! Consider the fates of the seven missing lords. Do we learn anything from what happened to them? How important are they to the overall plot of the book? Why have so many of them met with unpleasant fates?
6. THINK ABOUT IT: What's the meaning of the ship's name, Dawn Treader?