Which C.S. Lewis novel begins the Chronicles of Narnia in publication order?

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe begins C.S. Lewis’s Chronicles of Narnia in publication order. It was first published in 1950 and introduced readers to the magical land of Narnia through the Pevensie children.

The story follows Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy after they enter Narnia through a wardrobe. There they encounter the White Witch, who has imposed a long winter, and Aslan, the lion who is Narnia’s central heroic figure. The book combines fairy-tale motifs, adventure, and Christian symbolism.

The Magician’s Nephew is earlier in Narnian chronology, because it describes the creation of Narnia, but it was published later, in 1955. That difference explains why readers sometimes identify it as the first book. For publication order, the answer is The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.