The Chronicles of Narnia: The Magician's Nephew by C.S. Lewis

The Magician's Nephew is C. S. Lewis' prequel to the Chronicles of Narnia series and lays the foundation for all the adventures to come in the mythical world of Narnia. 

The story's protagonist, Digory, lives with his Uncle Andrew, a magician, and befriends a girl called Polly. Digory's mother is direly ill and lies in bed all day. Through his magic, Uncle Andrew plunges Digory and Polly into Narnia but, inadvertently, they bring a malevolent witch into the enchanted land. In Narnia, the children meet the iconic lion Aslan who gives Digory a magic apple to cure his mother's illness. Digory and Polly return to London, Digory's mother is healed, and we discover why the wardrobe is the portal to Narnia.

Sewn into the thin spine of this book are pages with incredible descriptions of a truly magical world. C.S. Lewis' writing style and use of sense-provoking imagery make reading this book a breezy pleasure. If you plan to read the Narnia series, start with this book - it will immediately hook you. 

I rate this book five out of five stars because the writing is beautiful, engaging, and descriptive. This makes the story seem more real than your average fantasy book. The characters also seem more alive and three-dimensional.