L Frank Baum & The Wizard of Oz

The Wizard of Oz series are not just books for kids, but true classic of children's literature, enduring and delighting for over a century, long before that other Wizard and his Hogwarts buddies hit the scene. As much as I loved Judy Garland and the 1939 film, the books are so much better. I read every Oz book I could get my hand on as a child, and even today, L. Frank Baum remains one of my favorites children's authors. If you've never experienced the Land of Oz, or if your visit was limited to only the first book or the movie, check this site out to find out what you've missed. There is truly a Wonderful World of Oz awaiting!

An energetic and excitable fellow, Baum's devotion to make-believe began in his early 20s, when he joined a small touring theatrical troupe on the East Coast. Later attempts to run a general store and a newspaper in South Dakota (then the Wild West) failed miserably. Although few of his business ventures or artistic efforts had met with success, in 1897 Baum's "Father Goose" rhymes (designed and illustrated by Denslow) became a surprise bestseller, and Baum was able to buy his family a summer cottage on Lake Michigan, christened "The Sign of the Goose," for which he made most of the furniture (goose-themed, of course) and stenciled the walls with a frieze of green geese.

The idea for The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, "a modern fairy tale," as he considered it, soon followed, and the book appeared in May 1900. The 10,000-copy first printing sold out in two weeks, and about 90,000 sold within the first year. Hearn goes on to describe the many books that followed, as well as the 1902 musical extravaganza The Wizard of Oz and Baum's subsequent, ill-starred attempts to depict the world of Oz on film. (He died long before the 1939 MGM musical made his fairy tale known around the globe.) In 1907, he told a reporter for the Grand Rapids Herald why he preferred young readers:

"To write fairy stories for children, to amuse them, to divert restless children, sick children, to keep them out of mischief on rainy days, seems of greater importance than to write grown-up novels. Few of the popular novels last the year out, responding as they do to a certain psychological demand, characteristic of the time; whereas, a child's book is, comparatively speaking, the same always, since children are always the same kind of folks with the same needs to be satisfied."

--excerpted from amazon.com

More Wizard of Oz Collectibles, Waterglobes, Trinket Boxes & Figurines

Get the Books:

The Annotated Wizard of Oz: Centennial Edition

An updated version of the definitive guide, The Annotated Wizard of Oz provides a facsimile color version of the first edition of L. Frank Baum's children's classic along with extensive notes and a thorough history of the immense Oz project. In his excellent introduction, Michael Patrick Hearn describes the author's early life and interests and the development of his collaboration with W.W. Denslow, the original illustrator for his books.

Oz-Inspiration Wicked [Amazon | B& N]  LOVED THIS BOOK!!! Takes you through the life of one of the most misunderstood witches in all of witchy history. Follow Elphaba (the WWof theW) from her childhood as an abused green child growing up in Munchkinland through her college years with Glinda at the University, and up until she meets her untimely demise at the hands of a little girl with a bucket. Written in a style complimentary to L Frank Baum's--but with a decidedly modern feel! Don't miss this one!

The Original Books (by L. Frank Baum) click on the link for more info 1900 The Wonderful Wizard of Oz 1904 The Marvelous Land of Oz 1907 Ozma of Oz 1908 Dorothy & the Wizard in Oz 1909 The Road to Oz 1910 The Emerald City of Oz 1913 The Patchwork Girl of Oz 1914 Tik-Tok of Oz 1915 The Scarecrow of Oz 1916 Rinkitink in Oz 1917 The Lost Princess of Oz 1918 The Tin Woodman of Oz 1919 The Magic of Oz 1920 Glinda of Oz

Fans of the Land of Oz come in all shapes and sizes, just like the residents of Oz. Tributes to this wonderful book series/movie abound on the web, from places all around the world. There was even a Blair Witch/Oz parody! You can learn all about the many authors who carried on the Oz series after L. Frank Baum's reign as Royal Historian all approved by the royal Ozma, of course), celebrate the delicious Wickedness of the Witch, or pick up some Oz Clip Art . You can also compare the Oz Story to Star Wars , find out if that long-running synchronicity rumor about the Wizard of Oz and Dark Side of the Moon is true, and even use the WOZ to learn HTML !

Oz at the Movies

Three silent films were produced by L. Frank Baum himself, based on his books, just prior to World War I. The sets and costumes are highly imaginative, as you might expect from an author with such creativity. A fourth silent entry in Ozdom is the 1925 version of "The Wizard of Oz", a surprise to many who incorrectly think that MGM's 1939 "Oz" was the first filmed version of Dorothy's journey.

The Wizard of Oz (Silent-1925)

This long-forgotten 1925 silent version of the children's classic, cowritten by L. Frank Baum's eldest son, had a character named Dorothy and a house transported to Oz by a tornado, but you won't recognize much after that. In this film, silent film legend Larry Semon is hilarious as the Scarecrow and Oliver Hardy (Laurel and Hardy) is wonderful as the Tin Woodsman. Its slapstick comedy routines and surrealistic setting make this an interesting curio and a treat for silent movie fans

L. Frank Baum's Silent Films pre 1920