Yes, you've probably seen the movie. I've watched it many, many times. As a child, it was part of our Thanksgiving Day tradition to watch it on TV. But it veers so far from the book many times . . . You should really read the book of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Or the series! Despite what the movie depicts, Oz is absolutely real, and Dorothy (who is a child younger than ten, not a teenager) goes back many times.
A Kansas farm girl named Dorothy ends up in the magical Land of Oz after she and her pet dog Toto are swept away from their home by a cyclone. Upon her arrival in the magical world of Oz, she learns she cannot return home until she has destroyed the Wicked Witch of the West.
My childhood was ruled by Oz. Not the movie, the books. I have 34 on my shelf right now, though some are possibly original and would fall apart if I tried to read them. I also still have my childhood Oz bedsheets printed with illustrations from the first book, just sure I’ll do something interesting with them, like make a quilt. My best friend and I were Ozma and Glinda one Halloween, and her mother painted a beautiful Oz mural on her bedroom wall. One sleepover, when we were in maybe second grade, her mother found us sound asleep on our individual cots but holding hands in the middle. Because you have to hold hands when you cross the Deadly Desert or someone won't make it. Oz was at the center of our play life.
Despite the fact that this first book in the lengthy series (14 by Baum, an additional 19 by Ruth Plumly Thompson, and a few others added later by other authors) was published in 1900, it’s still listed as a #1 Bestseller at Amazon. The 7th grade reading level pushes the top end of middle grade, but that hasn’t stopped millions of kids from devouring these stories for generations. Maybe it can be a read aloud bedtime story for your middle grade child. Cuddle up and enjoy!
There are delightful (and scary) characters to meet! If nothing else, read the original Oz book and enjoy comparing it to the movie. Which one do you like better?
PS We won't talk about Return to Oz, which was very close to the books it covers but visually nightmare inducing. Some things are better left on the page.
Me too! I inherited my father's set of Oz books and always dreamed of being Ozma one day. "Her eyes sparkled as two diamonds, and her lips were tinted like a tourmaline. All down her back floated tresses of ruddy gold, with a slender jeweled circlet confining them at the brow." Did you remember that she was raised as a boy named Tip? Thanks for the trip down memory lane. :-D
ReplyDeleteAh, yes, Tip! I think that's what made my friend love her even more. LOL Glad you enjoyed the fun memories.
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