Readings Classics: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

Description

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is a children s novel written by L. Frank Baum and illustrated by W. W. Denslow. Originally published by the George M. Hill Company in Chicago on May 17, 1900, it has since been reprinted numerous times, most often under the name The Wizard of Oz, which is the name of both the popular 1902 Broadway musical and the well-known 1939 film adaptation.

The story chronicles the adventures of a young girl named Dorothy Gale in the Land of Oz, after being swept away from her Kansas farm home in a cyclone. The novel is one of the best-known stories in American popular culture and has been widely translated. Its initial success, and the success of the 1902 Broadway musical which Baum adapted from his original story, led to Baum s writing thirteen additional Oz books.

Author Biography

Lyman Frank Baum (1856-1919) was born in Chittenango, Ne Lyman Frank Baum (1856-1919) was born in Chittenango, New York. After trying many different professions, he turned to writing for children at the age of 40.  “The Wizard of Oz “ is the first and most popular of his fourteen Oz novels.