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Oz #13-15
Oz, The Complete Collection, Volume 5: The Magic of Oz / Glinda of Oz / The Royal Book of Oz
Revel in the magic of Oz in this collection of the final three books in L. Frank Baum’s classic American fairy tale series.The three concluding titles of the iconic Oz series, now in one collection!
In The Magic of Oz, the mischievous Kiki Aru has discovered a magical word that can transform him and anyone else into whatever he wants. Worse yet, Kiki has been recruited by the villainous Nome King in his latest attempt to get revenge on Princess Ozma and all her friends. Can Dorothy and the Wizard stop the evildoers before they conquer Oz? Or will Kiki’s incredible powers finally give the Nome King the revenge he has craved for so long?
In Glinda of Oz, Dorothy and Ozma journey to a remote part of Oz to stop a war between the Flatheads and the Skeezers. But the Flatheads and Skeezers have a different idea. Soon Ozma and Dorothy are trapped in an amazing crystal-domed city on an enchanted island. The watertight city submerges itself, and only the Wizard and Glinda can save them—but will they make it in time?
In The Royal Book of Oz, the Scarecrow goes to search for his family roots. He returns to the cornfield where Dorothy first found him and discovers that he is the Long Lost Emperor of the Silver Island. Will he decide to stay there? Or will he return to Oz?
In The Magic of Oz, the mischievous Kiki Aru has discovered a magical word that can transform him and anyone else into whatever he wants. Worse yet, Kiki has been recruited by the villainous Nome King in his latest attempt to get revenge on Princess Ozma and all her friends. Can Dorothy and the Wizard stop the evildoers before they conquer Oz? Or will Kiki’s incredible powers finally give the Nome King the revenge he has craved for so long?
In Glinda of Oz, Dorothy and Ozma journey to a remote part of Oz to stop a war between the Flatheads and the Skeezers. But the Flatheads and Skeezers have a different idea. Soon Ozma and Dorothy are trapped in an amazing crystal-domed city on an enchanted island. The watertight city submerges itself, and only the Wizard and Glinda can save them—but will they make it in time?
In The Royal Book of Oz, the Scarecrow goes to search for his family roots. He returns to the cornfield where Dorothy first found him and discovers that he is the Long Lost Emperor of the Silver Island. Will he decide to stay there? Or will he return to Oz?
576 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2013
10 people are currently reading
797 people want to read
About the author
L. Frank Baum
3,299 books2,789 followersalso wrote under the names:
* Edith van Dyne,
* Floyd Akers,
* Schuyler Staunton,
* John Estes Cooke,
* Suzanne Metcalf,
* Laura Bancroft,
* Louis F. Baum,
* Captain Hugh Fitzgerald
Lyman Frank Baum was an American author best known for his children's fantasy books, particularly The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, part of a series. In addition to the 14 Oz books, Baum penned 41 other novels (not including four lost, unpublished novels), 83 short stories, over 200 poems, and at least 42 scripts. He made numerous attempts to bring his works to the stage and screen; the 1939 adaptation of the first Oz book became a landmark of 20th-century cinema.
Born and raised in Chittenango, New York, Baum moved west after an unsuccessful stint as a theater producer and playwright. He and his wife opened a store in South Dakota and he edited and published a newspaper. They then moved to Chicago, where he worked as a newspaper reporter and published children's literature, coming out with the first Oz book in 1900. While continuing his writing, among his final projects he sought to establish a film studio focused on children's films in Los Angeles, California.
His works anticipated such later commonplaces as television, augmented reality, laptop computers (The Master Key), wireless telephones (Tik-Tok of Oz), women in high-risk and action-heavy occupations (Mary Louise in the Country), and the ubiquity of advertising on clothing (Aunt Jane's Nieces at Work).
* Edith van Dyne,
* Floyd Akers,
* Schuyler Staunton,
* John Estes Cooke,
* Suzanne Metcalf,
* Laura Bancroft,
* Louis F. Baum,
* Captain Hugh Fitzgerald
Lyman Frank Baum was an American author best known for his children's fantasy books, particularly The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, part of a series. In addition to the 14 Oz books, Baum penned 41 other novels (not including four lost, unpublished novels), 83 short stories, over 200 poems, and at least 42 scripts. He made numerous attempts to bring his works to the stage and screen; the 1939 adaptation of the first Oz book became a landmark of 20th-century cinema.
Born and raised in Chittenango, New York, Baum moved west after an unsuccessful stint as a theater producer and playwright. He and his wife opened a store in South Dakota and he edited and published a newspaper. They then moved to Chicago, where he worked as a newspaper reporter and published children's literature, coming out with the first Oz book in 1900. While continuing his writing, among his final projects he sought to establish a film studio focused on children's films in Los Angeles, California.
His works anticipated such later commonplaces as television, augmented reality, laptop computers (The Master Key), wireless telephones (Tik-Tok of Oz), women in high-risk and action-heavy occupations (Mary Louise in the Country), and the ubiquity of advertising on clothing (Aunt Jane's Nieces at Work).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
July 10, 2020
Check out my individual reviews on each book's main page!
September 28, 2021
The Magic of Oz ★★★★☆
An Oz adventure exactly to my liking with lots of creative magical places and objects, fantastic characters (the Lonesome Duck, Loo the unicorn, and the return of the Glass Cat), fun transformations and twists, and questionable, yet hilarious values.
Glinda of Oz ★★★★☆
The last adventure written by Baum himself and it was glorious. Loved all the silly magic (especially the diamond swan) and the underwater setting with its dome city.
The Royal Book of Oz ★★☆☆☆ (written by Ruth Plumly Thompson)
There were some fun puns in here and the adventures were creative, especially going down the family tree, but it all got dampened by the racist undertones that accompanied the depiction of the Silvermen. So many harmful Chinese stereotypes, it was disgusting.
My overall rating mostly encompasses the first two books in this bind-up.
An Oz adventure exactly to my liking with lots of creative magical places and objects, fantastic characters (the Lonesome Duck, Loo the unicorn, and the return of the Glass Cat), fun transformations and twists, and questionable, yet hilarious values.
Glinda of Oz ★★★★☆
The last adventure written by Baum himself and it was glorious. Loved all the silly magic (especially the diamond swan) and the underwater setting with its dome city.
The Royal Book of Oz ★★☆☆☆ (written by Ruth Plumly Thompson)
There were some fun puns in here and the adventures were creative, especially going down the family tree, but it all got dampened by the racist undertones that accompanied the depiction of the Silvermen. So many harmful Chinese stereotypes, it was disgusting.
My overall rating mostly encompasses the first two books in this bind-up.
January 26, 2026
The Magic of Oz
This story follows Kiki Art and the Nome King traveling around Oz. Kiki wants to get away from his home and takes some magic from his father which just happens to be a word that needs to be said in order to transform anyone into anything. It also follows the adventure of Captain Bill and Trot out on a search for a birthday present for Ozma and then Dorothy and the Wizard have to come and rescue them. At some point the two groups meet up. It wasn’t my favorite of this volume but it was still fill with creativity. The Lonesome Duck is my favorite character from this story. Here’s a quote from him about his home when it was questioned as to why it was the best in all the world, “a home of any sort should be beautiful to those who live in it, and should not be intended to please strangers. The Diamond Palace is my home, and I like it. So I don’t care a quack whether you like it or not.”
*Side note: It's important to remember that this book was published in 1919 which means that some words are used in a different context like the word ‘f*ggot which was used as “bundle of f*ggots”. I looked up the definition and the older use for the word was: “a bundle of sticks”.
Glinda of Oz
Another adventure in Oz where Dorothy and Ozma have to help prevent a war between the Flatheads and the Skeezers. This book was my favorite of this volume because the but creativity was really good even with it being the 14th book in the series. There was a part where both of them were in the tent and Dorothy was thinking “how she wished that all men and women could be fairies with silver wands, and satisfy all their needs without so much work and worry, for then, she imagined, they would have all their working hours to be happy in.” and Ozma—reading her mind—responded with, "No, no, Dorothy, that wouldn't do at all. Instead of happiness your plan would bring weariness to the world. If every one could wave a wand and have his wants fulfilled there would be little to wish for. There would be no eager striving to obtain the difficult, for nothing would then be difficult, and the pleasure of earning something longed for, and only to be secured by hard work and careful thought, would be utterly lost. There would be nothing to do you see, and no interest in life and in our fellow creatures. That is all that makes life worth our while-to do good deeds and to help those less fortunate than ourselves."
The Royal Book of Oz
This book was okay but it was the first of the series to be written after L. Frank Baum’s death by Ruth Plumly Thompson. The adventure wasn't too exciting but the creativity was good. This story follows the origin of the Scarecrow where he goes looking for his family. After a while, Dorothy and the Cowardly Lion get worried and go looking for him and bring him back to Oz.
This story follows Kiki Art and the Nome King traveling around Oz. Kiki wants to get away from his home and takes some magic from his father which just happens to be a word that needs to be said in order to transform anyone into anything. It also follows the adventure of Captain Bill and Trot out on a search for a birthday present for Ozma and then Dorothy and the Wizard have to come and rescue them. At some point the two groups meet up. It wasn’t my favorite of this volume but it was still fill with creativity. The Lonesome Duck is my favorite character from this story. Here’s a quote from him about his home when it was questioned as to why it was the best in all the world, “a home of any sort should be beautiful to those who live in it, and should not be intended to please strangers. The Diamond Palace is my home, and I like it. So I don’t care a quack whether you like it or not.”
*Side note: It's important to remember that this book was published in 1919 which means that some words are used in a different context like the word ‘f*ggot which was used as “bundle of f*ggots”. I looked up the definition and the older use for the word was: “a bundle of sticks”.
Glinda of Oz
Another adventure in Oz where Dorothy and Ozma have to help prevent a war between the Flatheads and the Skeezers. This book was my favorite of this volume because the but creativity was really good even with it being the 14th book in the series. There was a part where both of them were in the tent and Dorothy was thinking “how she wished that all men and women could be fairies with silver wands, and satisfy all their needs without so much work and worry, for then, she imagined, they would have all their working hours to be happy in.” and Ozma—reading her mind—responded with, "No, no, Dorothy, that wouldn't do at all. Instead of happiness your plan would bring weariness to the world. If every one could wave a wand and have his wants fulfilled there would be little to wish for. There would be no eager striving to obtain the difficult, for nothing would then be difficult, and the pleasure of earning something longed for, and only to be secured by hard work and careful thought, would be utterly lost. There would be nothing to do you see, and no interest in life and in our fellow creatures. That is all that makes life worth our while-to do good deeds and to help those less fortunate than ourselves."
The Royal Book of Oz
This book was okay but it was the first of the series to be written after L. Frank Baum’s death by Ruth Plumly Thompson. The adventure wasn't too exciting but the creativity was good. This story follows the origin of the Scarecrow where he goes looking for his family. After a while, Dorothy and the Cowardly Lion get worried and go looking for him and bring him back to Oz.
February 4, 2016
The last of the Oz books, as written by L Frank Baum, and I truly have mixed feelings about getting to the end. These books were mostly simple and forgettable, though there were a few diamonds in the rough, one of which was in this volume! Glinda of Oz was a fun installment in the series, and a great way to wrap up the series.
The Royal Book of Oz was written by another author, and it was obvious when reading. I will say that a valiant effort was made to mimic Baum's style, and only because I had recently read all 14 of his books was it apparent. It wasn't a very compelling read, so I don't believe I'll continue to read the other 20 or so installments that she wrote.
I recommend this book to those who have read the other installments, and those looking for a fun, easy read in "Glinda of Oz."
The Royal Book of Oz was written by another author, and it was obvious when reading. I will say that a valiant effort was made to mimic Baum's style, and only because I had recently read all 14 of his books was it apparent. It wasn't a very compelling read, so I don't believe I'll continue to read the other 20 or so installments that she wrote.
I recommend this book to those who have read the other installments, and those looking for a fun, easy read in "Glinda of Oz."
October 13, 2016
The first two books are great, The Magic of Oz and Glinda of Oz, but The Royal Book of Oz is easily my least favorite of the 15 books. In The Royal Book of Oz all of the usual humor is gone. It's different, for sure, and realizing it's a different author (Ruth Plumly Thompson) it leads to a whole new feel to everything, it's like the original magic is gone. The love-ability of the characters seem muddled together. The humor is punny and not really funny, and there's too much zaniness instead of fun and whimsy. The story is where there is some promise, but one of the problems I had were that the characters seemed all entirely forgettable, which is usually something impossible with a Baum Oz story.
March 25, 2020
I have enjoyed this series very much and I would recommend it to anyone that is looking for an engaging series that has some plot twists. L. Frank Baum has turned the original story about Dorothy, Tin Man, Scarecrow, Lion, Oz, and the witches into a fun story for everyone to enjoy. He thought about what people would want in a story. As he said, his goal when he writes is to make people happy with his story.
March 11, 2017
I enjoyed the first two books in the volume (final two books in the Oz series as written by L. Frank Baum) however, did not care for the final. Overall, was a nice series and the stories were cute.
May 18, 2025
The story is called *The Magic of Oz*, written by L. Frank Baum. In the eastern part of the Munchkin Country, a mountain called Mount Munch is home to a boy named Kiki Aru. Kiki discovers a magic word—*pyrzqxgl*—that allows him to transform into anything. Curious about the outside world, he turns into a hawk and flies away. On his journey, he meets Ruggedo, a wicked former king. Together, they plot to conquer Oz.
Meanwhile, the citizens of Oz are busy preparing birthday gifts for Princess Ozma. Trot and Cap’n Bill go in search of a magic flower, but once they step onto its island, roots grow from their feet and trap them. Elsewhere, Kiki and Ruggedo try to stir up the animals of the Forest of Gugu by lying that the people of Oz want to enslave them. Dorothy and the Wizard of Oz intervene, but the villains transform themselves and the animals into different forms to escape.
Eventually, Dorothy, the Wizard, Trot, Bill, and all the animals are rescued. In the end, everyone gathers to joyfully celebrate Ozma’s birthday.
Glinda of Oz
The title of the story is Glinda of Oz. It is written by L. Frank Baum. In this story, Dorothy and Ozma journey to a remote part of Oz to stop a war. But soon they are trapped in a crystal-domed city on an enchanted island. The watertight city submerges itself, and only the Wizard and Glinda can save the pair, but will they make it in time?
In the beginning, Dorothy and Ozma travel to the enchanted mountains of the Flatheads and the enchanted Isle of the Skeezers.
Then, they tried to convince Flathead’s supreme dictator to not have a war with the Skeezers because that will disturb the peace of the citizens in both countries, and maybe some people will be badly injured. But the dictator laughs at them and threatens to put them into the bronze prison and release them after the war, but Ozma makes herself and Dorothy invisible and runs away from the Flathead’s territory. After that, they went to the Skeezer territory and tried to do the same thing, and even if the Skeezer’s citizens agreed, the queen is still confident that the Skeezers can defeat the Flatheads easily. So there was a war the next morning.
Later, when the Skeezer city submerges itself, it sends submarines with full armed Skeezers out to fight with the queen. The queen tries to throw her magic rope at the supreme dictator, but he pours the kettle of poison on her and turns her into a diamond swan, and she forgets all her magic. But only the queen knows the magic word that can lift the city out of the water, and she forgot the word.
At the end, Ervic, the leader of the full armed Skeezers that went out in the submarines stood guard when his friends slept, and he noticed that a golden fish, and silver fish, and a bronze fish. They are the three Adepts of magic transformed by the once evil queen, came to him and told him what to do, so he took them to Reera the Red, the yookoohoo and pretended to not want her to chage the fishes to girls, but he actually wanted. Reera the Red did not notice and changed them into girls, and Ervic was very happy. Then, the adepts of magic found Glinda and her friends trying to save Ozma and Dorothy, and together they got into the city dome and found out the magic word. The word that sends the boat out is Coo, the word that lets out the bridge is ee, and the word that brings that city back to land is oh. Because the queen’s name is Coo-ee-oh. The Skeezers and Ozma and Dorothy is finally rescued!
I think that having a war is a bad idea because some people may be injured or hurt, and it will disturb the peace.
My favorite part is when Ervic pretended to not want the yookoohoo to turn the fish into girls, but in his heart, he actually wanted to.
I was surprised when the poison dashed onto queen Coo-ee-oh, she became a diamond swan, not something worse.
I learned that the world doesn’t always care about you.
I like Glinda because she is persistent and tries to help her friends in any way she can after failing many times.
I don’t like Su-Dic, the supreme dictator because he is cruel and greedy.
The supreme dictator changes from pride to humble when he notices that the adepts of magic are much more powerful than he is himself.
I think this story is exciting because Ozma and Dorothy and most of the Skeezers are almost forever imprisoned in the great dome.
I would recommend this story to other children my age because it has exciting and interesting adventures with the characters.
I’d gladly give this book ten out of ten stars.
Meanwhile, the citizens of Oz are busy preparing birthday gifts for Princess Ozma. Trot and Cap’n Bill go in search of a magic flower, but once they step onto its island, roots grow from their feet and trap them. Elsewhere, Kiki and Ruggedo try to stir up the animals of the Forest of Gugu by lying that the people of Oz want to enslave them. Dorothy and the Wizard of Oz intervene, but the villains transform themselves and the animals into different forms to escape.
Eventually, Dorothy, the Wizard, Trot, Bill, and all the animals are rescued. In the end, everyone gathers to joyfully celebrate Ozma’s birthday.
Glinda of Oz
The title of the story is Glinda of Oz. It is written by L. Frank Baum. In this story, Dorothy and Ozma journey to a remote part of Oz to stop a war. But soon they are trapped in a crystal-domed city on an enchanted island. The watertight city submerges itself, and only the Wizard and Glinda can save the pair, but will they make it in time?
In the beginning, Dorothy and Ozma travel to the enchanted mountains of the Flatheads and the enchanted Isle of the Skeezers.
Then, they tried to convince Flathead’s supreme dictator to not have a war with the Skeezers because that will disturb the peace of the citizens in both countries, and maybe some people will be badly injured. But the dictator laughs at them and threatens to put them into the bronze prison and release them after the war, but Ozma makes herself and Dorothy invisible and runs away from the Flathead’s territory. After that, they went to the Skeezer territory and tried to do the same thing, and even if the Skeezer’s citizens agreed, the queen is still confident that the Skeezers can defeat the Flatheads easily. So there was a war the next morning.
Later, when the Skeezer city submerges itself, it sends submarines with full armed Skeezers out to fight with the queen. The queen tries to throw her magic rope at the supreme dictator, but he pours the kettle of poison on her and turns her into a diamond swan, and she forgets all her magic. But only the queen knows the magic word that can lift the city out of the water, and she forgot the word.
At the end, Ervic, the leader of the full armed Skeezers that went out in the submarines stood guard when his friends slept, and he noticed that a golden fish, and silver fish, and a bronze fish. They are the three Adepts of magic transformed by the once evil queen, came to him and told him what to do, so he took them to Reera the Red, the yookoohoo and pretended to not want her to chage the fishes to girls, but he actually wanted. Reera the Red did not notice and changed them into girls, and Ervic was very happy. Then, the adepts of magic found Glinda and her friends trying to save Ozma and Dorothy, and together they got into the city dome and found out the magic word. The word that sends the boat out is Coo, the word that lets out the bridge is ee, and the word that brings that city back to land is oh. Because the queen’s name is Coo-ee-oh. The Skeezers and Ozma and Dorothy is finally rescued!
I think that having a war is a bad idea because some people may be injured or hurt, and it will disturb the peace.
My favorite part is when Ervic pretended to not want the yookoohoo to turn the fish into girls, but in his heart, he actually wanted to.
I was surprised when the poison dashed onto queen Coo-ee-oh, she became a diamond swan, not something worse.
I learned that the world doesn’t always care about you.
I like Glinda because she is persistent and tries to help her friends in any way she can after failing many times.
I don’t like Su-Dic, the supreme dictator because he is cruel and greedy.
The supreme dictator changes from pride to humble when he notices that the adepts of magic are much more powerful than he is himself.
I think this story is exciting because Ozma and Dorothy and most of the Skeezers are almost forever imprisoned in the great dome.
I would recommend this story to other children my age because it has exciting and interesting adventures with the characters.
I’d gladly give this book ten out of ten stars.
October 11, 2021
Completing the original Oz series, volume five contains The Magic of Oz and Glinda of Oz, the last books L. Frank Baum wrote, and The Royal Book of Oz, which was written by Ruth Plumly Thompson.
The final two books written by Baum are surprisingly lively. In a series that has become repetitive and predictable, these stories present fun new troublemakers and dire predicaments for the Oz band to contend with in ways we haven’t seen before.
Though The Magic of Oz relies on the overused Nome King as its villain, he’s balanced by his scheming companion, Kiki Aru. For his own goals and survival, Kiki is at turns in cahoots with and plotting against Ruggedo. This tension between collaboration and duplicity makes Kiki a wild card, and the height of the action is more chaotic than most of the other Oz tales.
Glinda of Oz also features its own wild cards in the leaders of two warring peoples and one soldier who is caught in the middle. Dorothy and friends get involved as usual, but unlike other stories, their efforts are not the most fruitful. For once, it is the local inhabitants who determine the narrative, and Dorothy and Co are not the true heroes here.
Glinda of Oz may not have been intended as the finale to the series, but it is a good place to end. Readers would do well to skip The Royal Book of Oz.
Ruth Plumly Thompson tries her best to emulate Baum, but the writing is flat. From the glaring use of exclamation marks and the confusing narrative descriptions to the strange affected dialogue and frequent puns, The Royal Book of Oz is a caricature of Baum’s world. Additionally, Thompson introduces the Silvermen, who are an offensive and stereotypical depiction of Chinese people and culture. Overall, her story feels more silly and obnoxious than whimsical.
The world of Oz carries on long after Baum’s death. Thompson wrote twenty-one books herself, which account for the majority of the official canon. If they’re anything like The Royal Book of Oz, I’m happy not to venture down that path. Only Baum knows the way to the yellow brick road.
The final two books written by Baum are surprisingly lively. In a series that has become repetitive and predictable, these stories present fun new troublemakers and dire predicaments for the Oz band to contend with in ways we haven’t seen before.
Though The Magic of Oz relies on the overused Nome King as its villain, he’s balanced by his scheming companion, Kiki Aru. For his own goals and survival, Kiki is at turns in cahoots with and plotting against Ruggedo. This tension between collaboration and duplicity makes Kiki a wild card, and the height of the action is more chaotic than most of the other Oz tales.
Glinda of Oz also features its own wild cards in the leaders of two warring peoples and one soldier who is caught in the middle. Dorothy and friends get involved as usual, but unlike other stories, their efforts are not the most fruitful. For once, it is the local inhabitants who determine the narrative, and Dorothy and Co are not the true heroes here.
Glinda of Oz may not have been intended as the finale to the series, but it is a good place to end. Readers would do well to skip The Royal Book of Oz.
Ruth Plumly Thompson tries her best to emulate Baum, but the writing is flat. From the glaring use of exclamation marks and the confusing narrative descriptions to the strange affected dialogue and frequent puns, The Royal Book of Oz is a caricature of Baum’s world. Additionally, Thompson introduces the Silvermen, who are an offensive and stereotypical depiction of Chinese people and culture. Overall, her story feels more silly and obnoxious than whimsical.
The world of Oz carries on long after Baum’s death. Thompson wrote twenty-one books herself, which account for the majority of the official canon. If they’re anything like The Royal Book of Oz, I’m happy not to venture down that path. Only Baum knows the way to the yellow brick road.
November 26, 2020
The Magic of Oz (5/5)
This is probably one of the best Oz stories I have read thus far. The premise of this story was interesting and very enjoyable, and I really found the chemistry between the former Nome King and Kiki Aru to be entertaining. Out of all the antagonists in this book series, I find the Nome King to be the most interesting. While one doesn't really learn more about the magic found in Oz, it does show how diverse the magic is.
Glinda of Oz (4/5)
Glinda of Oz would be the last story Baum would write for this series. It eventually continued on, with the writings of Ruth Plumy Thompson. Baum's last Oz book certainly was entertaining and enjoyable. At first, one would wonder why this book was called Glinda of Oz, but at the midpoint, Glinda shines through. This was a great story and after I finished it, I will admit some tears were shed.
The Royal Book of Oz (5/5)
Ruth Plumly Thompson did a wonderful job of picking up the series and continuing it! Her first entry in the series was filled with the same joy and whimsy that very nearly marches the whimsical nature of Baum. The premise of the story was very fitting, with Professor Wogglebug working on a Royal Book, as the title of this story indicates. The story focuses on the origin of the Scarecrow Man (which I'm not sharing, as it's a rather huge spoiler), which was rather surprising to me! This really was a well-done introduction to her work, and I am really excited to keep reading her entries in this series!
This is probably one of the best Oz stories I have read thus far. The premise of this story was interesting and very enjoyable, and I really found the chemistry between the former Nome King and Kiki Aru to be entertaining. Out of all the antagonists in this book series, I find the Nome King to be the most interesting. While one doesn't really learn more about the magic found in Oz, it does show how diverse the magic is.
Glinda of Oz (4/5)
Glinda of Oz would be the last story Baum would write for this series. It eventually continued on, with the writings of Ruth Plumy Thompson. Baum's last Oz book certainly was entertaining and enjoyable. At first, one would wonder why this book was called Glinda of Oz, but at the midpoint, Glinda shines through. This was a great story and after I finished it, I will admit some tears were shed.
The Royal Book of Oz (5/5)
Ruth Plumly Thompson did a wonderful job of picking up the series and continuing it! Her first entry in the series was filled with the same joy and whimsy that very nearly marches the whimsical nature of Baum. The premise of the story was very fitting, with Professor Wogglebug working on a Royal Book, as the title of this story indicates. The story focuses on the origin of the Scarecrow Man (which I'm not sharing, as it's a rather huge spoiler), which was rather surprising to me! This really was a well-done introduction to her work, and I am really excited to keep reading her entries in this series!
March 27, 2023
The stories are always full of fun and innocence; light-hearted and quirky. The world is full of magic and the characters are so memorable. Baum’s adventures are so zany and wonderful that it instantly inspires happiness, wonder, and imagination. The Magic of Oz was so entertaining and Glinda of Oz was so adventurous. Both enjoyable additions to the Oz world.
The last book seemed to lack the mirthfulness of its predecessors, was rife with cringy puns and was also extremely racist. Baum’s character creations never had characteristics of current cultures and race, more-so using inanimate objects and bringing them to life.
It should have stopped after Glinda of Oz, leaving it in the creators hands rather than continuing with other authors (There’s 40 Oz books altogether! And 14 of them are from the original author) Reading the Royal Book of Oz is clear that the author has changed. Baum’s last book was the perfect, bittersweet way to wrap up the beloved series. To me Oz will forever be by L. Frank Baum.
IG Post: https://www.instagram.com/p/Cf2TzQTvnjB/
The last book seemed to lack the mirthfulness of its predecessors, was rife with cringy puns and was also extremely racist. Baum’s character creations never had characteristics of current cultures and race, more-so using inanimate objects and bringing them to life.
It should have stopped after Glinda of Oz, leaving it in the creators hands rather than continuing with other authors (There’s 40 Oz books altogether! And 14 of them are from the original author) Reading the Royal Book of Oz is clear that the author has changed. Baum’s last book was the perfect, bittersweet way to wrap up the beloved series. To me Oz will forever be by L. Frank Baum.
IG Post: https://www.instagram.com/p/Cf2TzQTvnjB/
January 17, 2021
Well we are now done with the Oz series. I don't know how kids swallowed this tripe time after time but maybe I would have too if I was 15 or 20 years younger. It probably didn't help that I read all 15 books so close together so I picked up inconsistencies and just overall got bored by the whole thing. Also we have so much choice in books these days, whereas at the time there's no way kids had as many books available to them as we do now.
At book 15, L. Frank Baum has passed away and authorship is passed on. And then apparently it keeps going and going and going. I won't be reading them, but I will give the Wicked series a go, since I feel like there was so many books but a lack of really good villians.
At book 15, L. Frank Baum has passed away and authorship is passed on. And then apparently it keeps going and going and going. I won't be reading them, but I will give the Wicked series a go, since I feel like there was so many books but a lack of really good villians.
April 22, 2025
After finishing all of the 14 Oz books, I definitely walked away very satisfied. L Frank Baum's books are delightful for all ages and most of them have aged quite well, all things considered. The Royal Book of Oz, on the other hand was a jarring departure. I knew going in, it was written by a different author, but I really didn't anticipate the incredibly racist caricature of the Silverman. While I'm sure there were moments that didn't age well in all 14 of Baum's books, this book was filled with incredibly blatant racist caricatures of Chinese people. I think reading Baum's books is worth the time but maybe stop with those and don't venture past his Oz stories. Or at the very least, maybe skip the Royal Book of Oz.
January 12, 2021
Oz Volume 5 comprises books 13 to 15 - The Magic of Oz, Glinda of Oz, and The Royal Book of Oz.
Once again I completely fell in love with these stories. The writing and world building is truly magical. There are so many loveable and unforgettable characters, and some new ones added.
I thoroughly enjoyed this volume, and all the previous ones. I was sad to say goodbye to this world and it's characters, but I know I will read them all again one day.
Once again I completely fell in love with these stories. The writing and world building is truly magical. There are so many loveable and unforgettable characters, and some new ones added.
I thoroughly enjoyed this volume, and all the previous ones. I was sad to say goodbye to this world and it's characters, but I know I will read them all again one day.
August 12, 2021
3.5*
I have one thing to say.
Sir Hokus of Pokes.
That is all.
I have one thing to say.
Sir Hokus of Pokes.
That is all.
April 3, 2022
The last few books of Oz. If you have read the other works, you’ll enjoy these 🙂.
July 7, 2021
Quote
It's not what you were, but what you are-it's being yourself that counts. (The Royal Book of Oz, 526)
It's not what you were, but what you are-it's being yourself that counts. (The Royal Book of Oz, 526)
June 28, 2018
The Magic of Oz 1919
3.5/5 stars
This story revolves around two story lines; the first is about Kiki, a young munchkin who longs for adventure and lives on the top of Mount Munch. His father, Bini had a forbidden magic word that would transform people and objects. Kiki overhears the word and now can use it. The former evil Nome King who is in exile also discovers the power Kiki has and urges him to join him. In the meantime Oz is getting ready for Princess Ozma’s birthday and Dorothy and the Wizard of Oz are looking for the perfect gift for Ozma but first they have to rescue Captain Bill and Trot who have gotten stuck on an island where they hoped to bring back the Magic Flower for the birthday celebration. And so the adventures of Oz continues….
Glinda of Oz 1920
4/5 stars
In the 14th book of Oz, we find Ozma and Dorothy traveling to a new land, along with several other Ozians. Princess Ozma has authority over the land but has never visited. Upon their arrival they find that the inhabitants, the Skeezers and the Flatheads (who actually have flat heads) are at war. Ozma and Dorothy are captured when the Skeezers' glass-covered island has been sunk to the bottom of its lake. But don’t worry things always work out in the Oz books. Fun!
The Royal Book of Oz 1921
By Ruth Plumly Thompson based on unfinished notes from L. Frank Baum
4.5/5 stars
Scarecrow goes on a journey to find out where he came from because he doesn’t remember and he soon finds out that he has an interesting backstory. However, he has been gone a long time so Dorothy and the Cowardly Lion go in search for him and end up having their own adventures.
If I hadn’t known that Thompson had written this, I would have never have guessed Baum didn’t write this. Quite fun with lots of odd characters and silly situations! Thompson continues to write the series and adds 19 books to the series but she is not the only one to write about Oz. While I may try to find the other Oz books eventually, I plan to move on from the series and explore other books this year.
Check out the history of the Oz books at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of...
3.5/5 stars
This story revolves around two story lines; the first is about Kiki, a young munchkin who longs for adventure and lives on the top of Mount Munch. His father, Bini had a forbidden magic word that would transform people and objects. Kiki overhears the word and now can use it. The former evil Nome King who is in exile also discovers the power Kiki has and urges him to join him. In the meantime Oz is getting ready for Princess Ozma’s birthday and Dorothy and the Wizard of Oz are looking for the perfect gift for Ozma but first they have to rescue Captain Bill and Trot who have gotten stuck on an island where they hoped to bring back the Magic Flower for the birthday celebration. And so the adventures of Oz continues….
Glinda of Oz 1920
4/5 stars
In the 14th book of Oz, we find Ozma and Dorothy traveling to a new land, along with several other Ozians. Princess Ozma has authority over the land but has never visited. Upon their arrival they find that the inhabitants, the Skeezers and the Flatheads (who actually have flat heads) are at war. Ozma and Dorothy are captured when the Skeezers' glass-covered island has been sunk to the bottom of its lake. But don’t worry things always work out in the Oz books. Fun!
The Royal Book of Oz 1921
By Ruth Plumly Thompson based on unfinished notes from L. Frank Baum
4.5/5 stars
Scarecrow goes on a journey to find out where he came from because he doesn’t remember and he soon finds out that he has an interesting backstory. However, he has been gone a long time so Dorothy and the Cowardly Lion go in search for him and end up having their own adventures.
If I hadn’t known that Thompson had written this, I would have never have guessed Baum didn’t write this. Quite fun with lots of odd characters and silly situations! Thompson continues to write the series and adds 19 books to the series but she is not the only one to write about Oz. While I may try to find the other Oz books eventually, I plan to move on from the series and explore other books this year.
Check out the history of the Oz books at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of...
May 23, 2019
Oz, the Complete Collection, Volume 5 is a bind up of the next three books in Oz series (The Magic of Oz, Glinda of Oz, and The Royal Book of Oz) written by L. Frank Baum and Ruth Plumly Thompson and centered on Kiki Aru, a Munchkin boy, Dorothy Gale and Princess Ozma, and the Scarecrow.
The Magic of Oz (★★★★☆) has Kiki Aru, a Munchkin boy, has discovered a magical word that can transform him and anyone else into whatever he wants. Unfortunately, he has been bamboozled by the villains Nome King and uses him in his latest attempt to get revenge on Princess Ozma.
Glinda of Oz (★★★★☆) has Dorothy Gale and Princess Ozma journey to a remote part of Oz to stop a war between the Flatheads and the Skeezers. They become trapped in an amazing crystal-domed city on an enchanted island, which was magically submerged and only Glinda and the Wizard could save them.
The Royal Book of Oz (★★★☆☆) has the Scarecrow goes in search for his family roots. He returns to the cornfield where Dorothy Gale first found him and discovers that he is the long lost Emperor of the Silver Island deep beneath the surface of Oz.
Oz, the Complete Collection, Volume 5 is written rather well. Baum with the addition of Thompson, who has taken up the mantle has broadened his wonderful world of magic and awe in the Land of Oz and a wonderful insight and back story on how the Scarecrow came to be and he search for his ancestors.
All in all, Oz, the Complete Collection, Volume 5 is written rather well and is a wonderful conclusion (at least in this book set) to the Wonderful World of Oz.
The Magic of Oz (★★★★☆) has Kiki Aru, a Munchkin boy, has discovered a magical word that can transform him and anyone else into whatever he wants. Unfortunately, he has been bamboozled by the villains Nome King and uses him in his latest attempt to get revenge on Princess Ozma.
Glinda of Oz (★★★★☆) has Dorothy Gale and Princess Ozma journey to a remote part of Oz to stop a war between the Flatheads and the Skeezers. They become trapped in an amazing crystal-domed city on an enchanted island, which was magically submerged and only Glinda and the Wizard could save them.
The Royal Book of Oz (★★★☆☆) has the Scarecrow goes in search for his family roots. He returns to the cornfield where Dorothy Gale first found him and discovers that he is the long lost Emperor of the Silver Island deep beneath the surface of Oz.
Oz, the Complete Collection, Volume 5 is written rather well. Baum with the addition of Thompson, who has taken up the mantle has broadened his wonderful world of magic and awe in the Land of Oz and a wonderful insight and back story on how the Scarecrow came to be and he search for his ancestors.
All in all, Oz, the Complete Collection, Volume 5 is written rather well and is a wonderful conclusion (at least in this book set) to the Wonderful World of Oz.
April 6, 2015
13. THE MAGIC OF OZ
A nicely dark addition to the Oz series, with the light tale of searcing for a birthday present interspersed with a plot to take over Oz. Clearly Bahm's illness was starting to pour into his storytelling as the face of death loomed over him...
14. GLINDA OF OZ
This was a pretty good Oz book, and sadly Baum's last - though there is some debate about whether or not he wrote all of it. The story is fun, and involves yet another area of Oz that has as yet not been explored, with the characters focussed on being Dorothy and Glinda who journey to this remote area to try to prevent a war between the two parties that live there. Fans of Baum will love getting to read the last thing he ever wrote, and I'm hoping that Ruth Plumly Thompson can keep up the subtle wit and childlike exuberance.
15. THE ROYAL BOOK OF OZ
The first 100% non-Baum Oz book has imagination, but feels a little forced. There are too many puns and the situations don't seem to occur except for funny effect. I'll continue reading these every so often, but I'm not convinced they're going to get any better.
A nicely dark addition to the Oz series, with the light tale of searcing for a birthday present interspersed with a plot to take over Oz. Clearly Bahm's illness was starting to pour into his storytelling as the face of death loomed over him...
14. GLINDA OF OZ
This was a pretty good Oz book, and sadly Baum's last - though there is some debate about whether or not he wrote all of it. The story is fun, and involves yet another area of Oz that has as yet not been explored, with the characters focussed on being Dorothy and Glinda who journey to this remote area to try to prevent a war between the two parties that live there. Fans of Baum will love getting to read the last thing he ever wrote, and I'm hoping that Ruth Plumly Thompson can keep up the subtle wit and childlike exuberance.
15. THE ROYAL BOOK OF OZ
The first 100% non-Baum Oz book has imagination, but feels a little forced. There are too many puns and the situations don't seem to occur except for funny effect. I'll continue reading these every so often, but I'm not convinced they're going to get any better.
November 27, 2016
The Magic of Oz: 3 stars.
The Magic of Oz was definitely an enjoyable read. I found I was interested the whole way through. Definitely much better than some of the previous stories.
Glinda of Oz: 2.5 stars.
I'm sorry that I have to give the last story written by L Frank Baum himself 2.5 stars but it took me a while to get through. It is sad to think that this one is the end of L Frank Baum's work. It seems like he bought joy to many children all over the world. I only wish I enjoyed it more.
The Royal Book of Oz: 3 stars.
The Royal Book of Oz was entertaining, despite not being written by L Frank Baum. There wasn't much difference though. The Royal Book of Oz was written in the same style as the rest of the books in the Oz series.
Overall I decided to rate this book 3 stars because, even though Glinda of Oz was a little bit of a let down, I enjoyed the other two stories.
The Magic of Oz was definitely an enjoyable read. I found I was interested the whole way through. Definitely much better than some of the previous stories.
Glinda of Oz: 2.5 stars.
I'm sorry that I have to give the last story written by L Frank Baum himself 2.5 stars but it took me a while to get through. It is sad to think that this one is the end of L Frank Baum's work. It seems like he bought joy to many children all over the world. I only wish I enjoyed it more.
The Royal Book of Oz: 3 stars.
The Royal Book of Oz was entertaining, despite not being written by L Frank Baum. There wasn't much difference though. The Royal Book of Oz was written in the same style as the rest of the books in the Oz series.
Overall I decided to rate this book 3 stars because, even though Glinda of Oz was a little bit of a let down, I enjoyed the other two stories.
August 1, 2020
I am finally done reading the Oz books, and I am glad about it. It took me almost two weeks, which is very slow to me, and i spent a lot of time just picking out inconsistencies. This volume was not an exception to the same thing I have said about the other books:inconsistencies. Glinda of Oz wasn't a bad book, and the parts in the third story of this volume with Dorothy and the lion were enjoyable enough. At the beginning of the third story, however, it was very exclamation-point-y, which bothered me, and the whole concept of the story was a little bit odd. It is very unlikely that I will ever read these Oz books again. It's not that they're bad stories, but I have read many better books and the inconsistencies in these bother me way too much.
December 24, 2018
Enjoyable final stories by L Frank Baum that show more plotting and character mixing. While the last tale is very entertaining, it is overlong and some characters are wonderful and some are just confusing. His real last stories brim with love and care and even offer where he enters the story. A wonderful end to his classic tales.
October 14, 2014
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July 29, 2014
Being an Oz-nerd I really enjoyed reading all the adventures of Dorothy and the gang, until Ruth Plumly Thompson took over for The Royal Book of Oz.
August 25, 2014
We were all sad to see the Oz books end with this volume. We will definitely read these books many, many times.
May 3, 2015
I won't be reading the Royal Book of Oz since Baum finished off with Glinda of Oz. Otherwise books 1-14 were cute!
May 21, 2015
Bien, bien, aunque honestamente ya no me sorprende. Entretenidos los tres, aunque algo sosos. Pero pues bien.
October 20, 2015
You can tell when Baum stops writing these books, but some of my favourite from the whole collection!
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