Play Book Tag discussion

The Wizard of Oz is one of the most read and most loved children's books of all time. The story of Dorothy, her little dog Toto and the cyclone that took her from Kansas to the Land of Oz, has been recognized by the Library of Congress as "America’s greatest and best-loved homegrown fairytale". Many people are unaware the the Wizard is the first book of an eventual 14 book series. As a child I read them so many times long before I saw the movie. I remember being amazed when we got our first color TV set and I could see the amazing color of Emerald City.

The book itself is much more violent than I remembered. I was an adult before I came to appreciate the contradiction of the lack of self confidence in the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodsman, and the Cowardly Lion. The Scarecrow believes that he has no brains, though he comes up with clever solutions to several problems that they encounter on their journey. The Tin Woodsman believes that he lacks a heart, but is moved to tears when misfortune befalls the various creatures they meet. The Cowardly Lion believes that he has no courage even though he is very brave throughout their journey.

I loved this book as a child, and eventually my daughter and grandchildren loved it too. For a month, my five year old daughter would only answer if we called her Dorothy. My grandson preferred the movie version and always wanted to skip the part about the flying monkeys. I have a dog that looks like Toto. There are lots of readers who might not enjoy the story as much as I do, but the happy memories I have involving the Wizard of Oz are more precious the older I get.

Great review.

Lovely review Oliver. I had never read the book until this year for Polls Challenge. I was surprised how much liberty MGM took with the movie, which was an annual view at my house growing up. I suppose that is why I was a bit on the fence about the book. No matter where they come from, books or movies, childhood memories are the best.

This was one of the very first chapter books I read on my own, and as a child I would read it over and over. Sadly, when I read it as an adult, I did not feel the same way about it and even wondered how I could have liked it so much. Same with Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, which is the other book I remember the earliest in my childhood. But they are the first that sparked my imagination and love for fantasy, so I am grateful for that!

Great review. I hated the flying monkeys as a kid too. There are academic articles (probably books too) that analyze Wizard of Oz in terms of leadership theories and emotional intelligence. I picked this up to give it another try.