Book Club Author Information

Lyman Frank Baum, born in Chittenango, New York on May 15,1856, was an

American author, poet, playwright, actor and independent filmmaker. He also

raised fancy poultry, sold fireworks, managed an opera house, opened a

department store, and edited a newspaper before finally tuning to writing. He is

best known today as the creator, along with illustrator W. W. Denslow, of one of

the most popular books in American children’s literature, The Wonderful Wizard

of Oz, better known now as simply The Wizard of Oz. He wrote thirteen sequels,

nine other fantasy novels, a plethora of other works (55 novels in total, 82 short

stories, more than 200 poems, an unknown number of scripts, and many

miscellaneous writings), and made numerous attempts to bring his works to the

stage and screen.

He died on May 6, 1919 and is buried in the Forest Lawn Memorial Park

Cemetery, in Glendale, California.

Interested in finding out more about this author? There are numerous biographies

written about L. Frank Baum as well as an interview of him that was published in

the Philadelphia North American (October 3, 1904). Do you think you could find

it?

Discussion Guide

Other Books by Author The life and adventures of Santa Claus Queen Zixi of Ix American fairy tales Sky island The sea fairies The enchanted island of Yew The master key Dot and tot of Merryland

John Dough and the Cherub Twinkle and Chubbins: their astonishing adventure in nature fairyland The enchanted buffalo A kidnapped Santa Claus The surprising adventures of the magical monarch of Mo and his people

THE WONDERFUL WIZARD OF OZ

WAS THE 1ST BOOK IN THE OZ

SERIES. HOW MANY HAVE YOU

READ?

Book Club

Photo used is from Wikipedia and author

information taken from Harper Collins,

and Simon & Schuster website.

Discussion Questions 1) The Wonderful Wizard of Oz was first published in

1900 and met with both commercial and critical

success. It continues to be a favorite, and the story

has been translated to the stage and to film

numerous times. What do you think makes this tale

so appealing, so timeless, and so easily adapted to

other media?

2) What roles do money and capitalism play in The

Wonderful Wizard of Oz? What is valued in the

land of Oz and what is valued in the real world?

3) In addition to being a writer, L. Frank Baum was an

actor and playwright. Does theatricality play a role

in this book? How? What role does illusion play in

the story?

4) The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is said to be the first

American fairy tale, and L. Frank Baum had indeed

aspired to write a fairy tale that was different from

the older, mostly European ones. How is this story

the same as or different from, for example, those by

the Brothers Grimm? Is it particularly American?

If so, in what way(s)? What makes it unique?

5) One of the things that L. Frank Baum did not like

about traditional fairy tales was the didactic way in

which they taught morals and values. Does his

story express any particular values or moral

lessons? If so, how does he communicate them?

6) Though this story has a timeless appeal, is there

anything time-bounded or dated about it? Are there

aspect of the story, characters, style, or setting that

decrease the accessibility or appeal of the book for

a modern audience?

7) The Scarecrow yearns for a brain, but in reality he

is the most intelligent of the small group in which

Dorothy travels. Is this irony present elsewhere in

the story? If so, what do you suppose Baum’s

purpose is in using this device?

8) Analyze the character of the Wizard. Why does he

behave the way he does? Is his behavior excusable

or not? He tells Dorothy that he is a good man but

a bad wizard. Do you agree?

9) What is the significance of the delicate people in

the Dainty China Country? What is Baum saying

about beauty and/or about sensitivity in this

chapter?

10) In his Preface to The Wonderful Wizard of Oz,

Baum says the he aimed to create a tale in which

“wonderment and joy are retained and the

heart-aches and nightmares are left out.” Would

you say he succeeded? Do you think that this type

of optimism and pure entertainment are valuable?

Why or why not?

11) Are there ways in which the characters and political

dynamics of Oz could be likened to real-life people

and political dynamics during Baum's time? How

about during our time?

12) What are the power dynamics in Oz? Who has

power and who lacks it? How does one gain and

lose power in Oz?

13) Baum’s mother-in-law was a feminist and a

suffragette. Do you think the ideals of feminism

influenced Baum’s writing of The Wonderful

Wizard of Oz? In particular, how would you view

Dorothy and the witches in a feminist context?

14) Baum has been praised for his ability to include

psychological and philosophical insight in a

fantastical children’s story. In what ways is this

story psychologically and/or philosophically

insightful or sophisticated?

15) Why do you think Baum wrote this story when he

did? Was there anything going on in the world at

that time that might have led him to want to write a

pure fairy tale?

WEBSITES TO CHECK

OUT

What’s it all about? Join Dorothy Gale, Toto, and all of her friends as they explore the

incredible land of Oz. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is American's most

enduring fairy tale. From the moment Dorothy puts on the silver slippers

(changed to ruby slippers by MGM to take advantage of their new

advance in movie making: color) until the moment she clicks her heals

and returns home to Kansas you will be swept away and captivated by

her extraordinary story. L. Frank Baum's classic tale has been enjoyed

by children around the world for over a century. This was the first in a

long series of books about Oz, written by several authors over the years,

which still continues today!

The discussion questions came from the Reading Group Guides Reading Guide for The wonderful wizard of Oz.

L. Frank Baum Wiki: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/

L._Frank_Baum

HarperCollins’ L. Frank Baum

biography: /www.harpercollins.com/author/

microsite/About.aspx?

authorid=13379

Simon & Schuster L. Frank

Baum biography: authors.simonandschuster.com/

L-Frank-Baum/1569463/

biography

Reading Group Guides website

Reading Guide for The

wonderful wizard of Oz: www.readinggroupguides.com/

guides3/wonder ful_wizard_of_oz1.asp#discuss

Goodreads’ trivia and quizzes

for The wonderful wizard of OZ: www.goodreads.com/trivia/

work/1993810-the-wonderful-wizard-of-oz

United States of YA Image and

list of books came from Epic

Reads: www.epicreads.com/blog/the-

united-states-of-ya/