1.TO MY READERS The Wizard of OzFolklore, legends, myths and fairy tales have followed childhoodthrough the ages, for every healthy youngster has a wholesomeand instinctive love for stories fantastic, marvelous andmanifestly unreal. The winged fairies of Grimm and Andersenhave brought more happiness to childish hearts than all otherhuman creations.

2. TO MY READERSThe Wizard of Oz ContYet the old time fairy tale, having served for generations,may now be classed as "historical" in the childrenslibrary; for the time has come for a series of newer"wonder tales" in which the stereotyped genie, dwarf andfairy are eliminated, together with all the horrible andblood-curdling incidents devised by their authors topoint a fearsome moral to each tale. Modern educationincludes morality; therefore the modern child seeks onlyentertainment in its wonder tales and gladly dispenseswith all disagreeable incident. 3. TO MY READERSThe Wizard of Oz ContHaving this thought in mind, the story of "The WonderfulWizard of Oz" was written solely to please children oftoday. It aspires to being a modernized fairy tale, in whicthe wonderment and joy are retained and the heartachesand nightmares are left out.-L. Frank BaumChicago, April, 1900. 4. To My Readers The Tin Woodman of OzI think I am justified in promising thatthere will be some astonishingrevelations about the Magic of Oz in mybook for 1919. Always your loving and gratefulfriend, L. Frank Baum Royal historian of OzOzcotat Hollywood inCalifornia 1918 5. TO MY READERS The Wizard of OzFolklore, legends, myths and fairy tales havefollowed childhood through the ages, for everyhealthy youngster has a wholesome andinstinctive love for stories fantastic, marvelousand manifestly unreal. The winged fairies ofGrimm and Andersen have brought morehappiness to childish hearts than all otherhuman creations. 6. TO MY READERS The Wizard of Oz ContYet the old time fairy tale, having served forgenerations, may now be classed as "historical" in thechildrens library; for the time has come for a series ofnewer "wonder tales" in which the stereotypedgenie, dwarf and fairy are eliminated, together with all thehorrible and blood-curdling incidents devised by theirauthors to point a fearsome moral to each tale. Moderneducation includes morality; therefore the modern childseeks only entertainment in its wonder tales and gladlydispenses with all disagreeable incident. 7. TO MY READERS The Wizard of Oz ContHaving this thought in mind, the story of "The WonderfulWizard of Oz" was written solely to please children oftoday. It aspires to being a modernized fairy tale, in whichthe wonderment and joy are retained and the heartachesand nightmares are left out.-L. Frank BaumChicago, April, 1900. 8. To My Readers The Tin Woodman of OzI think I am justified in promising thatthere will be some astonishingrevelations about the Magic of Oz in mybook for 1919. Always your loving and gratefulfriend, L. Frank Baum Royal historian of OzOzcotat Hollywood inCalifornia 1918 9. L. Frank Baum 10. OZ series By L. Frank Baum The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900) The Marvelous Land of Oz (1904) Queer Visitors from the Marvelous Land of Oz (1905, comic strip depicting 27 stories) The Woggle-Bug Book (1905) Ozma of Oz (1907) Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz (1908) The Road to Oz (1909) The Emerald City of Oz (1910) The Patchwork Girl of Oz (1913) Little Wizard Stories of Oz (1913, collection of 6 short stories) Tik-Tok of Oz (1914) The Scarecrow of Oz (1915) Rinkitink in Oz (1916) The Lost Princess of Oz (1917) The Tin Woodman of Oz (1918) The Magic of Oz (1919, posthumously published) Glinda of Oz (1920, posthumously published) The Royal Book of Oz (1921, posthumous attributionentirely the work of Ruth Plumly Thompson) Princess Truella, a character from The Magical Monarch of Mo, illustrated by Frank Ver Beck