WE'RE OFF TO SEE THE WIZARD...

I'd like to invite you to the library to see our fabulous new display, a tribute to the amazing Wizard of Oz books by Frank L. Baum. Baum was a magical, prolific storyteller; many readers don't know that there are several Oz books, each featuring enchantingly quirky characters: The Scarecrow of Oz, Glinda of Oz, Ozma of Oz, The Pumpkinhead of Oz. When I was a child, the Oz books were my Harry Potter series; I loved them. Over the years, I've built a collection and they are now in the display. Let me know if you'd like to read them.

OZ ISN'T JUST FOR KIDS ANYMORE!

Gregory Maguire, a talented YA author, has written his own Oz series, a much darker, edgier version of the stories. The first in the series is Wicked, a book which inspired a hit musical which was featured in an episode of Glee.

Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire (Book One in the Wicked series)

When Dorothy triumphed over the Wicked Witch of the West in L. Frank Baum's classic tale, we heard only her side of the story. But what about her arch-nemesis, the mysterious Witch? Where did she come from? How did she become so wicked? And what is the true nature of evil?


Gregory Maguire creates a fantasy world so rich and vivid that we will never look at Oz the same way again. Wicked is about a land where animals talk and strive to be treated like first-class citizens, Munchkinlanders seek the comfort of middle-class stability, and the Tin Man becomes a victim of domestic violence. And then there is the little green-skinned girl named Elphaba, who will grow up to become the infamous Wicked Witch of the West, a smart, prickly, and misunderstood creature who challenges all our preconceived notions about the nature of good and evil.

The three other books in the series are Son of a Witch, A Lion Among Men, and Out of Oz. We have them all in the library.

Thank you, Emily and Felicia, for both inspiring and creating the display.