One of my favorite genres and one that is the easiest for me to push aside is middle grade fiction. This year to make sure I get a little more children's and young adult fiction I thought I would designate the first Monday of every month Middle Grade Monday (though sometimes it doesn't end up working quite right) . While a lot of my picks this year are classics I am trying to branch out a little bit and read new or at least recent releases. For this month I thought that I'd try a classic that I somehow have never read - The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum. The Tornado and I watched the movie over the summer. It was the first time for him and the first time in a long while for me. I was really surprised how much he enjoyed it and how much it's stuck with him!
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum - The last book I read where I had seen the movie several times was
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and to be honest the movie disrupted my enjoyment of the book. I was afraid that this would happen here as
The Wizard of Oz is such a vivid and iconic movie. However, this really wasn't an issue here. The tone and the story was just different enough that while I was picturing Judy Garland in the role of Dorothy the movie never intruded into the story. The events that happen in Oz are fairly familiar to anyone who has seen the movie though there are several stories and lands that veer off in a different direction and the time spent in Kansas is cut very short. The story has elements that are more violent than the movie but Baum's detached and whimsical style takes the intensity away. While the flying monkeys had me hiding under a blanket as a little girl I suspect that not even the most sensitive child would have a problem with the original material.
This was a quick read and a very entertaining story to listen too. I think it would be a popular choice for a road trip listen. I'm glad I finally took the time to read this classic!
It's so wonderful when the Wizard of Oz comes on, and I try to watch it every time. Those vibrant colors and the story is just so wonderful to see on the screen. I've never read any of the books, but it makes me want to check it out. I saw that they had a lot of classics for FREE to read on a Kindle at Amazon the other day, and need to see if this is one of them. I'd love to share this with my grand daughter. Hugs and Happy Monday! RO
ReplyDeleteI always loved the Flying Monkeys! I read a few of the OZ books when I was a kid but haven't read them recently as an adult as I fear I might lose my enthusiasm for them!
ReplyDeleteI loved this book when I was a preteen. I read it so many times that the covers fell off. I tried to read a few of the sequels but didn’t like them as much as the first book. Great review!
ReplyDeleteAj @ Read All The Things!
I read both of this as a child and loved it. It is fun you are reading them now.
ReplyDeleteWe listened to The Wizard of Oz together in the car as a family and I was surprised how much everyone enjoyed it. I had never read it and didn't realize how different it was than the movie which I thought kept it interesting.
ReplyDeleteThe violence didn't set as well with me as it did with you. Ha ha. I was glad Baz wasn't interested in reading anymore of them because they get more and more racist as the books go on. It's a shame because they really are pro Feminism. 👈
ReplyDeleteI haven't read the book but I want to! I recently read an ARC of Finding Dorothy and knowing more of the story behind the book has made me want to read it even more.
ReplyDeleteI haven't read this one. For middle grade I prefer audiobooks. I usually entertained by them. I had listened to the Mary Poppins book and it was good. It certainly had some similarities to the movie but lots of different stuff too.
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