Frank L. Baum (1856 - 1910) wrote fourteen children's books and a handful of short stories about the mythical land of Oz, but it was his first,"The Wonderful Wizard of Oz", that became an American classic and one of the most popular movies in film history, "The Wizard of Oz."
Internet Movie Database (IMDb) bills itself as "Earth's Biggest Movie Database." Nearly every item in this listing is clickable (such as author, screenwriter, and actors) and if you register for a free membership, you can create a personalized list of your favorites movies or your DVD collection. Best clicks are Wizard of Oz Trivia, Goofs and Quotes (scroll down to nearly the end of the page for these.) "Lions and tigers and bears! Oh, my!"
"Since its publication in September 1900, L. Frank Baum's �The Wonderful Wizard of Oz' has become America's greatest and best-loved homegrown fairytale." This virtual exhibit from the Library of Congress is divided into three sections: To Please a Child, To See the Wizard, To Own the Wizard. Although the site may not interest young children, us older ones will surely find something delightful. Visit to view original covers for many of Baum's children's books, Wizard of Oz advertising posters, and W. W. Denslow's original black-and-white book illustrations.
Because "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" was published more than one-hundred years ago, it is no longer covered by copyright in the U.S., and you can read the entire text online at Project Gutenberg. Other available formats include Palm, Pocket PC, and plain text. Click on Frank L. Baum to find more of his works, including an MP3 audio version of another book in the Oz series, "The Wonderful Land of Oz."
Built to promote two "Wizard of Oz" DVD sets, this official Warner Brothers site opens with a trailer, but the best of the site is hidden away. You can find my favorites with these instructions. Enter Munchkin Land, then click on the bubbles above the Munchkins to open the Wizard of Oz coloring and activity book (in PDF) or to play the interactive Wizard of Oz match game. For Wizard of Oz song lyrics, mouse over to Emerald City, then click on the bubbles in front of the city skyline.
This Wizard of Oz fan site by Eric Gjovaag is a cornucopia of frequently asked questions and resource lists. Although navigation is cumbersome, there is lots to discover here, so just grin and bear it. One way to get around, is simply to scroll down the very long front page until something catches your eye. Another is to use the horizontal menu about one screen down from the top of the page. Here's one question that's answered in The Movie: Trivia and Miscellany. "What is wrong with the Scarecrow's math? Doesn't he know the Pythagorean Theorem?"
Buy Wizard of Oz Printable for $2.00
or try a FREE trial of the Printables ClubThe following links are either new discoveries or sites that didn't make it into my newspaper column because of space constraints. Enjoy!
The International Wizard of Oz ClubJim's Wizard of Oz Website | Literature Guides: Wizard of OzMovie Mistakes: Wizard of Oz |
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