We’re not in Kansas anymore!

“Dorothy lived in the midst of the great Kansas prairies, with Uncle Henry, who was a farmer, and Aunt Em, who was the farmer's wife.”

Who doesn’t remember the introduction to the Wonderful Wizard of Oz, one of the most famous and influential books in America? Written by L. Frank Baum, an American author, actor and independent filmmaker, its first edition came out in 1900 becoming almost immediately a bestseller of children’s literature.

In August 12th, 1939, Metro Goldwyn-Meyer (MGM) released the world premier of the movie based on this book starring Judy Garland as Dorothy and spending $2,777,000.00 in its production. The movie wasn’t as successful as the book in the beginning. It took quite some time for people to become fans of it, being now one of most popular and acclaimed versions of the book. This was also the first movie in video cassette released by MGM in 1980.

But, the story doesn’t stop here: there are more than a hundred books, songs, essays, plays and musicals inspired by this book. An example is the book Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, by Gregory Maguire which was also used for the musical titled Wicked.

This month we have an exhibit in our display case about the Wizard of Oz in celebration of the release of the movie. So, if you are passing by the Faulk Central Library (800 Guadalupe), please walk in and enjoy it. If, after visiting the exhibit you feel like reading the book, watching the movie, or reading other related books, here are some ideas:

L. Frank Baum's The wonderful Wizard of Oz

Memories of a Munchkin : an illustrated walk down the yellow brick road

Wizard of Oz [DVD]

L. Frank Baum's The Wizard of Oz : the graphic novel

The wizardry of Oz : the artistry and magic of the 1939 M-G-M classic

The annotated Wizard of Oz : the wonderful Wizard of Oz