The Wizard of Oz by L.Frank Baum, Illustrated by Michael Hague

The Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum Illustrated by Michael Hague, 219 pages

I could not believe I had never read the Wizard of Oz or any books by L. Frank Baum.  I definitely liked this book better than the movie.  I always thought the movie was very scary.  I thought the book was a little more gentler and not as scary.  The book included more details and I loved the fantasy aspect of the story.

As a side note, I had just visited the grave of Dorothy Gage, the author's niece and inspiration for the character Dorothy.  She was an infant when she died and was buried in Evergreen Cemetery in Bloomington, IL.  There is a beautiful wood carving of Dorothy and the yellow brook road beside the grave.  It was very inspirational!!

Yellow Brick War by Danielle Paige

Yellow Brick War by Danielle Paige  270 pages

Her name is Amy Gumm. Tornadoes must have a thing about girls from Kansas, because—just like Dorothy—She got swept away on one too. She landed in Oz, where Good is Wicked, Wicked is Good, and the Wicked Witches clued her in to her true calling: Assassin.
The way to stop Dorothy from destroying Oz—and Kansas—is to kill her. And she's the only one who can do it.
But she failed. Others died for her mistakes. Because of her, the portal between the worlds has been opened. And if she doesn’t find a way to close it?
Dorothy will make sure she never gets to go home again.
Now it’s up to her to: join the Witches, fight for Oz, save Kansas, and stop Dorothy once and for all.

Spelled by Betsy Schow

Spelled by Betsy Schow  344 pages

Fairy Tale Survival Rule #32: If you find yourself at the mercy of a wicked witch, sing a romantic ballad and wait for your Prince Charming to save the day.
Yeah, no thanks. Dorthea is completely princed out. Sure being the crown princess of Emerald has its perks - like Glenda Original ball gowns and Hans Christian Louboutin heels. But a forced marriage to the not-so-charming prince Kato is so not what Dorthea had in mind for her enchanted future.
Talk about unhappily ever after.
Trying to fix her prince problem by wishing on a (cursed) star royally backfires, leaving the kingdom in chaos and her parents stuck in some place called "Kansas." Now it's up to Dorthea and her pixed off prince to find the mysterious Wizard of Oz and undo the curse...before it releases the wickedest witch of all and spells The End for the world of Story.

The Wicked Will Rise by Danielle Paige

The Wicked Will Rise by Danielle Paige  293 pages

Amy, continuing her efforts to free an oppressed Oz, discovers harrowing truths about her mission, Oz's past, and a growing danger that threatens her Kansas home.