Most people are familiar with The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900) by L. Frank Baum and the 1939 movie based on the book. But not everyone knows that Baum wrote 13 sequels to the novel! It is said that the children who read his book asked for more stories and he began with The Marvelous Land of Oz in 1904. Many of the original editions are kept in the children's section of the Krug Rare Books Room. Just reading the titles to them is amusing:
- Ozma of Oz (1907)
- Tik-Tok of Oz (1914)
- Rinkitink in Oz (1916)
It has become rare to find the original paper dust jackets intact but we are fortunate enough to have the dust jacket for Glinda of Oz (1920). After Baum stopped writing sequels, 26 more were written by 5 other authors, most notably 19 of these sequels by Ruth Plumly Thompson from 1921 to 1939.
If you are interested in viewing any of the Oz books, call the Art, Music and Recreation Department at 414-286-3071 to arrange a visit.
Patricia DeFrain, Rare Books Librarian
