The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
In 1899 Lyman Frank Baum, already a playwright, machine oil-salesman, and newspaper owner, sent the first draft of a book called The Emerald City to Chicago 
publisher George M. Hill. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz was published in 1900, complete with illustrations by W. W. Denslow, who had worked with Baum on earlier projects. Conflicting reports show between 25,000 and 100,000 copies being sold during 1900-1901, but regardless, the book was considered a huge success, selling out its initial print run. While Dorothy's adventure in Oz to find the Wizard is definately the most popular and beloved of the Oz series, Frank Baum wrote 13 more books on Oz, all of which were illustrated by John R Neil. Many of these stories continue the adventures of Dorothy, the Scarecrow, and the Tin Woodsman. In 1921, after Frank Baum's death, Baum's publishers decided to elect a new "Royal Historian of Oz". Ruth Blumly Thompson's first Oz book was the Royal Book of Oz. She would write 19 Oz books all together. John R. Neil would also illustrate these tales, and would eventually write 3 OZ stories himself, as well as re-illustrating the Wonderful Wizard of Oz. By 1963, when Hill Publishing decided to conclude the series, there were 40 Oz books in total. As for the first Wonderful Wizard of Oz book, it would be reprinted numerous times, and be illustrated by more than 40 artists over the years. (continued)
Interesting Fact : Several historians believe that Baum wrote The Wizard of Oz as a political statement on current times. In his introduction, he clearly states that The Wizard of Oz is a work of fiction only, for the enjoyment of children. However, some critics believe he was making a tongue in cheek statement. Read more »
Synopsis
In the first Wonderful Wizard of Oz story, Dorothy is swept into the Land of Oz by a cyclone. Her house lands in Munchkinland, literally on the Wicked Witch of the East, striking her dead. However, in order to find her way back to Kansas, she is sent to find the great Wizard of Oz, who lives in the Emerald City. The Good Witch of the North, gives her the silver slippers of the Wicked Witch of the East, and sends Dorothy on her way. During her journey, Dorothy rescues a scarecrow, tin woodsman, and cowardly lion who join her on her trip to see the Wizard, each wanting something - a brain, a heart, and courage. She is persued by the Wicked Witch of the West, who wants the silver slippers back.
In 1904, the Marvelous Land of Oz was published about a little boy named Tip who ends up on an adventure with the Scarecrow and Tinman, after escaping from his evil gardian. Ozma of Oz was written in 1907 and has the return of Dorothy, who was traveling in Australia with Uncle Henry and is swept overboard and ends up in Ev, a country across the desert from Oz. Together with Tik-Tok, they must save Ev's royal family. With Ozma's help, Dorothy and Uncle Henry return to Oz. In Dorothy and the Wizard of Oz (1908), Dorothy visits her cousin Zeb in California, get swallowed up in an earthquake, meet the Wizard and return to Oz. The Road to Oz was written in 1909. Dorothy gets lost on the road to Butterfield and finds herself in Oz. In 1910, in The Emerald City of Oz, Dorothy, Aunt Em, and Uncle Henry come to live in Oz permanently, but her adventures in Oz are far from over. The Patchwork Girl of Oz, Tik-Tok of Oz, The Scarecrow of Oz, Rinkitink in Oz, The lost Princess of Oz, The Tin Woodsman of Oz, The Magic of Oz, and Glinda of Oz complete Baum's portion of the series.
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