Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz

Goodreads Says:    Fantasy lovers of all ages will rejoice at this chance to travel once again to the marvelous land of Oz!

A California earthquake sends Dorothy Gale and her new friends--Zeb the farm boy, Jim the cab-horse, and Eureka the mischievous kitten--tumbling through a crack in the ground. Deep beneath the earth, Dorothy is reunited with her old friend the Wizard of Oz and his troupe of nine tiny piglets.

Together, Dorothy, the Wizard, and their friends travel through many fantastic lands, where they encounter the Mangaboos, people growing like vegetables in the ground; cross the Valley of Voe, where dama-fruit has turned everyone invisible; and are captured by mysterious flying Gargoyles. At last, the intrepid travelers reach Oz, where they have many unforgettable encounters with such favorites as the Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman, the Cowardly Lion and the Hungry Tiger, Princess Ozma and the wooden Sawhorse.

Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz was the fourth Oz adventure. First published in 1908, it has captured the imaginations of young readers and listeners for four generations. Now a new generation can discover these superb adventures for themselves. This deluxe gift edition faithfully reproduces the rare first edition, including all sixteen color plates and all fifty black-and-white illustrations by John R. Neill, as well as the original colorful endpapers.

My Thoughts:

-    I'm sad I haven't read all the Oz books before now. They are real treasures.

-    This book was a little slower and not as enjoyable as the others, but I still liked it. It didn't get really fun for me until the characters reached Oz.

-    I really like that the wizard is reintroduced. He is a fun character.

-    I don't like the new illustrations as much. I don't like how the characters are depicted, and they are too busy. 

-    There are a few discrepancies in the story. If there are no horses in Oz, why did Tibs think the sawhorse looked like a real horse and bring him to life? Ozma's history was changed. I think the author didn't want the wizard to be the bad guy and have awkwardness between him and Ozma. 

-    Dorothy's cat is a snob. I like Toto and Billina better. 

-    Overall, not my favorite in the series, but still good. 

Previous Oz Books

(covers are linked)

  

Anne of Green Gables

Goodreads Synopsis:    As soon as Anne Shirley arrived at the snug,  white farmhouse called Green Gables, she knew she  wanted to stay forever... but would the Cuthberts send her back to the orphanage? Anne knows she's not  what they expected -- a skinny girl with decidedly  red hair and a temper to match. If only she could  convince them to let her stay, she'd try very hard  not to keep rushing headlong into scrapes or blurt  out the very first thing she had to say. Anne was  not like anybody else, everyone at Green Gables  agreed; she was special -- a girl with an enormous  imagination. This orphan girl dreamed of the day  when she could call herself Anne of Green Gables.





My Thoughts:

-    I haven't read this for a long time. It was like revisiting an old friend.

-    Anne and her imagination are hilarious. This brought back so many memories of laughing with my family at Anne's shenanigans.

-    Matthew will always have a piece of my heart. He is so kind and understanding. 

-    Marilla, though stern, is also very kind. She has a rough exterior, but underneath she is a gentle woman. I love how she secretly laughed at things Anne did or said. 

-    Ah Gilbert. . . sigh.

-    Even after all these years, I still want to crawl into the book and live in Anne's world. Her life was simple, yet full. 

-    This story and these characters never leave you. They become a part of you. 

-    Definitely a story all young girls need to read.