The Road to Oz: Twists, Turns, Bumps and Triumphs

"Once Upon a time, there was no Dorothy from Kansas and her little dog Toto." Can you imagine that? L. Frank Baum's road to fame did not appear before him painted in bright, florescent yellow. Rather, he had to overcome adversity at virtually every turn, blazing his own trail towards success. This biography for young readers, gives an excellent, illustrated account of how the imagination of one man created an entire land filled with lovable - as well as terrifying - characters. Follow Baum from his childhood in upstate New York, running around cobblestone roads, through his trying adulthood when he couldn't seem to hold a job, to starting a family of his own - with children enthralled by his late-night story telling sessions - all the way to his creation of what has become America's iconic children's book, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.