The Wizard of Oz (novel)

Before I had a cover or any pages, I was a whisper of an idea. I was a dream of a winding yellow brick road, a sparkling emerald city, and a brave little girl who wasn't in Kansas anymore. I held a whole secret world inside me, filled with a talking scarecrow who wished for a brain, a kind tin man who longed for a heart, and a big lion who was looking for his courage. My pages were waiting to be filled with friendship, adventure, and a little bit of magic. I am a very special book. I am The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.

A man named L. Frank Baum dreamed me up. He loved telling stories to children, and he wanted to create a new kind of fairy tale just for them. He wanted one that was full of fun and wonder but not the scary parts that some old fairy tales had. He took his pencil and wrote down all my words, carefully telling the story of Dorothy and her journey. Then, an artist named W. W. Denslow drew all my pictures. He gave the Scarecrow his friendly, lopsided smile and made the Tin Woodman shine. On May 17th, 1900, I was finally printed and bound, ready for the world. Children opened my cover for the very first time and met a girl named Dorothy Gale and her little dog, Toto, who were swept away from their home by a big cyclone. They followed my Yellow Brick Road and met the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodman, and the Cowardly Lion. Together, they traveled all the way to the Emerald City to ask the great and powerful Wizard of Oz for help, but they discovered something amazing along the way.

Children loved my story so much that I traveled all over the world, sharing my adventure in many different languages. My journey became so famous that it was turned into a movie with bright, beautiful colors and wonderful songs that people still sing today. Everyone got to see Dorothy's ruby slippers sparkle on a giant screen! My biggest secret, the one that all my friends discover, is that the things we wish for most—like a brain, a heart, or courage—are usually inside of us all along. We just have to look for them. And even after the most amazing adventures, there is truly no place like home. Today, I still invite everyone to turn my pages. I want you to follow the Yellow Brick Road with Dorothy and her friends and find the magic and strength that is waiting inside you, too.