I don’t know about you, but I just love the Wizard of Oz so much. I lived in Kansas for my high school years, and then played Dorothy in college in my senior Lip Sync, so I have an extra kinship with Dorothy, but I’ve always loved the magical story. One summer in high school, I was sick of the young adult selections at our library, and I ended up reading through the entire Wonderful World of Oz series - did you know there are 15 total Oz books? Then, in college, Wicked came out and my brain exploded. I was so obsessed with the story, the music, the characters, the idea of Elphaba’s backstory. I read Gregory Maguire’s book and ordered the rest of the series as it came out. At any age, I’ve never been able to escape the land of Oz.
Recently, Janssen at Everyday Reading posted a book deal that the audiobook of Oz: The Complete Collection was on sale for $2.99, so I jumped on it. We love audiobooks and podcasts, so I was hoping this would take off with the girls, and it did! M started at the beginning with me since she’s stuck in the car for a little longer each day, and L is jumping in with us for book 2. This then inspired M to grab our illustrated copy of the Wizard of Oz and work on reading through that for her bedtime stories, so we have been deeply immersed in Oz, prompting me to grab my copies of Wicked and the rest for myself. Anyway, I thought it would be fun to round up the best options at each age if your family is as Oz-obsessed as we are right now!
Baby/Toddler: Penguin Bedtime Classics
So cute, and I love that the characters in this series are more diverse!
Pre-School/Early Elementary: [Abridged] Classic Edition
This is the version we are reading, and I love that it is very true to the original novel. Plus the illustrations are beautiful!
Middle/Upper Elementary: The Wonderful World of Oz Complete Collection
High School/Adult: The Wicked Years by Gregory Maguire
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