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3.6 AVERAGE
3.6 AVERAGE
In the Country of Gillikins, which is at the north of the Land of Oz, lived a youth called Tip.
An adventure featuring a pumpkin and sawhorse brought to life, a Highly Magnified and Thoroughly Educated insect, and old friends from The Wonderful Wizard of Oz contending with criminal magic and an all-female revolt in the Emerald City.
This being an early middle-grade released in 1904, there's not all that much I can say about it, and I even rate it with hesitation. It's very simply written with stilted dialogue, but it's meant to be easy to read. It's also delightfully absurd, both in writing and in plot.
It's also surprisingly forward-thinking and feminist considering it was written by a man at the turn of the 20th century, which surprised me a lot. Obviously there are ideas that are presented as a given that remind you that it was written before the 1960s, but there are ideas and even coding that are explored in this book to an extent I never would have expected.
'I'm glad you have decided to come back and restore order, for doing housework and minding the children is wearing out the strength of every man in the Emerald City.'
'Hm! If it is such hard work as you say, how did the women manage it so easily?'
'I really do not know. Perhaps the women are made of iron.'
An adventure featuring a pumpkin and sawhorse brought to life, a Highly Magnified and Thoroughly Educated insect, and old friends from The Wonderful Wizard of Oz contending with criminal magic and an all-female revolt in the Emerald City.
This being an early middle-grade released in 1904, there's not all that much I can say about it, and I even rate it with hesitation. It's very simply written with stilted dialogue, but it's meant to be easy to read. It's also delightfully absurd, both in writing and in plot.
It's also surprisingly forward-thinking and feminist considering it was written by a man at the turn of the 20th century, which surprised me a lot. Obviously there are ideas that are presented as a given that remind you that it was written before the 1960s, but there are ideas and even coding that are explored in this book to an extent I never would have expected.
'I'm glad you have decided to come back and restore order, for doing housework and minding the children is wearing out the strength of every man in the Emerald City.'
'Hm! If it is such hard work as you say, how did the women manage it so easily?'
'I really do not know. Perhaps the women are made of iron.'
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
L. Frank Baum says trans rights.
Honestly, I didn't understand why people dislike this book so much, and then I realized it hits entirely different if you grew up queer. This book resonated with me so hard as a kid. I adored the characters, and L. Frank Baum's comedy skills really come out. Some scenes could straight up be Monty Python skits, and I love it. The handling of gender was, at times, outdated, but refreshingly even-handed and never seemed particularly snide. I see why this was always one of my favorites, and I remain devastated that w didn't get Tip or the Sawhorse in Return to Oz.
Honestly, I didn't understand why people dislike this book so much, and then I realized it hits entirely different if you grew up queer. This book resonated with me so hard as a kid. I adored the characters, and L. Frank Baum's comedy skills really come out. Some scenes could straight up be Monty Python skits, and I love it. The handling of gender was, at times, outdated, but refreshingly even-handed and never seemed particularly snide. I see why this was always one of my favorites, and I remain devastated that w didn't get Tip or the Sawhorse in Return to Oz.
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Another fun entry, but it didn't go by quite as quickly as the first one did, and I'm not entirely sure Then again, it's 1904, so your mileage may vary.
This also happened literally around the Wright Bros. first flight, which makes me wonder how quickly books went from greenlit to print in those days. Baum did pretty much make an airplane in here, though he never called it one, because it might not have actually had a name back then, but you've got to wonder who actually got to the concept first.
Spoiler
Tip getting turned into a princess against his will was handled as well as it could've been. I haven't read the third book yet, but he sure adjusts to that quickly. I'm not even sure I'd want to be turned into a girl if it made me instantly rich and famous when it happened. I guess magic can handwave away the PTSD from the culture shock.This also happened literally around the Wright Bros. first flight, which makes me wonder how quickly books went from greenlit to print in those days. Baum did pretty much make an airplane in here, though he never called it one, because it might not have actually had a name back then, but you've got to wonder who actually got to the concept first.
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Slavery, Kidnapping, Murder
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Domestic abuse
Minor: Forced institutionalization, Fire/Fire injury