Websites

Mentalfloss

Mentalfloss offers 13 interesting, and in many instances little known, bite size facts about Baum and . From the real original color of the “ruby red shoes” to a link to the original 1910 silent film of the same name. https://youtu.be/BWQ5-UBU22M.

The biography takes a synoptic look at L. Frank Baum, briefly covering who his parents were and where he went to school. It moves directly into his marriage and his subsequent inspiration to become a children’s writer that came through his mother-in-law, a suffragette. It then touches upon , Baum’s many nom de plumes, and closes with a summary of his legacy

L. Frank Baum. (2019, April 16). Retrieved from https://www.biography.com/writer/l-frank-baum

(2015 updated 2019) takes a deep look back at the life and times of L. Frank Baum and the Wizard of Oz. McGasko presents the idea that even though he was a noted and distinctly American children’s writer, most people would not know whom Baum was, though they would know of The Wizard of Oz. He goes on to look at Baum’s life, careers, and ups and downs, as well the impetus behind his plunge into children’s literature. He then takes the reader down the long “yellow brick road” of inspiration and development toward, and on to the final culmination of, the 1939 movie version of The Wizard of Oz, highlighted by the addition of several trailers

McGasko, J. (2019, June 22). L. Frank Baum: The Wizard Behind the Curtain. Retrieved from https://www.biography.com/news/l-frank-baum-wizard-of-oz-facts

The article touches on and the fascination that audiences worldwide have to it. It looks at Baum’s life with its many twists and turns until 1900, when, upon being coupled with illustrator William Wallace Denslow, was born. This catapulted Baum into the role of bestselling children’s author in the United States and, probably unbeknownst to Baum, also created a new literary genre; American Children’s literature. After briefly discussing The Wizard of Oz, the article then clearly looks into Baum’s questions about God and human weakness, while also touching on the rumors and true stories surrounding the movies.

The Smithsonian offers several interesting stories and artifacts connected to Baum and . From a viewing of the original script of the 1939 , to photos and specifications of the ruby red shoes, the Smithsonian provides several links to external website articles, stories, and the 1907 copyright version of written by Baum and illustrated by John R. Neill.

Though the normally adequate biography on Fantastic Fiction is extremely sparse in the case of L. Frank Baum, it makes up for the lack in that area with its extensive bibliography and list of nom de plumes. It offers not only titles with cover pictures, but also breaks down the literature by series, collections, Omnibus, short stories, and anthologies that incorporate Baum’s works, as well as a single biography about Baum. Clicking on each individual book’s links will take the reader to the different formats that the book is available in, and to where they may be purchased.

Fantastic Fiction. (n.d.). L Frank Baum. Retrieved from https://www.fantasticfiction.com/b/l-frank-baum/