Free Content Guide: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz Book Review
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz Book Review and Content Guide. A Kansas prairie cyclone sweeps away Dorothy and Toto carrying them to the Land of Oz and smashing them down ending the life and cruel reign of the Wicked Witch of the East. The munchkins praise Dorothy for this glorious defeat, but Dorothy only desires HOME.
This timeless story showcases an unexpected friendship amidst a treacherous adventure in a magical realm.
Equipped with a protective kiss from the Witch of the North, she is advised to follow the yellow brick road to visit the wizard. On this perilous journey, Dorothy and her little dog befriend a clever, brainless scarecrow, a valiant, heartless tin woodman, and a protective cowardly lion. Their adventure is filled with delightful moments, intense scenes, and a drastic deception.
Beloved quotes like “Follow the yellow brick road” and “There is no place like home” prompted me to reread this classic novel, as I contemplated its place in our read-aloud lineup. I’ll share my personal reflections toward the end of this post.
From the Author
“The Wonderful Wizard of Oz was written solely to please children of today. It aspires to being a modernized fairy tale, in which the wonderment and joy are retained and the heartaches and nightmares are left out.” – L. Frank Baum, Chicago, April, 1900
Please note the review contains content warnings which are not meant to shame you for enjoying certain books. It doesn’t mean you should avoid it or that you should feel personally judged by the warnings. It’s a heads up for the mama who doesn’t have time to pre-read every book before sharing it with their precious children. We all have different family values and kids of varying ages. Sometimes I will include warnings that may not apply to your family. Please continue to have discernment with book selections for your family. You are the gate keeper of your home and I am so blessed that you consider me worthy to review this book for you.
Life is too short, time is too precious, and there are too many beautiful stories to read books that do not align with your family values.
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Read below to determine if this book is a good fit for you and your reader.
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum
Age Range: 9-10+
Read Aloud Age: 9+ (my recommendation due to violent scenes)
Genre: Middle Grade, Fiction, Classics, Fantasy
Themes: Good vs Evil, Friendship
Year Published: 1900
At a Glance: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
Description (Spoiler Free)
A Kansas prairie cyclone sweeps away Dorothy and Toto carrying them to the Land of Oz and smashing their house down, ending the life and cruel reign of the Wicked Witch of the East. The munchkins praise Dorothy for this glorious defeat but Dorothy only desires HOME. Equipped with a protective kiss from the Witch of the North, she is advised to follow the yellow brick road to visit the wizard. On this perilous journey, Dorothy and her little dog befriend a clever brainless scarecrow, a valiant heartless tin woodman, and a protective cowardly lion. Their adventure is filled with delightful moments, intense scenes, and a moment of deception.
Brief Content Warnings
There are many magical references and many violent scenes during the journey, including slavery, killing, and harm (see the full description below).
Discussion Topic (difficult topic)
Deception from someone in leadership or authority.
First Line
“Dorothy lived in the midst of the great Kansas prairies, with Uncle Henry, who was a farmer, and Aunt Em, who was the farmer’s wife.”
Quotes
“You must walk. It is a long journey, through a country that is sometimes pleasant, and sometimes dark and terrible.”
“That is because you have no brains.” answered the girl. “No matter how dreary and gray our homes are, we people of flesh and blood would rather live there than in any other country, be it ever so beautiful. There is no place like home.”
“Oh, yes; I am anxious,” returned the Scarecrow. “It is such an uncomfortable feeling to know one is a fool.”
“Then, if you don’t mind. I’ll go with you,” said the Lion, “for my life is simply unbearable without a bit of courage.”
“You people with hearts,” he said, “you have something to guide you, and need never do wrong; but I have no heart, and so I must be very careful.”
“There is no living thing that is not afraid when it faces danger. The True courage is in facing danger when you are afraid, and that kind of courage you have in plenty.”
“All you have to do is to knock the heels together three times and command the shoes to carry you wherever you wish to go.”
Content Guide for The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
Religious Beliefs
No overtly religious content. Dorothy forgives the Wizard. The Lion “upset a china church with his tail and smashed it all to pieces.” The tin woodman states, “happiness is the best thing in the world.” This is a story of good versus evil, where good overcomes.
Magical References
There are many references to sorceresses, witches (both good and wicked), a wizard, enchanted objects, spells, and fantasy creatures. Magic is used for both good and evil. “In the civilized countries, I believe there are no witches left, nor wizards, nor sorceresses, nor magicians.” The Witch of the North gives Dorothy a kiss of protection. The Winged Monkeys do not harm Dorothy “for she is protected by the Power of Good, and that is greater than the Power of Evil.”
Language
Noted dated language in their original uses, including queer and gay. One use of the word “stupid” and “stupidly.”
Violence
There are quite a few violent scenes. Dorothy’s house lands on the wicked witch and kills her. There are multiple creatures killed along their journey. An enchanted axe chops off parts of the tin man. Tin woodman chops off the heads of a wildcat and 40 wolves. Tin woodman cuts a fighting tree branch, and it trembles in pain. The scarecrow twists the necks of many crows. The golden cap is a punishment for the winged monkeys. The wicked witches keep the citizens as slaves. The Wicked Witch hits Toto with an umbrella. The Wicked Witch melts when Dorothy throws a bucket of water at her in anger. The Lion knocks the head off of a great spider that torments the wild animals. The Wicked Witch of the West sends wolves to “tear them to pieces,” crows to “peck out their eyes,” bees to “sting them to death,” slaves with sharp spears to destroy them, and sends the Winged Monkeys to destroy them. The Wicked Witch beats her slaves with a strap when they fail their mission. Tin woodman is battered on rocks and the Scarecrow’s straw is pulled out. The Wicked Witch starves the Lion to make him obey.
Romance
Kiss as a friendly embrace. Nothing inappropriate. The tin woodman speaks of marrying a girl again, “While I was in love, I was the happiest man on earth.” The Princess Gayelette takes a prospective husband and uses her magic powers to make him strong and good.
Political
None.
Other
Many moments of peril.
Thoughts on The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum
This timeless tale will be added to our Read-Aloud lineup, but I plan to save it for ages 9-10 because of the violence and my children’s sensitivity. I love the battle between good and evil, where goodness triumphs, the character development, and the bonding of unlikely friends. (This was a preread. I’ll come back and update)
If you enjoyed The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, then try _____ .
Suggestion is pending! 🙂
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HAPPY READING!
– With Great Joy, Katie
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