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Conspiracy Theories Surrounding “The Wizard of Oz”
The origin of the popular story
L. Frank Baum published The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, the first book of the immensely popular children’s book series in 1900. 13 more books followed in The Wizard of Oz series and have since been adapted to theater and film.
The story centers on a young girl named Dorothy and her pet dog, Toto, who are whisked away by a tornado from their home in Kansas and land in the magical Land of Oz. It follows Dorothy’s journey to get back home. Fascinating characters such as the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, the Cowardly Lion, the Wizard of Oz, and the Wicked Witch of the West brought the vivid images of another world to the imaginations of young people around the world.
The Library of Congress declared it “America’s greatest and best-loved homegrown fairytale.”
It wasn’t until Baum was in his forties that he realized his talent for storytelling and writing tales for children. When The Wonderful Wizard of Oz made its debut in 1900, he was already known for his collection of children’s books. In 1897, he published his first collection, Mother Goose in Prose, and followed up with the extremely successful Father Goose, His Book, which became the…
