THE PATCHWORK GIRL OF OZ

This is the seventh book of the series written by L. Frank Baum. Baum was quite adept at creating mystery and adventures and he has quite consistently done the same in most of the books in this series. All of them are so gripping. Not just for kids but also for some adults who want to read some different kind of fiction. Baum introduced some new stages, plots and characters in this book. In this series, Uncle Nunkie and Ojo get introduced to a living girl made out of patchwork quilts and cotton stuffings. The girl made by crooked magician. Then there is an unfortunate event where Uncle is left in a lifeless state due to some magic. Ojo sets out to save the uncle and he has a difficult task in his hands. The patchwork girl joins and tey set out for the real adventure. Follow the adventures of a charming band of characters as they join Dorothy and the Scarecrow to explore the wondrous Land of Oz. Meet a living girl made out of patchwork quilts, a conceited Glass Cat, and the lovable block-headed Woozy. A good one in the series, but I won't call it the best one.

This is probably my favorite Oz Book so far, only being equal to Book 6. The addition of Ojo, the Glass Cat, and the Patchwork Girl was a fantastic idea! Their adventures, from finding a Woozy to meeting the great Ozma of Oz is a story worth telling over and over. All of the old characters that we know and love are there, including the Tin Woodman, the Scarecrow, Dorothy, and little Toto. The Scarecrow seems to have found quite the friendship, possibly with a dash of romance, with Patches, and their interactions are fun and amusing to read. The story continues, and it is such a wonderful one that I'm glad that Baum continued the story, even if he didn't plan to. If you love any of the Oz Books, this is one that you can't afford to miss!

Am happily churning through the 14 off oz titles....all, so far, are great ....suitable for children old and new.

Baum's attempt to end the Oz series with The Emerald City of Oz, lasted for only two years. Countless letters and suggestions on how to contact Oz forced him to write The Patchwork Girl of Oz in 1913. It was followed by one a year until his death. It would be his 7th of 14 Oz Books. He said, "Through the kindness of Dorothy Gale of Kansas...an humble writer in the United States of America was once appointed Royal Historian of Oz...But after making six books about the adventures of those interesting but queer people who lives in the Land of Oz, the Historian learned with sorrow that by an edict of the Supreme Ruler, Ozma of Oz, her country would thereafter be rendered invisible to all who lived outside its borders and that all communication with Oz would, in the future be cut off. The children who had learned to look for the books about Oz...were as sorry as their Historian that there would be no more books of Oz stories. They wrote many letters asking if the Historian did not know of some adventures to write about that had happened before the Land of Oz was shut out from all the rest of the world. But he did not know of any. Finally one of the children inquired why we couldn't' hear from Princess Dorothy by wireless telegraphy. "That seemed a good idea; so the Historian rigged up a high tower in his back yard, and took lessons in wireless telegraphy until he understood it, and then began to call 'Princess Dorothy of Oz' by sending messages into the air. Now, it wasn't likely that Dorothy would be looking for wireless messages or would heed the call; but one thing the Historian was sure of, and that was that the powerful Sorceress, Glinda, would know what he was doing and that he desired to communicate with Dorothy. For Glinda has a big book in which is recorded every event that takes place anywhere in the world, just the moment it happens. And that was the way Dorothy heard that the Historian wanted to speak with her, and there was a Shaggy Man in the Land of Oz who knew how to telegraph a wireless reply. The result was that the Historian begged so hard to be told the latest news of Oz, so that he could write it down for the children to read, that Dorothy asked permission of Ozma and Ozma graciously consented. That is why, after two long years of waiting, another Oz story is now presented to the children of America." In this story Ojo the Unlucky must find several ingredients to a potion to save his Unc Nunkie and the Crooked Magician's wife, Margolette, after they were turned to stone. He travels with Scraps, a colorful girl made out of a patchwork quilt, and a glass cat, who were both brought to life by the Crooked Magician. Along the way they come across a troublesome phonograph, a foolish owl and a wise donkey, and a "Woozy". At the moment when they thought their journey must come to an end, the Shaggy Man finds them and saves them from some dangerous plants, and road that reverses direction, and a giant porcupine. When Scraps meet the Scarecrow, they both think each other the most beautiful pleasant person they have ever seen. Ojo breaks the law, even though he had been warned, but with the help of Dorothy and Ozma and his other new friends, they are on their way again to saving Unc Nunkie and meet more interesting creatures such as the Tottenhots, the captive Yoop, Hiphopper the Champion, and the Joking Horners. Ojo finds all but one of the items, when the Tin Woodman refuses to allow him to capture the final ingredient (the left wing of a yellow butterfly). Luckily the Wizard, with the help of Glinda, saves the day. I love these versions from For Your Knowledge. It is the only one that contains an introduction by Robert A. Baum, the great-grandson of L. Frank Baum (although not all copies have it). You get to learn about the author's life in a one and a half page introduction. You feel like you really get to know the author and are therefore able to appreciate his story that much more.

not read it yet so cannot comment as yet. I am sure it is a good book. I have to write something as this is the only way Amazon will get rid of it.

While the last three books in L. Frank Baum's "Oz" series ("Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz", "The Road to Oz" and "The Emerald City of Oz") were all rather lackluster, this book was a return to form. The problem with the other installments was a lack of a new story -- they were all about people who went to Oz, met lots of strange and interesting people, and had a happy ending. "The Patchwork Girl of Oz," however, had a very good story to bolster the old Oz formula. Ojo the Unlucky, a young Munchkin lad, along with the Glass Cat and Scraps, the Patchwork Girl, set out to find magical ingredients needed to restore his uncle and a magician's wife to life after they are accidentally petrified. So the story is, again, about someone wandering Oz and meeting strange and interesting people, but giving Ojo a quest gave the book a different angle, a sense of urgency -- this was a boy on a mission to save two lives. The ending is somewhat abrupt, although quite in-character for Baum's creations, but overall it is one of the better Oz books, a real return to form after a few that just didn't click.