Although L. Frank Baum's "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" was published more than 100 years ago, literary critics and historians continue to discover new approaches to the world of Oz. This collection of essays represents some of the most interesting of these new approaches.

Beginning with a glance back over the entire history of research and commentary on the Oz books, this work is organized in three main sections. Essays in the "Origins of Oz" examine Frank Baum's personal history and unlock the mystery of one of the most bizarre episodes in the Oz books. "The World of Oz" looks at three very different aspects of Baum's world: its concept of home and family, its sense of humor, and its relationship to its young readers. "Oz on Screen" features both the silent films Baum produced himself and MGM's classic movie The Wizard of Oz.