Ozma of Oz

Ozma of Oz by L. Frank Baum, 246 pages

This is the third book in the Wizard of Oz series, and is the one upon which the oh-so-creepy Return to Oz movie was based. Simple Kansas girl Dorothy Gale is traveling to Australia when she becomes shipwrecked in the Land of Ev, home to the spooky Wheelers, copper man Tik Tok, and the vain princess with a closet full of heads (so she can pick one each day like Cher picks outfits in Clueless). Anywho, Dorothy and her friends from Oz (who happen to swing by for some reason) embark upon a quest to the Nome King to rescue the royal family of Ev, who are being held captive in his underground lair.

As much as I enjoyed The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, the subsequent books have really loopy plots that make them tough to follow (at least to my adult brain; my six-year-old son had no problems whatsoever). But the characters are pretty cool, particularly the Hungry Tiger, who sets himself on a vegan diet to keep from eating babies. (Yes, really.) But my biggest issue with this book? The title. Yes, Ozma does appear, but she's more of a supporting character. I'd much rather name it after Dorothy's talking chicken, Billina. But then, I'm not Baum, and I don't have a time machine to go back and convince him of my plan.