Oz: The Little Known Facts

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Many people are familiar with the classic 1939 film The Wizard of Oz , starring Judy Garland. However, what a majority of people don't know is that the movie was based on a book written by Frank L. Baum  called The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. In fact, Baum wrote an entire series of books after his fans sent in mail asking for more. The series is mainly focused around Dorothy and her adventures in Oz, however she doesn't appear in every book. In fact, the second book of the series, The Marvelous Land of Oz, doesn't include Dorothy at all. Rather, it introduces new characters to the series, such as Ozma of Oz, and Jack Pumpkinhead.

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The series itself features a wide range of characters from all over Oz. A little known fact is that Oz is actually divided into four countries, with the Emerald City in the middle. Each "country" has a specific color and leader who rules under the authority of Princess Ozma. They are:
Munchkin Country- Blue- East- Previously ruled by the Wicked Witch of the East, now ruled by a nameless munchkin king
Winkie Country -Yellow -West- Previously ruled by the Wicked Witch of the West, now governed by the Tin Woodman
Gillikan Country- Purple- North- ruled by the Good Witch of the North
Quadling Country- Red- South- ruled by Glinda (the Good Witch of the North)

Another little known fact is that the ruby slippers were actually silver in the books. Dorothy couldn't return to Oz  at first because she lost them in the Deadly Desert surrounding Oz (but is able to return with the aid of various magical objects and happenings).
One reason why I appreciate the books is that they provide a lot more information than the movie does, as book normally do. I was really intrigued to find out about the history of the flying monkeys, and the history of Oz itself.
The movies left a lot of unanswered questions, which I was interested research, which led to my initial discovery of the original series. However, I widened my search a little more and found some great spin off titles:

 Wicked by Gregory Maguire
This book is tells the story of The Wizard of Oz from the witch's point of view, in addition to adding more background information to the original Oz books.
The Secret Order of the Gumm Street Girls by Elise Primavera
This book is a juvenile fiction, but is still an excellent plot by my standards. Though the story isn't really based on Oz itself, it references the main series many times during story.

I would recommend any Oz book to anyone who doesn't mind wisdom in simplicity. More often than not, people look over important lesson in books simply because they are for children. I completely disagree. Some of the best things I learned were from children's books. So, if you are the kind of person waiting for a heavy dose of nostalgia with a side of insight, I strongly suggest checking these books out.