Dorothy: Return to Oz (New Classics for the Twenty-First Century, Book 1) [Hardcover]

Thomas L. Tedrow (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1993 | Series: New Classics for the Twenty-First Century, Book 1

First in the New Classics for the Twenty-First Century series--updated classics for a new generation of readers. Dorothy, the granddaughter of Dorothy Gale, clicks her ruby sneakers together and is swept back to Oz, where she befriends new characters. Illustrations.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 4 Up-This particular Return to Oz is not a necessary purchase for any library. The author boasts a list of screen credits, so it is not a surprise that this offering reads like a screenplay instead of a children's book. The Dorothy of the original story, now referred to as Grandma D, is living the life of a lunatic in Kansas. She has been pining to return to Oz for 60 years, but she can't get the rubies to stick back on her shoes. Her granddaughter, also Dorothy, is sent to her for the summer while her parents try to save their credit rating and their marriage. It is page 135 before Dorothy's trials with the Wicked Witch of the West's daughter, Ima Witch, begin. There is no need to be familiar with L. Frank Baum's book since the two stories have nothing in common. Tedrow's plodding story subjects readers to too much interior dialogue, makes shameless references to the movie, and violates the spirit of the original.
Patricia A. Dollisch, DeKalb County Public Library, Decatur, GA
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Hardcover
• Publisher: Family Vision Pr; First Edition edition (October 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1569690006
• ISBN-13: 978-1569690000
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.8 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 2.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,316,846 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars This book gives Oz a bad name., December 9, 1996

By A Customer

This review is from: Dorothy: Return to Oz (New Classics for the Twenty-First Century, Book 1) (Hardcover)

Thomas Tedrow claims to have read the Oz books: I find this hard to believe. This book is a tedious, patronizing, and annoying reworking of themes from the film version of "The Wizard of Oz". The characters are embodied bad puns (a paperboy made of paper, a gossipy grapevine), and neither characters nor puns are as interesting as any of those invented by Frank Baum in his Oz books. In between puns, Tedrow preaches and moralizes, not trusting the reader's ability to extract a moral from the story, but doling out trite mottos by the shovelful. As for plot, halfway through the book Dorothy is still in Kansas. And Dorothy isn't even the real Dorothy, but her granddaughter. The REAL Dorothy is now old and senile. And the Scarecrow, Lion and Tinwoodsman are DEAD !!! Of OLD AGE!!! In a land where no one is supposed to age at all! But, guess what? The Wizard and the Wicked Witch of the West, before dying of old age, managed to beget a son and a daughter who are exactly like them, virtual clones. Apparantly Tedrow ran out imagination after straining himself to come up with this fantastically original character: a book worm. Get it? It's a worm, and it likes to read. If you didn't get it, Tedrow will explain it to you. Over and over and over again. If you're looking for a sequel for "The Wizard of Oz", for heaven's sake, read the classic "Land of Oz" by L. Frank Baum, the original royal historian of Oz. If you're looking for a "modern" political approach to Oz, Gregory Maguire's "Wicked", while totally inappropiate for children and not the most thrilling book in the world, is at least well written, thought provoking at times, and shows a sincere respect for Baum's original books. But do stay away from Thomas Tedrow's book - it may possibly be the worst book I have ever forced myself to read. (I was paid to).

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars All in all a great book, October 21, 1999

By 

S. A. Hanson (Columbus, Ohio United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dorothy: Return to Oz (New Classics for the Twenty-First Century, Book 1) (Hardcover)

I read some other reviews and saw that the other readers hated it because although the author (Thomas L. Tedrow) claims to have read the oz books his novel is more suitable to a sequal to the MGM film than to the orginal books. In fact I'm not so sure if L. Frank Baum would have approved of it much either. I admit that I was bothered a bit by it to. But I still really love it. This is why. It really helps to keep the child in us alive. It gives important lessons such as, if you treat others as you want to be treated, you can change your life and the lives of those around you. Two wrongs don't make a right. Greed is not good. If you really treat others like you want to be treated, you can be at peace with yourself. It is the simple things in life, like giving of yourself, that are worth more than all the riches in the world. Follow your heart and don't be fooled. Trust in the golden rule and trust your own values. That will always bring you red carpet treatment if you're true to yourself. If you give from your heart, not expecting anything in return, good things will come to you. It is a really very charming story. All of the characters are very wonderful. I love the humor. And the ending was most heartwarming. So, I suppose the others who read it just didn't catch the true meaning of the book like I did. So don't listen to what others have to say and read it and decide for yourself whether or not it's a good book. You wont want to put it down, I gaurente.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Did Tedrow bother to read any Oz books?, December 28, 1998

By 

[e-mail] (Connecticut, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dorothy: Return to Oz (New Classics for the Twenty-First Century, Book 1) (Hardcover)

In Mr. Tedrow's introduction to this book, he claims that he was read the Oz books as a child. It has been a long time, apparently, because this "sequel" bears little resemblance to the magical realm of L. Frank Baum. This is a trite, overworked rendition of the screenplay for "The Wizard of Oz." One would be much better off reading the original series.