The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
Book Summary:
Dorothy Gale is an orphaned 12-year-old girl who lives in a farmhouse in Kansas with her Uncle
Henry, Aunt Em and little dog Toto. One day her world is turned upside down when she emerges
from her home after a fierce tornado. Nothing is as it seemed only minutes ago—Dorothy is far
from home, transported to a land ‘beyond the rainbow’, a magical and strange place she has
never seen before, known as Oz.
A kindly witch appears, sending Dorothy on a quest to the Emerald City, to find the only person
who can help her return home—the Wizard of Oz himself. On her way down the yellow brick road
Dorothy frees the Scarecrow from the pole he is hanging on, restores the movements of the
rusted Tin Woodman with an oil can and they convince the Cowardly Lion to join them on their
trip to Emerald City. The Scarecrow wants to get a brain, the Tin Woodman a heart, and the
Cowardly Lion, courage. All are convinced by Dorothy that the Wizard can help them too.
Overcoming the Wicked witch, they continue on their path to the Emerald City. In order to help
Dorothy and Toto get home, the Wizard realises that he will have to take them home with him in a
new balloon.
Revealing himself to the people of the Emerald City, the Wizard appoints the Scarecrow, by virtue
of his brains, to rule in his stead. Dorothy chases Toto after he runs after a kitten in the crowd,
and before she can make it back to the balloon, the ropes break, leaving the Wizard to rise and
float away alone.
When they finally reach the Good Witch of the South, she reveals that Dorothy had the power to
go home all along. The silver shoes she wears can take her anywhere she wishes to go. She
tearfully embraces her friends, and then Dorothy and Toto return to Kansas for a joyful family
reunion.
Characters To Personalise:
Dorothy - Dorothy is the story's heroine. She lives with her aunt and uncle on a small farm in
Kansas. Her best friend is her small dog, Toto. When a cyclone whips across Kansas, Dorothy
and Toto are carried away in the small farmhouse and eventually are set down in the land of Oz.
Dorothy is told by the Witch of the North that she must see the Wizard of Oz to get back home.
Dorothy is a determined child who is single-minded in her goal to get back home. She is brave,
smart, compassionate, selfless, and encouraging to the other members of the traveling party. She
is the heroine of the novel and she appears throughout.
Toto - Toto is Dorothy's faithful canine companion. He is her best friend in Kansas and
accompanies her on her adventures in Oz. He is playful, wary of strangers, and brave in certain
situations. He appears regularly throughout the story and Dorothy would not be without him.
The Scarecrow - The Scarecrow is the first companion who joins Dorothy on her way to see the
Wizard of Oz. He is mounted on a pole in the middle of a field where crows are not at all afraid of
him. The Scarecrow is humble in appearance, and his single desire is to have a brain. He joins
Dorothy in the hope that the Wizard will give him a brain, but he fails to realise that he doesn’t
need a brain because he is already quite intelligent.
The Tin Woodman - The Tin Woodman joins Dorothy, Toto and the Scarecrow in the hope that
the Wizard will give him a heart. His body was replaced with tin after the Wicked Witch of the East
cast a spell on him. The Tin Woodman is like the Scarecrow in that he already possesses the
quality he hopes to be given by the Wizard. He believes that he has no heart, yet he is the most
compassionate and emotional member of the group.
The Cowardly Lion - The Cowardly Lion is the third and final creature who joins the Oz-bound
group. Dorothy, the Scarecrow, and the Tin Woodman meet him when he jumps out at them as
they make their way through a forest. He believes that his fear makes him an inadequate lion, so
Dorothy agrees to allow him to accompany them to the Emerald City reasoning that he needs
courage and that he could be helpful in frightening away other creatures. Despite his belief that
he lacks courage, the Lion often demonstrates bravery.
The Wicked Witch of the West - The Wicked Witch of the West is the greatest threat to Dorothy
and is the villain of the book. When Toto bites her, she does not bleed because she is so evil that
her blood has dried up in her veins. When she is unable to kill the group on their way to see the
Wizard of Oz, she has the Scarecrow dismantled and the Tin Woodman seriously dented. The
witch wants the magical silver shoes that Dorothy wears. She trips Dorothy and is able to get one
shoe, but Dorothy becomes so angry that she throws a bucket of water on the witch. To Dorothy's
surprise, the witch melts before her eyes.