Rating: 
Summary: The Patchwork Girl of Oz
Review: NOTE: This is not the edition of the book I would have liked to review. I just didn�t see it anywhere. This review is based on the Del Rey edition.The Patchwork Girl of Oz is one of my favorite books in the Wizard of oz series. Why, may you ask, did I rate this book 3-stars when all the other Oz books have 5? Well, you see, I really liked the book up until the end. Here�s how it goes:
Unc Nunkie and Margolotte get turned into marble in the crooked magician�s house. (the same magician that Mombi visited in The Land of Oz, book 2) So, Ojo the Unlucky, Scraps the patchwork girl, and the glass cat set out to retrieve 5 special ingredients to rescue Unc Nunkie and Margolotte. It�s really good and Scraps is really funny, but at the end, they can�t get all of the ingredients (because of really stupid reasons) and the Wizard turns them back from marble anyway. So, what was the point of the whole journey just to have the Wizard say 2 magic words and be done? Beats me. Anyway, I would still read this book.
Rating:
Summary: The Patchwork Girl of Oz
Review: NOTE: This is not the edition of the book I would have liked to review. I just didn't see it anywhere. This review is based on the Del Rey edition. The Patchwork Girl of Oz is one of my favorite books in the Wizard of oz series. Why, may you ask, did I rate this book 3-stars when all the other Oz books have 5? Well, you see, I really liked the book up until the end. Here's how it goes:
Unc Nunkie and Margolotte get turned into marble in the crooked magician's house. (the same magician that Mombi visited in The Land of Oz, book 2) So, Ojo the Unlucky, Scraps the patchwork girl, and the glass cat set out to retrieve 5 special ingredients to rescue Unc Nunkie and Margolotte. It's really good and Scraps is really funny, but at the end, they can't get all of the ingredients (because of really stupid reasons) and the Wizard turns them back from marble anyway. So, what was the point of the whole journey just to have the Wizard say 2 magic words and be done? Beats me. Anyway, I would still read this book.
Rating: 
Summary: Whee! But There's A Gaudy Dame!
Review: Recognizing the increasing danger from lands beyond, at the end of 1910's The Emerald City Of Oz, child ruler Ozma and sorceress Glinda decided to magically close Oz off from the outside world forever. In reality, Baum was tired of Oz and wanted to develop other ideas and projects. But hounded by young fans to provide more stories of the utopist fairyland, in 1913 Baum again took up his pen as Royal Historian. Explaining to readers that he had begun receiving new tales from the Shaggy Man via a wireless telegraph in Oz, the fruit of this partnership was The Patchwork Girl Of Oz, probably the general favorite of Baum's novels among dedicated Oz enthusiasts. In fact, the Patchwork Girl Of Oz is the book appreciated even by those who dislike the Oz series as a whole. In poetry - spouting Scraps the Patchwork Girl, Baum introduced a vibrant, riveting figure to his fairyland, one equal to earlier classic creations the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodman, Jack Pumpkinhead, the Wooglebug, and the Gnome King. Rowdy, grotesque Scraps was perhaps Baum's last great character; indefatigable and indomitable, Scraps was also Baum's most original and fully realized female character, whether human, fairy, sorceress, or otherwise. A winning combination of common sense and nonsense, Scraps, a kind of nightmare version of Raggedy Ann, is pleasantly naive, utterly free, tactless, curious, and enthusiastic about all facets of life, including romance. Though stuffed with cotton, Scraps finds the straw - packed Scarecrow a perfect dreamboat, and finds twig - bodied Jack Pumpkinhead attractive as well. John R. Neill's illustrations of the Scraps and the Scarecrow's ' hearts aflutter ' first meeting is hilarious. A reconfiguration of the happy peasant figure who blissfully notices that the emperor is naked and doesn't hesitate to say so, Scraps, though not an outright trickster figure, approaches trickster status. The Patchwork Girl Of Oz is Baum's most fluid, well rounded, and detailed children's novel. Unlike some of the other titles in the series that have a predominantly sketchy narrative, the Patchwork Girl Of Oz is composed of enthusiastic, rollicking prose that allows the reader to happily suspend disbelief. All Oz titles have filler chapters that pad the books and add little to their forward motion, and the Patchwork Girl Of Oz has its share. However, the filler chapters here -- 'The Troublesome Phonograph' and 'The Foolish Owl and the Wise Donkey' -- don't irritate or distract from the story's forward motion as much as they might. Far from being finished with Oz, in 1913 Baum was still working out the magical laws that would govern his fairyland kingdom; readers will note that those laws applied here differ somewhat from those provided in 1918's The Tin Woodman Of Oz. Most noticeably, young Ojo the Unlucky is described as a growing boy; in the later books, all characters would be permanently fixed in their ages and physical growth or decline would become impossible. The Patchwork Girl Of Oz is almost free of the occasionally unsettling, cruel, or bizarre elements that Baum unconsciously allowed to mar his books; there is a brief explanation of how "meat" beings, if chopped into pieces, would continue to live, if not thrive, in their newly minced state. Unlike some of the other books in the series, the natural world in the Patchwork Girl Of Oz is lushly underscored and doesn't seem to be a brittle facsimile of the natural world known to readers. There is a loving description of Jack Pumpkinhead's pumpkin patch home, of the Munchkin gardens of "blue flowers, blue cabbages, blue carrots, and blue lettuce," and a defense of country living by the itinerant Shaggy Man. A classic of children's literature, the Patchwork Girl Of Oz is Baum's best, and a far better book than its more famous antecedent, the Wonderful Wizard Of Oz. Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: the patchwork girl of oz
Review: Scraps, the Patchwork Girl, is one of the most loved and lovable characters ever created in the Oz series. This is the story of how she came to life and became the loyal friend of the little Munchkin boy Ojo who helped make her the unusual character she is by increasing the attributes of her brain. We also meet in this book the famous Dr. Pipt who is the creator of the marvelous Powder of Life that brought the Sawhorse, the Gump, and Jack Pumpkin head to life in the second Oz book, The Marvelous Land of Oz. Together, Ojo and Scraps, with the help of the Glass Cat, set out on a quest to save Ojo's uncle and Dr. Pipt's wife, who have been accidentally turned to stone by another magical invention of Dr. Pipt's, the Liquid of Petrifaction. Along the way they receive help from the Foolish Owl, the Wise Donkey, the Woozy (a strange creature based on cubes and rectangles who breathes fire when angry), the famous Shaggy Man, Princess Dorothy, and the Scarecrow (who falls in love with Scraps). They spend an evening with the raucous Tottenhots, escape from the giant Yoop, help the Hoppers and Horners negotiate a peaceful resolution to their war, and take a ride on the most unusual river in the world. Just when they seem to be within reach of their goal, they are blocked in achieving success by the caring heart of the Tin Woodman. Will they save the victims of the Liquid of Petrifaction? Read this marvelous book and find out. You will be enthralled by the characters, the story, and the beautiful illustrations of John R. Neill. The Books of Wonder edition is the only one that includes all the original color plates as well as the black and white illustrations and is by far the best edition in print. This is the seventh book in the series and was written only when the author realized that his readers wouldn't let him stop writing books about Oz. Baum would continue to produce Oz books until his last book was published after his death.
Rating:
Summary: A triumphant return to Oz by its best storyteller.
Review: Scraps, the Patchwork Girl, is one of the most loved and lovable characters ever created in the Oz series. This is the story of how she came to life and became the loyal friend of the little Munchkin boy Ojo who helped make her the unusual character she is by increasing the attributes of her brain. We also meet in this book the famous Dr. Pipt who is the creator of the marvelous Powder of Life that brought the Sawhorse, the Gump, and Jack Pumpkin head to life in the second Oz book, The Marvelous Land of Oz. Together, Ojo and Scraps, with the help of the Glass Cat, set out on a quest to save Ojo's uncle and Dr. Pipt's wife, who have been accidentally turned to stone by another magical invention of Dr. Pipt's, the Liquid of Petrifaction. Along the way they receive help from the Foolish Owl, the Wise Donkey, the Woozy (a strange creature based on cubes and rectangles who breathes fire when angry), the famous Shaggy Man, Princess Dorothy, and the Scarecrow (who falls in love with Scraps). They spend an evening with the raucous Tottenhots, escape from the giant Yoop, help the Hoppers and Horners negotiate a peaceful resolution to their war, and take a ride on the most unusual river in the world. Just when they seem to be within reach of their goal, they are blocked in achieving success by the caring heart of the Tin Woodman. Will they save the victims of the Liquid of Petrifaction? Read this marvelous book and find out. You will be enthralled by the characters, the story, and the beautiful illustrations of John R. Neill. The Books of Wonder edition is the only one that includes all the original color plates as well as the black and white illustrations and is by far the best edition in print. This is the seventh book in the series and was written only when the author realized that his readers wouldn't let him stop writing books about Oz. Baum would continue to produce Oz books until his last book was published after his death.
Rating:
Summary: Read it 3 times, and I'm still reading!
Review: The Patchwork Girl of Oz is by far L.Frank Baum's best book! I like the Glass Cat. My favorite Oz book! L. Frank Baum is brillant!
Rating:
Summary: A must read for fans of fantasy
Review: The title of the book actually misleads the reader somewhat. Yes this book does describe the origins of Scraps, the patchwork girl, who goes on to become a regular fixture in future Oz stories. However she is, in fact, a secondary character in the story. The main character is Ojo "the unlucky," a Munchkin boy who embarks on a quest to save his beloved uncle who has been accidentally turned into a marble statue. This book offers the usual assortment of pleasantly odd characters, strange magical happenings and dramtic tension that go into all of the good Oz novels. What makes "Patchwork Girl..." stand out is its reltively mature subplot of the importance of rules. Ozma has made it illegal for most people to use magic. The crooked magician ignores this rule, and as an indirect result two innocent people are turned into marble. One of the items Ojo must get for his quest is illegal to gather. He doesn't want to break the law, but restoring his uncle is the most important thing to him, so he justifies it to himself. Then, the reader is introduced to the humane way Oz deals with people who break the rules. This theme will speak volumes to any child who has chaffed under the rules of an adult, but secretly acknowledged that the adult had his or her best interests at heart. Several reviewers have commented that the end of the book is a cop out, and yes it might be disappointing if you were expecting a big, dramatic magical event. In truth, however, it is a masterful conclusion to the rules subplot. The conclusion underscores that rules are made to be kept, and that breaking them and then trying to sneakily get around them only causes problems. If one admits to breaking the rules, as the crooked magician should have done, and then tries to correct the mistake, it often avoids a great deal of trouble and ultimately works out better. Overall, this book is a great read for young and old alike.
Rating:
Summary: A must read for fans of fantasy
Review: The title of the book actually misleads the reader somewhat. Yes this book does describe the origins of Scraps, the patchwork girl, who goes on to become a regular fixture in future Oz stories. However she is, in fact, a secondary character in the story. The main character is Ojo "the unlucky," a Munchkin boy who embarks on a quest to save his beloved uncle who has been accidentally turned into a marble statue. This book offers the usual assortment of pleasantly odd characters, strange magical happenings and dramtic tension that go into all of the good Oz novels. What makes "Patchwork Girl..." stand out is its reltively mature subplot of the importance of rules. Ozma has made it illegal for most people to use magic. The crooked magician ignores this rule, and as an indirect result two innocent people are turned into marble. One of the items Ojo must get for his quest is illegal to gather. He doesn't want to break the law, but restoring his uncle is the most important thing to him, so he justifies it to himself. Then, the reader is introduced to the humane way Oz deals with people who break the rules. This theme will speak volumes to any child who has chaffed under the rules of an adult, but secretly acknowledged that the adult had his or her best interests at heart. Several reviewers have commented that the end of the book is a cop out, and yes it might be disappointing if you were expecting a big, dramatic magical event. In truth, however, it is a masterful conclusion to the rules subplot. The conclusion underscores that rules are made to be kept, and that breaking them and then trying to sneakily get around them only causes problems. If one admits to breaking the rules, as the crooked magician should have done, and then tries to correct the mistake, it often avoids a great deal of trouble and ultimately works out better. Overall, this book is a great read for young and old alike.
Rating: 
Summary: NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO!
Review: THIS IS THE WORST THING IN THE WORLD! OJO WENT ON A QUEST! HE SHOULD FULLFILL IT! I REALLY MUST DISAGREE THAT THE TIN WOODMAN WAS SO KIND AND GENTLE THAT EVERYONE LOVED HIM (I HATE HIM MORE THAN THE DEVIL EVEN) NO ONE CANNOT PRETEND THAT HE DOESN'T HAVE A MENACING, DISCRIMINATING SIDE TO HIS PERSONALITY! HE DOES NOT REALLY HAVE A HEART! THE WIZARD WAS NOTHING MORE THAN A HUMBUG, REMEMBER! WHAT HE DOES HAVE IS A VERY POOR SUSTITUTE TO THE REAL THING! THIS IS WHAT I MEAN, IN "VISITORS FROM OZ" HE SAYS, "I COULD CHOP OFF HIS HEAD, BUT THAT WOULDN'T BE KIND. MY HEART WOULD NEVER ALLOW IT." IF HE HAD GOOD HEART HE NEVER WOULD HAVE THOUGHT OF SUCH A THING AT ALL! BETTER THAN THINK OF IT AND WANT TO BUT NOT ALLOW HIMSELF TO BECAUSE OF HIS FAKE HEART! HE IS REALLY SUPPOSED TO BE LIKE A GUARDIAN ANGEL! AND, LISTEN! THE REAL TIN WOODMAN DOES NOT THREATEN PEOPLE WITH HIS AXE! I WILL NEVER, EVER, ACCEPT ANYTHING LESS!
Rating: 
Summary: A return to form for Baum
Review: While the last three books in L. Frank Baum's "Oz" series ("Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz", "The Road to Oz" and "The Emerald City of Oz") were all rather lackluster, this book was a return to form. The problem with the other installments was a lack of a new story -- they were all about people who went to Oz, met lots of strange and interesting people, and had a happy ending. "The Patchwork Girl of Oz," however, had a very good story to bolster the old Oz formula. Ojo the Unlucky, a young Munchkin lad, along with the Glass Cat and Scraps, the Patchwork Girl, set out to find magical ingredients needed to restore his uncle and a magician's wife to life after they are accidentally petrified. So the story is, again, about someone wandering Oz and meeting strange and interesting people, but giving Ojo a quest gave the book a different angle, a sense of urgency -- this was a boy on a mission to save two lives. The ending is somewhat abrupt, although quite in-character for Baum's creations, but overall it is one of the better Oz books, a real return to form after a few that just didn't click.
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