One Great and Powerful Book!

       The other day I went to see "The Hobbit". I had been looking forward to seeing this movie for more than a year! I remembered reading the book (more than once) and listening to an audiobook version (more than once!) and loving it. Several years ago, there was an animated movie, but it was TERRIBLE! I was hoping that with Peter Jackson as director, this one would be as great as the book.
        I should have known better. Movies are NEVER as good as the book! (Harry Potter fans might disagree.) What I saw in my head was much funnier, scarier, and more exciting than what I saw on the screen. Oh, well, if seeing the movie inspires someone to read the book, I guess that is a good thing.
        It's not that I don't like movies. I love many movies. One of my favorites of all time is "The Wizard of OZ". You may not believe this, but there was a time when people didn't own movies. They had to see them in the theatre or on TV. The "Wizard of Oz" was (and still may be) shown on TV every year around Halloween. I watched it every year for about 25 years and knew every word and every song by heart. I still do... don't get me started...
          The movie is based on a book titled "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" by L. Frank Baum. It was written in 1900, and is the first in a series of 14 books about the land of Oz. I am ashamed to admit that I have not read a single one of these books.      
           SOoooooooo... I went to see "The Hobbit" last week and saw previews for "OZ - The Great and Powerful"!! Oh oh - another version of my favorite movie! How could it possibly be any good? Well, for one thing, the special effects are going to be a lot better than the ones from 1939. This one seems to be told from the Wizard's perspective, rather than from Dorothy's. That could be interesting.
            I decided that it would be a good idea to read at least the first of the Oz books before this movie opens. I would like to know if the director used anything from the book that was not included in the original movie, and if the characters are anything like Mr. Baum meant them to be.
         There have been many versions of the Oz stories, many parodies, and many stories based on the characters in the land of Oz. Take a look at Wikipedia and you'll see a long list!  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Oz_books

       This month, I'd like you to take a trip to the land of Oz by reading at least one chapter of any of the Oz books, or another version of The Wizard of Oz, or an article about the books or L. Frank Baum. Please share something that you learned with us. Be sure to include titles, websites, and/or links to what you found.
        So, have Courage, follow the yellow brick road to the library or the internet, use your Brain and Heart to write a great post by January 31st!