Who Stole the Wizard of Oz?
Knopf, 1981
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What’s this book about?
The mystery revolves around a rare edition of The Wizard of Oz missing from the local library. When Becky is accused of stealing it, she and her twin brother Toby set out to catch the real thief and prove her innocence. Clues cleverly hidden in four other books lead to a hidden treasure—and a gripping adventure.
Story Behind the Story
Lots of people are fascinated by maps. I knew a serious book collector who built a large library of books which specifically had maps in them. For example, Treasure Island, famously, has a map in it. Indeed, it’s said that Stevenson drew the map for his step-son first, and then wrote the book.
I too like maps and so, back in the day when I working as a librarian, I was intrigued when a new atlas came into the reference collection. Moreover to my great delight it was an atlas of fantasy lands. A wonderfully clever idea, it was such fun to see maps of, not just Treasure Island, but the lands of Oz, the Thousand-acre Woods, and so on. Much fun.
Reviews
“Avi combines simplicity of style with wit as he builds a believable, gripping plot that is highly accessible to young readers. (Booklist)
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