Showing results by author "L. Baum" in All Categories

Join Trot, a spirited little girl, and her adventurous friend Capn Bill as they embark on a thrilling journey with a young boy named Button-Bright. When Button-Bright discovers a magical umbrella hidden away in his attic, the trio is whisked away to a breathtaking sky world filled with wonders and dangers. Together, they navigate this enchanting realm, forging friendships and facing challenges that will test their courage and ingenuity. (Summary by francesb)

The Bluebird Books series captivated teenage girls in the 1910s and 1920s, starting with Mary Louise, penned by L. Frank Baum under his Edith Van Dyne pseudonym. While Baum crafted the first four novels, the series continued with contributions from other authors, all maintaining the same pseudonym. The stories explore the adventures of adolescent girl detectives, a theme Baum had previously touched on in The Daring Twins and Phoebe Daring. The title character, Mary Louise Burrows, is a remarkably mature fifteen-year-old who faces a shocking challenge her beloved grandfather is accused of ...

Step into the enchanting world of Oz once again with Patchwork Girl of Oz! This delightful tale brings back beloved characters while introducing some charming new faces. Follow the spirited Patchwork Girl as she embarks on an adventure to assist her friend Ojo in gathering the peculiar ingredients needed for a magical potion to save his Uncle. Along their journey, they encounter a host of whimsical and sometimes perilous situations, all infused with humor and joy, thanks to the Patchwork Girls optimistic outlook. Accompanied by the vain yet captivating Glass Cat, whose pink brains add a twist ...

In Aunt Janes Nieces On The Ranch, we reunite with Louise and Arthur Weldon as they navigate the joys and challenges of parenthood following the arrival of their daughter, Jane. Set against the backdrop of California, the family faces tension when they hire a local Mexican nurse, sparking Uncle Johns disapproval. The story delves into themes of racial conflict as a New York woman is also brought in to care for the child. Meanwhile, the mysterious nurse, Inez, believes the ranch is haunted, adding an intriguing twist to their lives. - Summary by Lynne Thompson

Have you seen the man in the moon? Do you think it must get lonely up there? In this story the Man in the Moon decides to come to earth in search of porridge and some company.

Little Tommy Tucker was a waif on the streets. He never remembered having a parent or guardian, and so he learned to care for himself. He ate whatever he could get, and slept wherever night overtook him--in an old barrel, a cellar, or, when fortune favored him, he paid a penny for a cot in some rude lodging-house. His life on the streets taught him early how to earn a living by doing odd jobs, and he learned to be sharp in his speech and wise beyond his years. One morning Tommy crawled out from a box in which he had slept overnight and found that he was hungry. But Tommy was a plucky boy with a lively wit and a way of making his way. Listen and find out how he ended up.

Little Jack Horner lived in an old, tumble-down house at the edge of a big wood. Many generations of Horners had lived there before him and had earned their living by chopping wood. Jack was an orphan, and he lived with his grandparents, who took great pains to teach him all that a boy should know.

Why did Tom steal the pig? Was he a bad boy? Not according to the story behind this rhyme. Tom was the only son of a good-for-nothing who could only play the pipes and that very badly.

Yes, her house did look like a shoe and she did have a LOT of children and she often did not know what to do. But she was a prudent and loving lady who took all 16 of them in and they somehow managed to not just grow, but thrive and grow healthier on the little food she could afford. That and of course the spanking they all got to help them grow. She may be short on food and their beds may be cramped and their clothes patched and old, but there was never a lack of love for any of them in her 'shoe' home.

The Man in the Moon was rather lonesome, and often he peeked over the edge of the moon and looked down upon the earth and envied all the people who lived together. He thought it must be vastly more pleasant to have companions to talk to than to be shut up on a big planet all by himself.

Old King Cole was not always a king, nor was he born a member of any royal family. It was only chance that made him a king at all. He had always been a poor man, being the son of an apple peddler, who had died and left him nothing but a donkey and a fiddle. But that was enough for Cole, who never bothered his head about the world's goods, but took things as they came and refused to worry about anything. So begins the story of how this happy soul became the king of a country by accident.

This delightful story tells of the Little Bun Rabbit who is befriended by Dorothy, a little girl. She knows the rhyme and asks the little rabbit about it. Bun Rabbit tells her that indeed, he sees Santa every year as he drives by in his sleigh loaded with toys. One year Santa stopped to talk with him and ask if he would come to his workshop at the North Pole so he could use him as a model to make toy rabbits for little babies. He agrees and this is his exciting adventure with Santa. That is why so many stuffed bunny rabbits are made and given at Christmas to be loved by children everywhere.

Mary was the beloved daughter of a sailor and his wife who lived on a hill close to the sea. She was called "Mistress Mary, quite contrary" because she was a contrary child who often did the exact opposite of what she was told. But her parents loved her and knew that she would someday grow out of this peevish behavior. One day her father and brothers set off on a long sea journey and she asked him when he would return. He replied that they would be away for the time that it took for a garden of cowslips, dingle bells, and cockle shells to sprout, grow, blossom, and wither and die away again.

Within the hollow wall of an old brick mansion, away up near the roof, there lived a family of mice. It was a snug little home, pleasant and quiet, and as dark as any mouse could desire. Mamma Mouse liked it because, as she said, the draught that came through the rafters made it cool in summer, and they were near enough to the chimney to keep warm in wintertime.

Gilligren was an orphan and lived with an uncle and aunt who were very unkind to him. They cuffed him and scolded him upon the slightest provocation, and made his life very miserable indeed. Gilligren never rebelled against this treatment, but bore their cruelty silently and with patience, although often he longed to leave them and seek a home amongst kinder people.

The Black Sheep is very young so he is curious about why the farmer cuts their wool off every year. "The man and his wife spin our wool into clothes to keep them warm" was the reply of a wise old ram. The little black sheep then meets the boy who lives down the lane and hears that his mother has no money to buy him a coat and he is cold in the winter so the kind little sheep asks the farmer if he will grow enough wool for 3 bags instead of the normal two, could he have one. The farmer agrees and so this is what happens. A wonderful story all around.

That wonderful storyteller Baum, of Wizard of Oz fame, tells us the delightful story behind this little rhyme and we all will feel much better knowing that the little boy had excellent reasons to be asleep that morning. Listen and enjoy the whole nifty story. Many of our most loved nursery rhymes are complete tales in themselves, telling their story tersely but completely; others are but bare suggestions, leaving the imagination to weave in the details of the story.

Ojo and Unc Nunkie live in the land of Oz in Munchkin Country. Their neighbor, Dr. Pipt, has been devotedly working on the Powder of Life for many years. This magical powder will turn inanimate objects into living things. While demonstrating its power on a stuffed doll made of patchwork, Dr. Pipt accidentally turns his wife and Unc Nunkie to stone. It is up to Ojo to collect the necessary ingredients to destroy the spell and turn them back.

Christmas Stories by L. Frank Baum is a delightful compilation of enchanting tales that bring the magic of Christmas to life. This collection features three cherished stories by L. Frank Baum, the beloved author of The Wizard of Oz series: The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus, A Kidnapped Santa Claus, and Little Bun Rabbit.

Despite Dorothy's many tales of her adventures in Oz, Aunt Em and Uncle Henry never quite believe her stories. Upon finding out the tornado that destroyed their farmhouse in book 1 (The Wonderful Wizard of Oz) is the cause of her Uncle Henry's horrible debt, Dorothy is determined to help her family. She makes plans with Ozma to bring her aunt and uncle to Oz where they may live happily ever after. Unbeknownst to Ozma and our friends in Oz, the Nome King is plotting to take over the Land of Oz and retrieve his magic belt that Dorothy took from him in book 3, Ozma of Oz.