I read this book because another teacher at a conference mentioned something about the historical discussions surrounding it. Something about the gold standard and populism. And I had already heard that her shoes were ruby red in the movie to make them stand out more. 
 It was interesting. I found it simple, but that was to be expected since it was written with children in mind. But there was political and theological commentary here and there that kept my attention from wandering too far. 
 I was less than impressed with the styling of it. I'm not decided on whether Baum was writing that way for his audience or if his technique was that lacking. One thing is for sure, he had a hell of an imagination. 
 I don't plan on reading all the follow-ups to this book. Although they were really popular during their time, I'm not a huge fan.