Fantasy · Children's classic
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
Reading level: we suggest CEFR A2–B1 for reading The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Length: about 40,000 words.
- Suggested levelA2–B1
- Lengthabout 40,000 words
- Original languageEnglish
The story
A cyclone lifts Dorothy's house from the grey Kansas prairie and drops it in the colourful Land of Oz — right on top of the Wicked Witch of the East.
To get home she follows the yellow brick road to the Emerald City with the Scarecrow, who wants brains, the Tin Woodman, who wants a heart, and the Cowardly Lion, who wants courage. The Wizard they hope to meet is not what they expect.
Themes: home, courage, heart and brains, friendship, illusion.
Why it's a good book for language learners
Baum wrote in simple, clear sentences with lots of repetition, which makes Oz one of the easiest classics in English. Many learners know the story from the film, which helps you predict meaning and read faster.
How hard is the English in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz?
- Flesch Reading Ease82.2
- Flesch–Kincaid grade6.2
- Words per sentence17.7
Measured by PageWalker on the full English text of the book. Flesch Reading Ease runs from 0 to 100 (higher is easier; 60–70 is plain English) and the Flesch–Kincaid grade is a US school grade. These formulas only count sentence and word length, so they miss old-fashioned vocabulary, wordplay and style. That is why our CEFR level, which takes those into account, can be higher than the formula suggests.
What you'll practise
- Colours, places and journey vocabulary
- Wants and wishes: want to, need, hope
- Simple past narrative
- Describing characters
Reading tip
If you know the film, notice the differences — the silver shoes in the book became ruby slippers on screen.
Did you know?
Baum wrote thirteen more Oz books after the first one, by popular demand.
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz: a part-by-part guide
Contains spoilers. Read one part of the book, then come back to check you followed it.
Chapters 1–3: From Kansas to Oz
Dorothy lives on a gray, dry farm in Kansas with Uncle Henry, Aunt Em and her little black dog, Toto. A cyclone lifts their house into the air and carries it far away. The house lands in the Land of Oz and kills the Wicked Witch of the East. The grateful Munchkins welcome Dorothy, and the Good Witch of the North gives her a protective kiss. Dorothy takes the witch's silver shoes and follows the yellow brick road. On the way she frees a Scarecrow who wants brains.
Chapters 4–7: New friends on the road
Dorothy and the Scarecrow find a Tin Woodman who has rusted in the forest, and Dorothy oils his joints. He wants a heart, so he joins them. Next a Cowardly Lion jumps out and attacks, but Dorothy slaps his nose. He is ashamed and asks to come too, because he wants courage. The friends share stories as they travel. When they meet the Kalidahs, terrible beasts with bodies like bears and heads like tigers, the Tin Woodman cuts a tree bridge and the beasts fall.
Chapters 8–11: Poppies and the Emerald City
The travelers build a raft, and the Scarecrow gets stuck on a pole in the river until a kind Stork saves him. Then they cross a field of sleepy red poppies. Dorothy, Toto and the Lion fall asleep. The Tin Woodman saves the Queen of the Field Mice, and her mice help pull the Lion out. At the Emerald City everyone must wear green spectacles. Oz meets each friend alone in a different shape and says he will help only if they kill the Wicked Witch of the West.
Chapters 12–14: The Wicked Witch of the West
The Witch of the West has one powerful eye and sees the friends coming. She sends wolves, crows and bees, but the friends defeat them. Then she uses her Golden Cap to call the Winged Monkeys, who hurt the Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman and capture Dorothy and the Lion. The witch makes Dorothy work and steals one silver shoe. Dorothy angrily throws a bucket of water over her, and the witch melts away. The Winkies repair the friends, and Dorothy uses the Golden Cap to fly back.
Chapters 15–17: The truth about Oz
Oz tries to delay his promises, so the Lion roars. Toto jumps and knocks over a screen, and behind it is a little old man. Oz admits he is a humbug, a circus balloonist from Omaha who landed in Oz by accident. He gives the Scarecrow brains of bran, pins and needles, the Tin Woodman a silk heart, and the Lion a drink for courage. He builds a balloon to take Dorothy home, but it rises while she is catching Toto, and Oz floats away alone.
Chapters 18–21: The journey south
The Scarecrow now rules the Emerald City. A soldier suggests that Glinda, the Good Witch of the South, might help Dorothy, so the friends travel south again. Fighting trees grab them with their branches, but the Tin Woodman chops them. They pass carefully through a strange country where the people and animals are made of china and break easily. In a forest, the animals ask the Lion to kill a giant spider that eats them. He does it, and they make him their king.
Chapters 22–24: Glinda and home
The armless Hammer-Heads stop the friends on a rocky hill by shooting their heads forward. Dorothy calls the Winged Monkeys one last time, and they carry everyone into the country of the Quadlings. Glinda takes the Golden Cap and plans a future for each friend: the Scarecrow will rule the Emerald City, the Tin Woodman the Winkies, and the Lion the forest. She tells Dorothy that the silver shoes could always take her home. Dorothy knocks her heels together and returns to Kansas and Aunt Em.
Main characters
- Dorothy: A brave and kind little girl from Kansas who only wants to go home to her aunt and uncle.
- Toto: Dorothy's little black dog, who goes everywhere with her and keeps her happy.
- The Scarecrow: A man stuffed with straw who believes he has no brains, but often has the best ideas.
- The Tin Woodman: A woodman made of tin who wants a heart, yet is very gentle and cries easily.
- The Cowardly Lion: A big lion who thinks he is a coward but acts bravely when his friends need him.
- The Wizard of Oz: The famous ruler of the Emerald City, who is really an ordinary man from Omaha.
- The Wicked Witch of the West: A cruel one-eyed witch who rules the Winkies and wants Dorothy's silver shoes.
- Glinda: The Good Witch of the South, who finally shows Dorothy how to get home.
Words to learn from The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
Each example sentence is copied from the book, so you will meet these words in exactly this form.
| Word | Meaning | In the book |
|---|---|---|
| prairie | a very large area of flat land with grass and few trees | When Dorothy stood in the doorway and looked around, she could see nothing but the great gray prairie on every side. |
| cyclone | a very strong wind storm that turns round and round | “There’s a cyclone coming, Em,” he called to his wife. |
| grateful | feeling thankful because someone helped you | We are so grateful to you for having killed the Wicked Witch of the East, and for setting our people free from bondage. |
| journey | a long trip from one place to another | It is a long journey, through a country that is sometimes pleasant and sometimes dark and terrible. |
| rusted | became damaged and stiff because metal got wet | the danger my joints had rusted, and I was left to stand in the woods until you |
| puzzled | confused and not able to understand something | Dorothy did not say anything, for she was puzzled to know which of her two friends was right |
| cowardly | too afraid to do dangerous or difficult things | It seems to me they must be more cowardly than you are if they allow you to scare them so easily. |
| enchant | to use magic on someone to control or change them | and she will enchant us and make us her slaves. |
| spectacles | an old word for glasses that you wear on your eyes | Even those who live in the City must wear spectacles night and day. |
| obey | to do what someone tells you to do | Whoever owned it could call three times upon the Winged Monkeys, who would obey any order they were given. |
| humbug | a person who tricks others by pretending to be something they are not | “Exactly so!” declared the little man, rubbing his hands together as if it pleased him. “I am a humbug.” |
| bravely | in a way that shows you are not afraid | so she bravely resolved not to turn back. |
Famous lines
No matter how dreary and gray our homes are, we people of flesh and blood would rather live there than in any other country, be it ever so beautiful. There is no place like home.
for a fool would not know what to do with a heart if he had one.
I shall take the heart,” returned the Tin Woodman; “for brains do not make one happy, and happiness is the best thing in the world.
You know, of course, that courage is always inside one; so that this really cannot be called courage until you have swallowed it.
All you have to do is to knock the heels together three times and command the shoes to carry you wherever you wish to go.
And oh, Aunt Em! I’m so glad to be at home again!
Questions for discussion
Good for a book club, a class, or writing practice: answer one question in five sentences.
- Dorothy says there is no place like home, even though Kansas is gray and dry. Why do you think she feels this way?
- The Scarecrow, the Tin Woodman and the Lion already show brains, kindness and courage before Oz gives them anything. Can you find an example for each one?
- Oz calls himself a humbug, but he still helps the friends in the end. Was he a good man or a bad man? Explain your opinion.
- The Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman argue about whether brains or a heart is more important. Which would you choose, and why?
- Dorothy had the power to go home from the very beginning. Do you think the long journey was still important for her? Why or why not?
- Which place or adventure in Oz did you find the most surprising or exciting, and why?
The PageWalker adventure
In the adventure you walk the yellow brick road yourself, and your choices decide whether you reach the Emerald City. You can try the first page in your browser, and the adventure is available in 13 languages with click-to-translate.
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz in other languages
- EnglishThe Wonderful Wizard of Oz
- العربيةساحر أوز العجيب
- DeutschDer Zauberer von Oz
- EspañolEl Maravilloso Mago de Oz
- Françaisle Magicien d'Oz
- हिन्दीद विज़ार्ड ऑफ़ ओज़
- ItalianoIl meraviglioso mago di Oz
- 日本語オズの魔法使い
- 한국어오즈의 마법사
- PortuguêsO Mágico de Oz
- РусскийУдивительный волшебник из страны Оз
- TürkçeOz Büyücüsü
- 简体中文绿野仙踪
Questions about The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
What reading level is The Wonderful Wizard of Oz?
We suggest CEFR A2–B1 for reading The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Baum wrote in simple, clear sentences with lots of repetition, which makes Oz one of the easiest classics in English. On readability formulas the English text scores a Flesch Reading Ease of 82.2 and a Flesch–Kincaid grade of 6.2, with an average of 17.7 words per sentence.
How long is The Wonderful Wizard of Oz?
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum (1900) is about 40,000 words.
Can I play The Wonderful Wizard of Oz as an interactive adventure?
Yes. In the adventure you walk the yellow brick road yourself, and your choices decide whether you reach the Emerald City. You can try the first page in your browser, in 13 languages.
Updated 16 October 2026
