Dorothy Gale returns in this third entry in L. Frank Baum’s „Oz” series, after her notable absence in the second volume, „The Marvelous Land of Oz”. Here you will meet such beloved old friends as the Scarecrow, Tin Woodman, and Cowardly Lion. Dorothy is shipwrecked and lands on the shores of a fairy country that adjoins Oz, the land of Ev. There she meets that oozy marvel: Tiktok, a wind-up mechanical man; a talking chicken, Billina; the Hungry Tiger, whose appetite is never quite satisfied; and Ozma, the girl Ruler of Oz who is leading a quest to rescue the royal family of Ev from their captivity by the Nome King. She also meets some strange people too: Princess Langwidere who wears a different head a day and strange Wheelers with wheels for hands and feet. But even Ozma is no match for the clever king, and it’s up to Dorothy to save everyone from terrible danger. But will the Nome King’s enchantments be too much even for the plucky little girl from Kansas?

Another enchanting tale of juvenile literature from the creator of „The Wizard of Oz”. L. Frank Baum dedicated the book „Queen Zixi of Ix, or The Story of the Magic Cloak” to his oldest son, Frank Joslyn Baum. In it, the queen of fairies creates a magic cloak which grants its wearer a single wish. Meanwhile, an orphan boy becomes the new king of Noland and his sister gains the cloak which is stolen by the Queen of Zixi, who wishes her mirror to show her as the beautiful young woman she appears instead of showing her appearance at her true age of 683 years. Adventures ensue, armies attack and retreat, and good wins out when the fairy queen takes back the magic cloak. The cloak turns out to be a source of trouble as well as a blessing. Baum packs this adventure with his customary humor, inventive fantasies, and captivating characters.

„Rinkitink in Oz” is the tenth book in the „Oz” series written by L. Frank Baum, first published in 1916. It was originally written in 1905 as a stand alone fantasy work and subsequently rewritten as an „Oz” book. Therefore, most of the action takes place outside of Oz in neighboring fairy countries. Rinkitink, a plump jolly fellow, and his grouchy goat Bilbil assist Inga, the crown prince of Pingaree, in reclaiming his lost kingdom from invaders. Inga is helped in his efforts by three magic pearls: one, blue, giving him superhuman strength; one, pink, protecting him from harm; and one, white, providing him with words of wisdom. But when the pearls are lost, can Queen Ozma, watching events on her magic mirror, save the day? Thrilling tale of adventure from a master storyteller, „Rinkitink in Oz” is sure to enjoyed by Oz fans far and wide and by all who delight in tales of enchantment and adventure.

Sam Steele is now captain of a ship – an old and battered craft, but his own command. He is sailing it around South America to California. A storm forces Sam’s ship to the Panamanian coast. There, the travelers encounter the Techla Indians, descendants of the Aztecs. The Techlas are hostile to outsiders; Sam and his crew are tempted by the Indians’ abundant gold and gems. Traveling ashore in Moit’s amphibious auto, the Americans attempt to manipulate the Techla, without success. „Sam Steele’s Adventures in Panama” is a boy’s adventure novel written by L. Frank Baum, and published in 1907 under the pseudonym „Capt. Hugh Fitzgerald.” The book was a sequel to the first „Sam Steele” novel, „Sam Steele’s Adventures on Land and Sea”. The book was reprinted two years later, in 1908, with the alternative title „The Boy Fortune Hunters in Alaska”.

L. Frank Baum, the author of the famous „Oz” books, wrote a number of series for children (and occasionally, books for older readers) under a variety of pseudonyms. Among those you can find many examples of adventure fiction, including this, the inaugural title of the „Sam Steele” series. Sam Steele is the son of a sea captain; his father is reported killed in a shipwreck, and Sam is quickly cheated of his inheritance. Now an orphan, he meets his maternal uncle, Naboth Perkins, another sea captain and ship-owner; together the two set sail in the Pacific trade. At home again, Sam and Naboth discover that Sam’s father Captain Steele has survived shipwreck, with the loss of a leg. Re-united with his father, Sam regains his lost patrimony. Unusually for Baum, the tale of „Sam Steele’s Adventures on Land and Sea” is told in the first person, by the title character.

„Sky Island” was the second of three titles written by Baum featuring a spunky girl from California, Trot, and her companion, the old sailorman, Cap’n Bill. L. Frank Baum had hoped to end the Oz series and introduced Trot and Cap’n Bill in „The Sea Fairies”. In „Sky Island”, Button Bright has found a magic umbrella, which allows him to go anyplace in the world in seconds. He meets Trot and Cap’n Bill during his adventures, and the three decide to go to „Sky Island”, and small island without a name off the coast. But the umbrella instead take them up over the ocean. They land in a land of blue, where they are taken prisoner by the terrible Boolooroo. They must find a way to escape servitude, and on the way help the blue people. Will they escape? Will they ever find their way home? A charming addition to your collection of Oz books, this volume will delight long-time Oz fans as well as newcomers to L. Frank Baum’s realms of fantasy.

The fourth in a series, „The Boy Fortune Hunters in China” appeared in 1909, published by Reilly & Britton under Baum’s pseudonym, Floyd Akers. Unlike most of L. Frank Baum’s work, the series is told in first person narrative by the protagonist, 16 year-old Sam Steele. Sam’s father is a sea captain who was reported killed in a shipwreck. After being cheated of his inheritance, he finds his uncle and they set sail in the Pacific. Here, Sam Steele and his two pals, Joe and Archie, have fished a wounded Chinese Prince out of the ocean. Prince Kai Lun Po rewards the boys with detailed directions on how to plunder his family tomb of its treasure and he gives them his blessing to do so. All the boys have to do is get to China, hoodwink the palace staff, and get past Fo-Chu, the Sacred Ape that guards the treasure! Come adventuring with young Sam on one of his most exciting and dangerous adventures in China!

Writing under a pseudonym, the prolific „Wizard of Oz” author created a series of far-flung adventure tales starring Sam Steele, a resourceful young sailor. In this story of mystery, deceit, and murder, Sam and his companions seek the legendary wealth of Karnak – a 2,000-year-old treasure buried in the desert sands. The adventure begins when Sam rescues an escaped cabin boy from a sinking dinghy in Boston Harbor. Runaway Joe Herring, along with pampered aristocrat Archie Ackley, accompany Sam to Alexandria, Egypt. There, the trio learn of the legendary lost riches of Karnak and Luxor – a wealth of pearls, gold, precious gems, and historic papyrus rolls, all hidden from invading Persians. Relying upon their pluck, luck, and quick wits, the American boys follow an ancient caravan route to uncover a secret from beyond the grave. Unusually for Baum, the tale of „The Boy Fortune Hunters in Egypt” is told in the first person, by the title character.

If you like the books by Iain Lawrence „The Wreckers”, „The Smugglers”, and „The Buccaneers” you’ll love the adventures of Sam Steele. „The Boy Fortune Hunters” series began in 1906 with the novel „Sam Steele’s Adventures on Land and Sea” (later re-published as „The Boy Fortune Hunters in Alaska”). The series lasted six novels, ending in 1911 with the novel „The Boy Fortune Hunters in the South Seas”. Here, Sam Steele and crew are shipwrecked on a forbidding and mysterious island where the natives worship a powerful Pearl God in a temple overflowing with the most luxurious pearls in the world. Sam is delighted at the prospect of such enormous riches – but the boy-king of the island is forced to sentence Sam to a watery grave. Airplane rescues, uncharted islands, revolutionaries, a lost king, and riches beyond imagination await you as you travel with the Boy Fortune Hunters to fabulous adventure in the South Seas!