Author shares his experience of continuing a family tradition

North Las Vegas resident Roger Stanton Baum is part of a legacy bigger than himself, and so are his novels.

Baum, the great-grandson of L. Frank Baum and author of “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz,” continues the family story and has written 16 books following Dorothy’s story with the Lion, Tin Man and Scarecrow. But Baum’s latest release, “The Oz Enigma,” due to be released March 19, is different from anything else he has written, he said. This time, he is bringing the Oz characters into a modern environment — all the way to outer space. In the book, the characters must overcome seven evils.

With dedicated fans, Baum said it can sometimes be a challenge to try new things because the fans are so committed to the story line. They do not want to read any violence, he said.

He stays true to the characters, he said. At the heart of his stories, he said readers learn about perseverance, logic, heart and courage.

“ ‘Oz Enigma,’ as an author, I think this is one of my best Oz stories so far out of 16,” Baum said.

The characters visit planets and the Big Dipper and face the Wicked Witch’s cousin, Maelstrom. While he has not started writing the next installment of the Oz saga, he said he is likely to start soon.

Baum said he has some of the most dedicated fans because the Wizard of Oz is a lasting tale.

“It’s truly an American fairy tale,” he said, pointing to the numerous traditional fairy tales that have roots in Europe. “Oz is really something we can call our own as an American, by an American.”

From “Wicked” to Disney’s “Oz: The Great and Powerful” film, Oz is an imaginary land with a wide appeal.

Baum said when he is not writing, he is signing books and reading at libraries and Clark County schools.

One of his earlier books, “Dorothy of Oz,” has been transformed into a computer-animated film being produced by Summertime Entertainment and is slated for release this summer. The cast includes Martin Short, Patrick Stewart, James Belushi, Kelsey Grammer, Dan Aykroyd, Megan Hilty, Hugh Dancy, Bernadette Peters and Lea Michele.

His wife, Charlene Baum, said their three children, three grandchildren and two great-grandchildren have been invited to attend the premiere with them.

“Our munchkins need to be there,” she said. “It’s very exciting; it’s been a long time coming. It’s time he got his due.”

She said that over the years, she has become more vocal in the writing process. In the beginning, she admitted to being careful about making notes, but “now, he really listens to me when I have something to say.”

She was excited to read that Oz was moved gently into another realm with the setting in space.

“It introduces the kids to the stars, the planets and what’s up there and beyond,” she said. Aside from the newest story, she said her favorite Oz tale is “Lion of Oz and The Badge of Courage” because she said it is something adults can relate to — not letting life’s challenges define them.

“I just think it’s neat to see what made the lion think he was a coward,” she said. “I thought it was a good take on how he got to Oz.”

She said she really loves her husband’s ability to think like a child reader when he writes the Oz stories. Plus, he likes to challenge the children. He writes using more advanced language to encourage them to look words up in the dictionary and learn the context, she said.

She runs the business and sets up book signings while he is the creative force, she said.

Brianna Driscoll, co-secretary of the MOMS Club of North Las Vegas, invited Baum to read at the club’s Valentine’s Day party because she thought the children would really enjoy a reading from the author. She said her and her children’s favorite book of Baum’s is “The Rewolf of Oz” because of the lesson the wolf learns. Driscoll is also Baum’s neighbor.

He said he loves the interaction of a book signing at a store or a reading at a library or classroom, but he has also embraced the changing publishing technology. His books will also be available on audio, the iPad and NOOK Book. While he loves to write personal messages to fans, he said his readers can request that when they order a book online, and he makes an effort to send them a unique message.

He started writing his Oz books after a challenge at a dinner party by a friend. Initially, he said he thought it might be presumptuous that he could continue the series. But then Baum got serious about the craft. He said his family is supportive of his efforts to continue on a 113-year-old legacy. He admits he was not always the best English student in class, but he was born with a strong imagination and a knack for storytelling. Like his great-grandfather who named Oz after seeing a filing cabinet in a library that filed documents O-Z, Baum said he can pull a story line or detail from anything around him.

“I think there’s a lot of pressure in writing. It almost hurts to write — a certain amount of physical pain to write if you’re serious,” he said.

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Contact Centennial and North Las Vegas View reporter Laura Phelps at lphelps@viewnews.com or 702-477-3839.