What's New...

1. The vocabulary words appear in the context of a continuous story. You'll enjoy what you read and you'll remember what the words mean. (By the way, L. Frank Baum's original story was written for children and is rather tame. This version, written for teenagers and adults, is far more thrilling, scary, and intense.)
2. The definitions are user-friendly. Let's say, for example, that you don't know the meaning of the word "disdain." When you look it up in a dictionary, you find that it means "scorn; contempt." You don't know what those words mean either, so you look up "scorn," only to learn that it means "disdain; contempt." Then you look up "contempt." You guessed it: "disdain; scorn." The definitions in The Wizard of Oz Vocabulary Builder are very easy to understand; they never use words you don't know.
3. The illustrative sentences are a hoot. Author Phillips searched the globe looking for the world's best illustrative sentences. These sentences not only make the word in question unforgettable, but they entertain you (some of them are laugh-out-loud funny) or inform you (many teach you something interesting or even astonishing about history, politics, literature, science, music, or art!).
4. The Wizard of Oz Vocabulary Builder teaches vocabulary with a three-pronged approach. First, you read the word in context, in the story. Next, you read the word's definition. Finally, you read an unforgettable illustrative sentence. All three steps reinforce each other so that you can't possibly forget the meanings of the words.

"Mark Phillips is a genius! What a great way to learn vocabulary and read a well-known story at the same time. His unique sense of humor comes out in the wonderful examples of vocabulary usage in the definitions. This book is a must for anyone serious about building their vocabulary."
    — Donald Sosin, Composer

"I used to feel vocabulary challenged, but after reading just one chapter in The Wizard of Oz Vocabulary Builder I found myself using the new words effortlessly. I also started noticing them in the newspapers and in song lyrics. It's amazing how this book enables you to match the word's meaning to a visual that you already understand in your own mind. No other book offers that. It's almost impossible to forget the new word after learning it once. This book is amazing!"
    — Tara Podolnick, Better Homes & Gardens magazine Account Executive

"Mark Phillips has managed to recreate the way language is intuitively learned. I can't think of a more approachable, entertaining means to building a mature vocabulary. This book is fun, it's easy, and it works. Compared to the glut of ratiocinative methods available, The Wizard of Oz is eminently utilitarian!"
    — Rich Maloof, editor/author

"The words are extremely well chosen, and the definitions (with word context and connotation, not just denotation) will be very useful to young readers."
    — Joanne Breidenstein, former high school English teacher

"A unique vocabulary building guide; a recommended and unforgettable skill-improvement tool; a useful tool for building an impressive vocabulary."
    — Midwest Book Review

"A really painless and extremely effective way to learn words is with The Wizard of Oz Vocabulary Builder. This is a really funny story, so it is fun and even relaxing to read."
    — SATstrategy.com