L. Frank Baum, well known for creating the Land of Oz, wrote the young adult novel Aunt Jane's Nieces in the Red Cross in 1915. It is the tenth and last book in Baum's Aunt Jane's Nieces series for teenage girls, which is his second-greatest literary success (after the Oz books themselves). Aunt Jane's Nieces in the Red Cross was published under the pen name "Edith Van Dyne," one of Baum's many aliases, just like the other works in the series. The novel is notable in Baum's canon because it articulates his opinions and sentiments towards World War I. An unusual but not exceptional approach for books in the series was to include an opening letter from "Edith Van Dyne" in the book. (There is also an author's introduction in the second book, Aunt Jane's Nieces Abroad.) The Siege of Maubeuge's end and the German victory are described in a newspaper article that Patsy Doyle, Beth De Graf, and their uncle John Merrick is reading at the beginning of the book on September 7, 1914. The war news deeply affects both of the girls, but Beth is more committed to the French cause.
Lyman Frank Baum was an American writer best known for his children's books, especially The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and its sequels. He wrote 14 novels in the Oz series, plus 41 other novels, 83 short stories, above 200 poems, and at least 42 scripts. He made many attempts to lead his works to the stage and screen; the 1939 adaptation of the first Oz book became a milestone of 20th-century cinema. Baum was born on 15 May 1856, near Syracuse, New York. His father, Benjamin, was a rich oil businessman, and young Frank developed in comfort. As a young child Frank was teached at home with his kins, but at the age of 12 he was sent to study at Peekskill Military Academy. He followed a variety of careers varying from acting to newspaper reporting to theatrical management to writing plays. Baum married Maud Gage, daughter of Matilda Joslyn Gage, a famous women's suffrage campaigner. His famous works are Mother Goose, Father Goose, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus, The Master Key, etc. He made and headed The Oz Film Manufacturing Company in 1914. Baum expired on 6 May 1919 and was buried in Glendale, California.
