Master Key

The Master Key (1901) is a children’s novel by L. Frank Baum. Published the year after the first installment of his beloved Wizard of Oz series, The Master Key is one of few works by Baum set outside of the magical Land of Oz. This book is a testament to the heartfelt imagination of one of America’s finest authors in the genres of fantasy and children’s literature. “Here is a fairy tale founded upon the wonders of electricity and written for children of this generation. Yet when my readers shall have become men and women my story may not seem to their children like a fairy tale at all. Perhaps one, perhaps two—perhaps several of the Demon''s devices will be, by that time, in popular use. Who knows?” Building on the excitement of an industrializing world, immersed in the wonders of science and magic alike, The Master Key is a story of a boy who dares to dream. Young Rob Joslyn is a skilled engineer whose experiments with electricity delight and astound his father. One day, a spark reveals a figure known as the Daemon of Electricity, who offers the boy three gifts for each of the next three weeks. Unsure of what he wants—Rob is, after all, used to building what his mind desires—the Daemon agrees to choose for him. As each week brings a series of otherworldly inventions, Rob’s life is changed forever. Highly original and eminently human, L. Frank Baum’s The Master Key is a story that continues to astound so long as there are readers who will cherish it. Long overshadowed by The Wizard of Oz, The Master Key is required reading for children and adults who refuse to let life lose its flavor of fantasy. This edition of L. Frank Baum’s The Master Key is a classic work of children’s literature reimagined for modern readers.

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With thousands of titles in our collection, we aim to spotlight diverse public domain works to help them find modern audiences. Mint Editions celebrates a breadth of literary works, curated from both canonical and overlooked classics from writers around the globe.