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Geoff Ryman. Penguin Books, $15 (384pp) ISBN 978-0-14-017872-2

Ryman's darkly imaginative, almost surreal improvisation on L. Frank Baum's Oz books combines a stunning portrayal of child abuse, Wizard of Oz film lore and a polyphonic meditation on the psychological burden of the past. (May) *CHILDREN'S BOOKS

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