L. Frank Baum (1856-1919) was an American author born in Chittenango, New York. At fifteen, Baum's father bought him a small printing press, on which he and his brother produced their own newspaper, The Rose Lawn Home Journal. By his late teens, Baum had developed an interest in theater and was made the manager of his father's opera houses. Throughout his career, Baum wrote more than eighty novels for children. He is best known for The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and its many sequels.