The Secret Order of the Gumm Street Girls

Written by Elise Primavera

Narrated by Colleen Delany

For seven years, bad luck has followed Ivy around like a dog on a leash. And now her mother has dragged her to live in a creepy old house on Gumm Street, where the weather may be perfect but the neighbors are worse than unfriendly.

Then a pair of mysterious ruby-red slippers leads Ivy on an unforgettable adventure with those very same neighbors—bookish Pru, stuck-up Cat, and wannable adventurer Franny. Together, they travel to the jaw-droppingly strange lands of Spoz, and Spudz, and Ooze, and battle the fashionably mad Cha-Cha Staccato, who bears a frightening resemblance to a certain wicked witch . . .

As hilarious as it is original, as inventive as it is true-to-life, The Secret Order of the Gumm Street Girls is an unforgettable take on girlhood, piano recitals, The Wizard of Oz, and the dependable everyday magic of family and friendship.

Performed by Colleen Delany

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Release date: Sep 26, 2006
• ISBN: 9780061230103

Elise Primavera

ELISE PRIMAVERA has been writing and illustrating children's books for more than twenty-five years. She has received numerous awards for her work and in 2004 was asked to illustrate the Christmas Brochure for the White House. Her Christmas classic AUNTIE CLAUS earned two stared reviews and was a New York Times Bestseller.

Reviews for The Secret Order of the Gumm Street Girls

[schmapp_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was an enjoyable read with a twist on The Wizard of Oz. These girls and unlikely friends who are thrown together. A light, wonderful read.

[maisiefinn · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I really, really enjoyed this book. First, I thought that the author was a beginner, making mistakes of grammar, and word choices. I was wrong. This is a great mix of The Wizard of Oz and [a little] of Lemony Snickett's 'Series of Unfortunate Events', and Coraline. I really, really, really, loved this book. It's so great to find books you love, isn't it?Maybe this book would make an exciting movie!!

[jalenv_2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Ms. Delany does a very nice job of narrating The Secret Order of the Gumm Street Girls, which is a fun book for fans of both the Oz books and the classic MGM movie. I don't know how I'd have reacted to this book had I heard it when I was in third grade, back when my parents gave me an omnibus volume of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and The Land of Oz. Still, the things I know now that I didn't then made me appreciate a number of references Ms. Primavera sprinkled throughout the book. (Okay, I didn't realize the significance of the street being named 'Gumm' until CD two. So sue.) As promised on the back cover, the four girls don't like each other at the start. (I think the Gumms have plenty to answer for in rearing Pru to be such a Nervous Nellie. As for Cat's parents, I shudder to think what some of those names they inflicted on their sons might affect their future careers. I was a child during the 1960s and Lynette Lemonjello's translation of the I Ching made me wince. Their house sounds great, though.)The way the four girls were brought together for the adventure was interesting, especially after the evil witch really got her claws into them, figuratively speaking. The way two of the villains were dealt with was very enjoyable. I'm glad I checked this book out.

[krumbs_1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

The story started out well enough. The four girls are wonderfully individual and the writing is entertaining. Then they go to Oz. Really--they're taken to Oz. Why can't people write their own stories without depending on worlds already established by other people? Ugh. And it was a surprise; no hint on the cover copy or elsewhere mentioning that this was going to be an Oz story. Disappointing.