Product Description

A brilliantly funny and moving tale of friendship from the multi-award winning, highly acclaimed Philip Pullman.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #289227 in Books
• Published on: 2007-05-08
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 240 pages

From the Inside Flap
One night there was a thunderstorm. A tattered scarecrow stood in the wind and rain, taking no notice ... until a bolt of lightning struck his turnip head. The scarecrow blinked with surprise and came to life.

So begins the story of the Scarecrow, a courteous but pea-brained fellow with grand ideas. He meets a boy, Jack, who becomes his faithful servant. Leaving behind his usual bird-scaring duties, the Scarecrow sets out for Spring Valley, with Jack at his side. Along the way there's no end of excitement, not least avoiding the many members of the crooked Buffaloni family. As the valiant scarecrow plunges them into terrifying dangers - pirates and treasure islands, brigands and broken hearts - it's up to Jack time after time to save the day.

A dramatic tale full of twists and turns, surprises and silliness - just as one would expect from one of the most consummate storytellers writing today.

From the Back Cover
'I have a proposition to make. Here you are, an honest and willing youth, and here am I, a scarecrow of enterprise and talent. What would you say if I offered you the position of my personal servant?'

About the Author
Philip Pullman:
Philip Pullman is one of the most highly acclaimed children’s authors of the decade. He has been on the shortlist of just about every major children’s book award in the last few years, and has won the Smarties Prize (Gold Award, 9-11 age category) for THE FIREWORK-MAKER'S DAUGHTER and the prestigious Carnegie Medal for NORTHERN LIGHTS. He was the first children’s author ever to win the Whitbread Prize for his novel THE AMBER SPYGLASS.

Customer Reviews

Great read
Philip Pullman is another one of these authors that will always write a great book on any subject. This book is a very good and close to perfect and is worth reading.

Near perfect.
Philip Pullman is quickly becoming the most important children's writer of not only this time, but of all time. With 'His Dark Materials' he helped give critical credibility to the genre and inspired young readers with with his fantasic multiple universes and daemons. But is perhaps his ability to speak to children on their level that Pullman really sets himself apart from the rest.

In 'Scarecrow' Pullman not only deals with friendship and what it means to be a friend but he also brings into question the nature of captilaism. But this is never done in a manner that could be considered preaching. He paints a picture and then lets the audience make up their minds thus giving children the respect they deserve.

On the whole this is a quaint, enjoyable tale. The pce is rip roaring, the prose crisp and to the point while the geography of the text is astounding for such a short work. If it wasn't for the ending 'Scarecrow' would certainly have deserved the full fivestars. As it is the climax is arguably the most stilted part of the book. The element of believability seems to fade slightly - only slightly - but it puts a downer on an otherwise great book that will, no doubt, be read for years. And if I seem like I'm nit picking then Pullman only has himself to blame. If he hadn't set such high standards with his previous work then we wouldn't expect so bloody much, would we?! I look forward to his next release as ever

The kind of story you'd love to have invented yourself
I read this to my two sons age 10 and 8 as a change from their own reading. We all loved it. Everyone reviewing him defaults to Pullman's merits as "a storyteller"- but you just cant avoid admiring the beautiful characterisations, imaginative locations (that dreamlike otherworldliness in just about all his work), and perfect pace. Reading this aloud was a treat- the dialogue is light and flows (in stark contrast to JKR!) and the pace is well judged throughout. The storyline (a scarecrow who comes to life and deems to take on a rootless boy through a series of risky confrontations) places this book firmly for kids who love a good yarn, (and adults who love a good childrens book).