The Scarecrow of Oz

This is an interesting story but not the favorite of my Oz stories. It's a little weird for Oz but if it weren't an Oz story it would be fine. That being said my kids (8 & 12) still like it and if you're reading the Oz books then it's important to read them in order even if it means reading the ones that are only so-so. We read outloud to all of our kids as the last thing before bed. We began this book by checking it out at the library and only got it as an ebook because we were going on vacation. This free ebook has no pictures but the pictures in this book are really wonderful so if you're looking to have this as an ebook forever to read on an ipad or Kindle fire then I would suggest buying the paid version with the pictures (the black and white kindle wouldn't do it justice).

There are no pictures in this edition at all. Most, maybe all, of the original editions did have some pictures, which I would have liked to have seen. Also, as with the other free editions in this series, there are many typographical errors, mainly misspellings. There is also the occasional bit of text that's randomly bold for no apparent reason. I suspect that a printed copy of the book was scanned and run through OCR, with no follow-up accuracy check. The story itself is pretty good. Although all of this series is clearly written for children, it's entertaining enough for adults to enjoy reading as well. But as an adult, I couldn't help but notice that many of the characters in all of these Oz stories, including the central characters, are often conceited, arrogant, and rude, yet at the same time, quite polite about it.

Later in his career, L. Frank Baum became frustrated that his other titles never sold quite as well as his Oz books. In fact, he tried to end the series with The Emerald City of Oz [Illustrated ] going as far as to title the last chapter "How the story of Oz came to an end." Pressure from his fans coupled with financial concerns forced Baum to rethink this, and it wasn't long before he began writing Oz books again, but several of his latter books were attempts to introduce his other characters to readers by including "Oz" in the title. Rinkitink in Oz [Illustrated ] for instance, despite the title, takes place almost exclusively in other realms. There are no Oz characters, and Oz itself doesn't come into play, until the very end. While The Scarecrow of Oz does take place mostly in Oz, Baum uses it as a vehicle to introduce Trot and Cap'n Bill, first introduced in The Sea Fairies , to his Oz readers. Despite the title, the book is more than half over before the Scarecrow makes an appearance. Still, the book is fun and the action starts right at the beginning with Trot and the Cap'n being pulled under the sea by a whirlpool and trapped in an underwater cave. If you are purchasing this book because you want to read more about the Scarecrow you are liable to be disappointed, at least for the first half of the story. If you are looking for a fun Oz book with new and likable characters, however, this book is for you. Even if it is not full of Scarecrow, it is still full of magic and wonder. Mike LaMontagne, author of The Wizard of Oz: Dark Witch trilogy

In the pantheon of L. Frank Baum's brillian Oz series, I'm afraid I've got to mark this book down as just a so-so entry. It probably would have appealed to me more were it not for the grossly misleading title, "The Scarecrow of Oz." The titular character doesn't appear until about page 150 of a 260-page book, for starters, and while he certainly plays an important part in the events that follow, the book is not really about him at all. Instead it's the story of Trot and Cap'n Bill, two of Baum's non-Oz characters, being swept away to the land of Oz for the first time. For much of the book the story follows the formula of the most lackluster Oz books -- characters get lost in a magical fairy land and meet lots of strange and interesting creatures -- but it picks up when they enter Jinxland and are forced to face down King Krewl. The plus for this book would be that I'm now more inclined to go back and read the two Trot and Cap'n Bill books that preceded this one. I do admire the way Baum laced his various characters together into a cohesive universe of his own, even if he was practically forced to by the demands of his young readers. I just wish he'd found a way to express what this book was really about a little better.

When I was a young Oz zealot, this was one of the books that I found the most disappointing--only because my beloved Scarecrow was not in the book enough for my taste. After all, the title promises that this book will be all about the Scarecrow--but it's not (unlike "The Tin Woodman of Oz," which is completely focused on the title character). Alas, our stuffed man only comes in towards the end of this book to save the day. Of course, as usual with any story written by Baum, there is plenty to recommend this tale. I particularly enjoyed the return of a wicked witch to the series (in the form of Blinkie) and John R. Neill's illustrations are excellent and, as is so often the case with the Oz books, really contribute to the story. I just wish we had a bit more of our Scarecrow in this one!

Haven't read it yet.

Fits the blue print of all the OZ books. Do recommend reading them as quite different from the movie in story.

this is the ninth book in the amazing series written by L. Frank Baum. Baum is a master at creating mystery and adventure and he has consistently done that in most of the books in this series. All of them are so interesting. Not just for kids but also for some adults who want to read different kind of fiction. Baum has been known to like this book the most as his personal favourite for the amount of time it took him to write this one and the new stages, plots and characters he introduced. Believe me guys, this one is different. The story is simple. This is about Captain Bill and Trot's journey to Oz and with the help of the Scarecrow, the former ruler of Oz, overthrow the villainous King Krewl of Jinxland. Captain Bill and Trot had previously appeared in two other novels by Baum, The Sea Fairies and Sky Island. The whole plot and writing is quite gripping and you wouldn't want to put the book.

Great eBook quality for your Kindle collection