Books About Scarecrows

Scarecrows have been used by farmers to protect their crops for thousands of years. Europeans who emigrated to the US during the 18th century brought their custom of making scarecrows that resembled humans. They dressed their scarecrows in worn-out pants, shirts and coats, placed old hats on heads stuffed with straw, and tied red handkerchiefs around their necks. They called these scarecrows bootzamon or bogeyman.

While today’s farmers no longer rely on scarecrows to protect their crops, the scarecrow has become a symbol of the fall harvest season. Celebrate the season with some of these fun stories featuring scarecrows:

The Scarecrow by Beth Ferry

The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything by Linda Williams

Hello, Harvest Moon by Ralph Fletcher

Barn Dance! (Reading Rainbow Books) by Bill Martin

The Farm That Mac Built by Tammi Sauer

Samurai Scarecrow: A Very Ninja Halloween by Rubin Pingk

Otis and the Scarecrow (Otis) by Loren Long

The Scarecrow's Dance by Jane Yolen

Scarecrow Magic by Ed Masessa

There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed Some Leaves! (There Was an Old Lady) by Lucille Colandro

The Scarecrow Walks at Midnight (Classic Goosebumps #16) by R L Stine

The Secret of the Scarecrow (Nancy Drew and the Clue Crew #36) by Carolyn Keene

The Case of the Haunted Scarecrow (Jigsaw Jones Mysteries) by James Preller

Flat Stanley and the Missing Pumpkins by Jeff Brown

Dark Waters (Small Spaces #3) by Katherine Arden