User:The Magical Scarecrows

The Magical Scarecrows were originally written by Lynn Santer Lynn Santer when she was only nine years old. At the time she sent the stories to a publisher who told her that her story was good but her content wasn't long enough. Twenty-five years later, with her first best seller under her belt ("Sins of Life" now reprinted and available on Amazon: Sins of Life) when Lynn's sister fell pregnant she rewrote the stories for her sister's children. The premise of the stories is that Mother Earth has breathed life into a Magical Scarecrow in each country to do what humans are largely not doing, to look after the planet, the environment and the animals. With stories set alternately in England and Australia, two Magical Scarecrows embark on a series of compelling adventures while each secretly hides their sadness at believing they are alone in the world. When their animal friends discover this a call goes out through migratory birds to find their straw-filled saviours a friend.

Each story contains light social, historical and cultural lessons, while also designed to teach children vocabulary beyond the years of age that the stories are designed for.

As Lynn's nephews grew they became enchanted by her stories, sharing them with their friends, and Lynn gradually became known as "Auntie Lynn" to one and all.

Early in 2007 with a string of thrillers and non-fiction authorised biographies to her name (including the remarkable stories of such diverse personalities as Australia's first "Crocodile Hunter" wild man, and wildlife warrior, the iconic folk hero, Alby Mangels, in "Alby Mangels Beyond World Safari" Alby Mangels Beyond World Safari and the life story of Saddam Hussein's former personal pilot "Farewell Brave Babylon" Farewell Brave Babylon) Lynn decided to give something back to society. With her nephews written permission, Auntie Lynn had her Magical Scarecrows stories professionally edited, illustrated and produced to give away for free to children's charities (although her nephews, Lachlan and Joshua O'Brien, insisted on contributing opening chapter illustrations that they sketched themselves).

Auntie Lynn says her non-too-thinly-veiled hidden agenda was to pass on her love of the wildlife to the next generation, but in a burgeoning global philanthropic program that has become known as "The Magical Scarecrows Kids Who Read Succeed" campaign, these free books help needy and suffering children with the vital skill of literacy while also bringing joy to those less advantaged with an annual donation of free books across the world during the Christmas holiday season. This offer almost bankrupted Lynn, so enormous was the demand.

To alleviate the financial pressure Auntie Lynn contacted many of her celebrity friends, who were just as enchanted by the stories as her nephews had been. Many agreed to record individual chapter readings of the stories for DVD sales in a new endeavour which became known as "The Stars Read the Scarecrows". With exclusive music composed for the readings by Daniel Rojas and Dan Ward, and beautiful illustrations by Jean Thomas, many superstars recorded stories for commercial production, including Alfred Hitchcock's legendary star of "The Birds" Tippi Hedren (a close friend of Auntie Lynn's through their shared passion for big cat conservation, see: Land of the Free novel and Land of the Free non-fiction back story on You Tube), acclaimed Australian veteran star of stage and screen, Barry Crocker, pop music legend Leo Sayer, Lynn's "Passion for Peace" team (see: Passion for Peace), Aria Award Winning Australian Idol Cosima De Vito, Dr Who girl Katy Manning, and others (see: The Magical Scarecrows online shop).

With so much celebrity support, Auntie Lynn soon expanded her philanthropic offerings through The Magical Scarecrows to include "The Magical Scarecrows Let's Make Magic for a Day" program (an annual celebrity variety spectacular for disabled and disadvantaged children) and "The Magical Scarecrows Stars With Hearts International Celebrity T-Shirt Relay" (see both initiatives here: The Magical Scarecrows Let's Make Magic for a Day). Her efforts were rewarded with a nomination for the prestigious "Pride of Australia" medal and are attracting ever increasing celebrity support.

The international celebrity T-Shirt relay was so popular it attracted the attention and support of such superstars as Jackie Chan, Hugh Jackman, Priscilla Presley, Jeffrey Archer, Virginia McKenna OBE, and many, many others.

In 2010 Auntie Lynn's "Let's Make Magic for a Day" event is, for the first time, joining forces with the RSPCA's annual "Million Paws Walk", finally bringing "The Magical Scarecrows" back where they belong - into the world of animal welfare and helping to care for all creatures great and small. "The magical connection between animals and children is obvious," says Auntie Lynn. "The RSPCA have been on a campaign for some time to demonstrate that people who abuse animals often also abuse children, and therefore penalties for such abuse should be far more serious. There is also the well-documented therapeutical connection between animals and the ailing." In addition to this, Auntie Lynn has invited children from the charities she supports through her "Let's Make Magic for a Day" events (from The Leukaemia Foundation, Camp Quality and Paradise Kids) to write short stories about their favourite animals and draw a picture of them. These stories will form the basis of a new Magical Scarecrows book especially produced for the RSPCA, while encouraging children to think and write creatively and inspiring them with the knowledge that whatever ailment, disability, or hardship they may be suffering, they can still do something useful to help others. "It's truly a magical marriage made in heaven," says Auntie Lynn.

Many other books and ancillary merchandise have now been produced in The Magical Scarecrows range, which Auntie Lynn hopes will one day be available in Disney style retail stores around the world, with two key differentiators that she is keeping silent about for now. She also hopes her nephews will take over the blossoming empire and continue her good work in perpetuity.