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The Willoughbys #1
The Willoughbys
Abandoned by their ill-humored parents to the care of an odious nanny, Tim, the twins, Barnaby A and Barnaby B, and their sister, Jane, attempt to fulfill their roles as good oldfashioned children. Following the models set in lauded tales from A Christmas Carol to Mary Poppins, the four Willoughbys hope to attain their proscribed happy ending too, or at least a satisfyingly maudlin one. However, it is an unquestionably ruthless act that sets in motion the transformations that lead to their salvation and to happy endings for not only the four children, but their nanny, an abandoned baby, a candy magnate, and his long-lost son too. Replete with a tongue-in-cheek glossary and bibliography, this hilarious and decidedly old-fashioned parody pays playful homage to classic works of children’s literature.
174 pages, Hardcover
First published March 31, 2008
About the author
Lois Lowry
135 books21.9k followersTaken from Lowry's website:
"I’ve always felt that I was fortunate to have been born the middle child of three. My older sister, Helen, was very much like our mother: gentle, family-oriented, eager to please. Little brother Jon was the only boy and had interests that he shared with Dad; together they were always working on electric trains and erector sets; and later, when Jon was older, they always seemed to have their heads under the raised hood of a car. That left me in-between, and exactly where I wanted most to be: on my own. I was a solitary child who lived in the world of books and my own vivid imagination.
Because my father was a career military officer - an Army dentist - I lived all over the world. I was born in Hawaii, moved from there to New York, spent the years of World War II in my mother’s hometown: Carlisle, Pennsylvania, and from there went to Tokyo when I was eleven. High school was back in New York City, but by the time I went to college (Brown University in Rhode Island), my family was living in Washington, D.C.
I married young. I had just turned nineteen - just finished my sophomore year in college - when I married a Naval officer and continued the odyssey that military life requires. California. Connecticut (a daughter born there). Florida (a son). South Carolina. Finally Cambridge, Massachusetts, when my husband left the service and entered Harvard Law School (another daughter; another son) and then to Maine - by now with four children under the age of five in tow. My children grew up in Maine. So did I. I returned to college at the University of Southern Maine, got my degree, went to graduate school, and finally began to write professionally, the thing I had dreamed of doing since those childhood years when I had endlessly scribbled stories and poems in notebooks.
After my marriage ended in 1977, when I was forty, I settled into the life I have lived ever since. Today I am back in Cambridge, Massachusetts, living and writing in a house dominated by a very shaggy Tibetan Terrier named Bandit. For a change of scenery Martin and I spend time in Maine, where we have an old (it was built in 1768!) farmhouse on top of a hill. In Maine I garden, feed birds, entertain friends, and read...
My books have varied in content and style. Yet it seems that all of them deal, essentially, with the same general theme: the importance of human connections. A Summer to Die, my first book, was a highly fictionalized retelling of the early death of my sister, and of the effect of such a loss on a family. Number the Stars, set in a different culture and era, tells the same story: that of the role that we humans play in the lives of our fellow beings.
The Giver - and Gathering Blue, and the newest in the trilogy: Messenger - take place against the background of very different cultures and times. Though all three are broader in scope than my earlier books, they nonetheless speak to the same concern: the vital need of people to be aware of their interdependence, not only with each other, but with the world and its environment.
My older son was a fighter pilot in the United States Air Force. His death in the cockpit of a warplane tore away a piece of my world. But it left me, too, with a wish to honor him by joining the many others trying to find a way to end conflict on this very fragile earth.
I am a grandmother now. For my own grandchildren - and for all those of their generation - I try, through writing, to convey my passionate awareness that we live intertwined on this planet and that our future depends upon our caring more, and doing more, for one another."
"I’ve always felt that I was fortunate to have been born the middle child of three. My older sister, Helen, was very much like our mother: gentle, family-oriented, eager to please. Little brother Jon was the only boy and had interests that he shared with Dad; together they were always working on electric trains and erector sets; and later, when Jon was older, they always seemed to have their heads under the raised hood of a car. That left me in-between, and exactly where I wanted most to be: on my own. I was a solitary child who lived in the world of books and my own vivid imagination.
Because my father was a career military officer - an Army dentist - I lived all over the world. I was born in Hawaii, moved from there to New York, spent the years of World War II in my mother’s hometown: Carlisle, Pennsylvania, and from there went to Tokyo when I was eleven. High school was back in New York City, but by the time I went to college (Brown University in Rhode Island), my family was living in Washington, D.C.
I married young. I had just turned nineteen - just finished my sophomore year in college - when I married a Naval officer and continued the odyssey that military life requires. California. Connecticut (a daughter born there). Florida (a son). South Carolina. Finally Cambridge, Massachusetts, when my husband left the service and entered Harvard Law School (another daughter; another son) and then to Maine - by now with four children under the age of five in tow. My children grew up in Maine. So did I. I returned to college at the University of Southern Maine, got my degree, went to graduate school, and finally began to write professionally, the thing I had dreamed of doing since those childhood years when I had endlessly scribbled stories and poems in notebooks.
After my marriage ended in 1977, when I was forty, I settled into the life I have lived ever since. Today I am back in Cambridge, Massachusetts, living and writing in a house dominated by a very shaggy Tibetan Terrier named Bandit. For a change of scenery Martin and I spend time in Maine, where we have an old (it was built in 1768!) farmhouse on top of a hill. In Maine I garden, feed birds, entertain friends, and read...
My books have varied in content and style. Yet it seems that all of them deal, essentially, with the same general theme: the importance of human connections. A Summer to Die, my first book, was a highly fictionalized retelling of the early death of my sister, and of the effect of such a loss on a family. Number the Stars, set in a different culture and era, tells the same story: that of the role that we humans play in the lives of our fellow beings.
The Giver - and Gathering Blue, and the newest in the trilogy: Messenger - take place against the background of very different cultures and times. Though all three are broader in scope than my earlier books, they nonetheless speak to the same concern: the vital need of people to be aware of their interdependence, not only with each other, but with the world and its environment.
My older son was a fighter pilot in the United States Air Force. His death in the cockpit of a warplane tore away a piece of my world. But it left me, too, with a wish to honor him by joining the many others trying to find a way to end conflict on this very fragile earth.
I am a grandmother now. For my own grandchildren - and for all those of their generation - I try, through writing, to convey my passionate awareness that we live intertwined on this planet and that our future depends upon our caring more, and doing more, for one another."
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April 17, 2023This is one of the best things I've read all year. It is my new favorite book. So smart and funny, I read it with--I swear--a real smile on my face the entire time AND I laughed out loud. That might have had something to do with the small kitten I have who fell asleep upside down on my shoulder while I was reading it but not entirely. I want to own this book (mine came from the library) and to give it to everyone I know, especially any children I know. Hmm...
I was hooked when I read the author's little bio* on the back flap before I read anything else. And then I was really smitten when I read one of many memorable lines, this one at the beginning, about the mother: Once she read a book but found it distasteful because it contained adjectives.
In the end, Lowry writes a glossary which includes an entry for the word "glossary": GLOSSARY means an alphabetical list of terms and their meanings, usually at the end of a book. Hey! We are right smack in the middle of a glossary right now!
I also appreciate the bibliography at the end of the book which serves of course as a resource but also honors many classic, old-fashioned children's stories which are referenced by the well-read Willoughby children.
*Influenced in her childhood by a mother who insisted on surrounding her with books instead of roller skates and jump ropes, Lois Lowry grew up lacking fresh air and exercise but with a keen understanding of plot, character, and setting. Every morning she opened the front door hoping to find an orphaned infant in a wicker basket. Alas, her hopes were always dashed and her dreams thwarted. She compensates by writing books. Today she is a wizened, reclusive old woman who sits hunched over her desk thinking obsessively about the placement of commas.
(Lavender, Arpeggio, and Noxzema)
I was hooked when I read the author's little bio* on the back flap before I read anything else. And then I was really smitten when I read one of many memorable lines, this one at the beginning, about the mother: Once she read a book but found it distasteful because it contained adjectives.
In the end, Lowry writes a glossary which includes an entry for the word "glossary": GLOSSARY means an alphabetical list of terms and their meanings, usually at the end of a book. Hey! We are right smack in the middle of a glossary right now!
I also appreciate the bibliography at the end of the book which serves of course as a resource but also honors many classic, old-fashioned children's stories which are referenced by the well-read Willoughby children.
*Influenced in her childhood by a mother who insisted on surrounding her with books instead of roller skates and jump ropes, Lois Lowry grew up lacking fresh air and exercise but with a keen understanding of plot, character, and setting. Every morning she opened the front door hoping to find an orphaned infant in a wicker basket. Alas, her hopes were always dashed and her dreams thwarted. She compensates by writing books. Today she is a wizened, reclusive old woman who sits hunched over her desk thinking obsessively about the placement of commas.
(Lavender, Arpeggio, and Noxzema)
September 16, 2008
As a scholar of 18th and 19th century children's literature, I was immediately drawn to a book purporting to be a parody of "old fashioned" books. But I was unimpressed by Lowry's actual novel. Perhaps because I had in mind a definition of parody that means something beyond just a "funny" imitation; most parodies are written to ridicule or satirize the genre they imitate. Lowry's book doesn't imitate to critique, or to satirize. Or perhaps it is because Lowry's idea of "old fashioned book" is just a broad one, stretching from Dickens and Charlotte Bronte to Roald Dahl, that her "parody" doesn't really hold together. The book seems confused about just what it is making fun of -- mean parents? Sexist children? Improbable events? Latent sexual content? -- and the fact that it ends happily, as do all of the old fashioned books she makes fun of, seems to belie its parodic nature. Or perhaps it is just because many of the "old fashioned" books she draws upon would not be a part of many contemporary children's reading matter, making the audience for her book more of an adult than a child audience. All in all, I'd take E. Nesbit's THE STORY OF THE TREASURE SEEKERS, or Lemony Snicket's work, over this confused volume...
July 17, 2023
This book really made me smile! It was a witty, charming, and pleasantly bizarre quick read. I cannot believe I missed this one as a child! It would have easily became one of my most memorable and favorite reads!
The Willoughbys really pushed my dark humor button! The plot was simple yet hilarious and entertaining. The Willoughby children have selfish parents that don’t want them; therefore, a plot is devised amongst the children and the parents to get rid of each other. Reminiscent of a dark fairy tale mixed with a sprinkle of Lemony Snicket and a dash of Roald Dahl magic, the Willoughbys checks off all the necessary boxes.
Although this book wrapped up super nicely, I still think I’ll read the sequel – The Willoughbys Return. And I’ll most definitely watch the 2020 Netflix film adaptation of The Willoughbys!
The Willoughbys really pushed my dark humor button! The plot was simple yet hilarious and entertaining. The Willoughby children have selfish parents that don’t want them; therefore, a plot is devised amongst the children and the parents to get rid of each other. Reminiscent of a dark fairy tale mixed with a sprinkle of Lemony Snicket and a dash of Roald Dahl magic, the Willoughbys checks off all the necessary boxes.
Although this book wrapped up super nicely, I still think I’ll read the sequel – The Willoughbys Return. And I’ll most definitely watch the 2020 Netflix film adaptation of The Willoughbys!
January 19, 2008
As in all good old-fashioned stories, this one involves the four Willoughby children. There is Tim, the oldest, who is very bossy. Jane is the youngest and has a hard time sticking up for herself. And then there are the twins A and B. The children are essentially good kids, but their parents are the worst sorts. Negligent and wasteful, they concoct a plan to leave on vacation and sell their house while they're gone (hopefully ridding themselves of the children in the meantime). To the young Willoughbys' aid comes a nanny of remarkable talents, a rich but sad benefactor, and a host of odd characters. In the end a happy medium is reached and everyone is happy, though perhaps not in the way you might expect.
When Lemony Snicket referenced works of children’s literature from the past in his own books he did so with the express purpose of showing how orphans in dire straits are more appealing when they are miserable than when they are happy. He was eventually able to mold this into larger themes touching on ideas like “What does it mean to be good?” and “To what extent are you culpable when you engage in an evil act, no matter how pure your intentions might be?” “The Willoughbys” does not stretch so far and, in fact, takes an entirely different tactic altogether. I’ll admit that for the first twenty or thirty pages of this book I felt that I was reading a slightly skewed Unfortunate Event. Then, all at once, it hit me. This wasn’t a Lemony Snicket knock-off! This is a book that reveals the ludicrous nature of any classic work of children’s fiction. It plays with the tropes like they were taffy in the hand. Orphaned babies, malevolent parents, sad rich benefactors, it’s all here. There are more hearts of gold than you can shake a fist at, but all the while you get the distinct feeling that Lowry is playing with you. She is perfectly aware of what she is doing and whether she intends to or not, she’s making a mockery of those current children’s novels that purposefully try to invoke the staid seriousness and style of classic literature from the past.
If I were a person prone to predictions, I might say that this is precisely the kind of book that is going to divide people. Some parents are going to enjoy this book tremendously (particularly those that make it to the Glossary at the back). However, there are just as many people out there who are going to take one swift glance at the Willoughby children’s heartfelt desire for dead parents and flip out. Kids who cheer on the deaths of their parental units do not always charm the hearts and minds of readers everywhere, I am afraid. Even when the parents deserve it entirely it’s still unnerving to hear a sweet six-year-old girl implore, “do let’s wish for a helicopter-and-volcano disaster!” It’s utterly silly but not everyone will get the joke.
If you stick with this book you’re bound to enjoy it. And if children can enjoy the massive hoards of pseudo-Victorian/Gothic novellas currently being churned out then they’ll probably get a lot of the jokes in this book. They’ll love the boy who doesn’t speak German but thinks that he can (“Schlee you later, alligatorplatz!”), and the nanny that disguises herself as an Aphrodite statue to scare off potential buyers of the Willoughbys’ home. It’s a great book for kids and adults alike. Perhaps it is not for all takers, but those with a keen sense of humor and a taste for the bizarre will enjoy this winsome tale of the beastly, the diabolical, the irascible, and the unkempt. An auspicious departure.
When Lemony Snicket referenced works of children’s literature from the past in his own books he did so with the express purpose of showing how orphans in dire straits are more appealing when they are miserable than when they are happy. He was eventually able to mold this into larger themes touching on ideas like “What does it mean to be good?” and “To what extent are you culpable when you engage in an evil act, no matter how pure your intentions might be?” “The Willoughbys” does not stretch so far and, in fact, takes an entirely different tactic altogether. I’ll admit that for the first twenty or thirty pages of this book I felt that I was reading a slightly skewed Unfortunate Event. Then, all at once, it hit me. This wasn’t a Lemony Snicket knock-off! This is a book that reveals the ludicrous nature of any classic work of children’s fiction. It plays with the tropes like they were taffy in the hand. Orphaned babies, malevolent parents, sad rich benefactors, it’s all here. There are more hearts of gold than you can shake a fist at, but all the while you get the distinct feeling that Lowry is playing with you. She is perfectly aware of what she is doing and whether she intends to or not, she’s making a mockery of those current children’s novels that purposefully try to invoke the staid seriousness and style of classic literature from the past.
If I were a person prone to predictions, I might say that this is precisely the kind of book that is going to divide people. Some parents are going to enjoy this book tremendously (particularly those that make it to the Glossary at the back). However, there are just as many people out there who are going to take one swift glance at the Willoughby children’s heartfelt desire for dead parents and flip out. Kids who cheer on the deaths of their parental units do not always charm the hearts and minds of readers everywhere, I am afraid. Even when the parents deserve it entirely it’s still unnerving to hear a sweet six-year-old girl implore, “do let’s wish for a helicopter-and-volcano disaster!” It’s utterly silly but not everyone will get the joke.
If you stick with this book you’re bound to enjoy it. And if children can enjoy the massive hoards of pseudo-Victorian/Gothic novellas currently being churned out then they’ll probably get a lot of the jokes in this book. They’ll love the boy who doesn’t speak German but thinks that he can (“Schlee you later, alligatorplatz!”), and the nanny that disguises herself as an Aphrodite statue to scare off potential buyers of the Willoughbys’ home. It’s a great book for kids and adults alike. Perhaps it is not for all takers, but those with a keen sense of humor and a taste for the bizarre will enjoy this winsome tale of the beastly, the diabolical, the irascible, and the unkempt. An auspicious departure.
August 31, 2020
This is such a clever little book! Lois Lowry is like Roald Dahl and Lemony Snicket with a delightful twist. Such a well-plotted story and full of humor for both young and old. Would make a delightful read aloud in an elementary classroom. Lowry even makes her glossary super entertaining. Take this nugget for example:
"OBSTRUCTION is something--or someone--that causes a blockage or a hindrance. Once, years ago, I had to call a plumber because there was an obstruction in my bathtub drain, and it turned out that my two-year-old had stuffed his toy snake down the pipe. Unrelated to plumbing, "obstruction of justice" is actually a crime, if you do it on purpose, and a lot of people seem to."
See what I mean? Now I really want to watch the animated movie on Netflix! And watch out for the sequel "The Willoughbys Return" to be released in September of this year. Yay!
"OBSTRUCTION is something--or someone--that causes a blockage or a hindrance. Once, years ago, I had to call a plumber because there was an obstruction in my bathtub drain, and it turned out that my two-year-old had stuffed his toy snake down the pipe. Unrelated to plumbing, "obstruction of justice" is actually a crime, if you do it on purpose, and a lot of people seem to."
See what I mean? Now I really want to watch the animated movie on Netflix! And watch out for the sequel "The Willoughbys Return" to be released in September of this year. Yay!
August 1, 2020
Dark, sarcastic humour done cleverly for middle graders. A perfect read aloud choice if you want to get kids giggling - I certainly was!
November 3, 2024
A funny little gem of a book parodying such children's classics as The Bobbsey Twins and Anne of Green Gables. High self-referential, it even contains a list at the end of the book of the books mentioned or parodied.
Read aloud to the kids 2024, we all loved it!
Read aloud to the kids 2024, we all loved it!
June 7, 2020
9.5 out of 10
A sarcastic tale with very intelligent humor that makes fun of cliches and cliched itself in a very original manner. A must-read.
February 9, 2021
I was super torn between liking the message of the book and hating the parents.
December 7, 2021
Favori yazarım: Lois Lowry
Oldukça ilginç, sıcak, keyifli ve tüm iplerin itinayla birbirine bağlandığı kısa bir kitaptı. Çocuk kitabı diyemeyeceğim, hatta "şu yaş için uygundur" bile diyemeyeceğim ama sanıyorum 11-12 yaş sonrası bundan keyif alır. İçinde kötülük de vardı ama sevgi ve naiflik hepsinin üstünü beyaz bir mendille örttü.
Lois Lowry'nin dili çok güzel ama bir alkış da çevirmen Pınar Atik için. Bazı "yerelleştirilmesi" gereken kısımları (Ruth'un adı gibi) oldukça başarıyla yapmış ki bazı uyarlamalarına da çok güldüm diyebilirim. Kurguyu biraz Jules Verne'vari buldum, hatta Bayan Branican'a oldukça benzettim ama bu tabi hikayeden daha da fazla keyif almamı sağladı.
Mesajcı ve Oğul'u da okuduktan sonra maalesef dilimizdeki tüm kitaplarını okumuş olacağım ama neyse ki ikisi de kitaplığımda bekliyor.
Bu arada Willoughby'nin Ohio'da 22.000 nüfuslu bir ilçe olduğunu öğrendikten sonra bir de baktım ki The Willoughby's adında Netflix'te bir de çizgi film varmış (yay!)
Rob Buyea ve Lois Lowry'nin yazdıklarına benzer, böyle çocuk kitaplarını çok seviyorum ve öneriniz varsa memnuniyetle araştırırım.
Herkese keyifli okumalar!
Oldukça ilginç, sıcak, keyifli ve tüm iplerin itinayla birbirine bağlandığı kısa bir kitaptı. Çocuk kitabı diyemeyeceğim, hatta "şu yaş için uygundur" bile diyemeyeceğim ama sanıyorum 11-12 yaş sonrası bundan keyif alır. İçinde kötülük de vardı ama sevgi ve naiflik hepsinin üstünü beyaz bir mendille örttü.
Lois Lowry'nin dili çok güzel ama bir alkış da çevirmen Pınar Atik için. Bazı "yerelleştirilmesi" gereken kısımları (Ruth'un adı gibi) oldukça başarıyla yapmış ki bazı uyarlamalarına da çok güldüm diyebilirim. Kurguyu biraz Jules Verne'vari buldum, hatta Bayan Branican'a oldukça benzettim ama bu tabi hikayeden daha da fazla keyif almamı sağladı.
Mesajcı ve Oğul'u da okuduktan sonra maalesef dilimizdeki tüm kitaplarını okumuş olacağım ama neyse ki ikisi de kitaplığımda bekliyor.
Bu arada Willoughby'nin Ohio'da 22.000 nüfuslu bir ilçe olduğunu öğrendikten sonra bir de baktım ki The Willoughby's adında Netflix'te bir de çizgi film varmış (yay!)
Rob Buyea ve Lois Lowry'nin yazdıklarına benzer, böyle çocuk kitaplarını çok seviyorum ve öneriniz varsa memnuniyetle araştırırım.
Herkese keyifli okumalar!
February 19, 2021
4.5 ⭐
I like more the movie.
4 brothers are trying to get rid of their parents because they are neglected and it is hard to bare it.
I like more the movie.
4 brothers are trying to get rid of their parents because they are neglected and it is hard to bare it.
October 29, 2011
What an odd little book. The Willoughbys is a sort of parody of "old fashioned" children's books. The children are hoping that their parents will be killed in a dangerous around the world trip, and the parents are hoping to sell the home out from under the children and have them cast out into the street before they return. There's also an abandoned baby, a wealthy benefactor, and a nanny who whips the children into shape.
It's impossible to read this book without comparing it to Lemony Snicket and Roald Dahl. And if you are familiar with them, and with the greater body of classic children's fiction that Lowry draws from, it's a pretty funny read. But that does limit the audience quite a bit. Possibly the best part is the lengthy glossary at the end.
This isn't quite A Series of Unfortunate Events, but it is a fun little side read.
It's impossible to read this book without comparing it to Lemony Snicket and Roald Dahl. And if you are familiar with them, and with the greater body of classic children's fiction that Lowry draws from, it's a pretty funny read. But that does limit the audience quite a bit. Possibly the best part is the lengthy glossary at the end.
This isn't quite A Series of Unfortunate Events, but it is a fun little side read.
August 11, 2018
The Willoughbys is a short novel about a group of kids who decide to become orphans. However, their plans are interrupted when their parents leave and find a nanny to keep an eye on her.
I was quite surprised with how much I enjoyed reading this book. I've read it in a couple of hours, and I was left with wanting to read more about the adventures of these kids. A short and hilarious novel that brought me back into the days when I was a kid.
I was quite surprised with how much I enjoyed reading this book. I've read it in a couple of hours, and I was left with wanting to read more about the adventures of these kids. A short and hilarious novel that brought me back into the days when I was a kid.
December 31, 2020
What a delightful little book. I had a feeling it would be. Beneath the title, the phrase “Nafariously Written & Ignominously Illustrated by the Author” adorns the title, and I figured after see those words that this story was sure to be a snarky treat. And I was right. I’ve always loved Lois Lowry, but this was a new side of her for me. There was so much tongue-in-cheek sass in this book. It reminded me of a quicker, happier version of Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events. If you need a little pick-me-up and have an hour or two to spare, The Willoughbys is a fun way to spend that time.
September 10, 2016
This book was an odd but interesting idea. A story where everything possible, melodramatic, and old-fashioned happens all at once. I picked it up because of the hilarious description, the unique author's bio, and the adorable cover. It ended up being more odd than funny and could have used just a touch more tongue-in-cheek humor. ;) There were still some likable things about it particularly the baby and the appendices. Because of the general theme and some slight scatological humor, I would recommend this book for older readers who are looking to laugh at the genre.
May 20, 2017
A delightful and humorous tale of parents and their antics to rid their lives of their 4 children, an orphan left on the steps of a recluse baron, and a nanny who ties all things together.
June 16, 2020
WHERE IS THE SECOND??
April 5, 2017
Author Lois Lowry who gave us Number the Stars, The Giver, A Summer to Die and 30 + other children's stories has now given us The Willoughbys, a clever, tongue in cheek parody of "old fashioned" classic children's stories.
I loved the tag line for this book as soon as I saw it on the cover. "A novel nefariously written & ignominiously illustrated by the author." If that does not hook your attention then maybe the book description will: " 'Shouldn't we be orphans?' one of the Willoughby children suggests one day. The four are, after all, part of an old-fashioned kind of family, and their parents-well, their parents are not all that one would hope for. The Willoughbys concoct a diabolical plot to turn themselves into worthy and winsome orphans. Little do they know that Mr. and Mrs. Willoughby have already begun to formulate their own thoroughly despicable plan inspired by another favorite bedtime story: the tale of Hansel and Gretel..."
I laughed and snickered my through this whole book. Lowry included a bibliography of "books of the past that are heavy on piteous but appealing orphans, ill-tempered and stingy relatives, magnanimous benefactors, and transformations wrought by winsome children." Books such as Anne of Green Gables, James and the Giant Peach, Heidi, Jane Eyre and Mary Poppins are included. The novel is full of literary allusions to and parodies of these tales as the Willoughby children strive to be old-fashioned, winsome orphans. The story is full of twists that kept me laughing and rooting for all the characters from the Willoughby children to their Odious Nanny and the Melancholy Tycoon but not for Mr. and Mrs. Willoughby. :-)
One of the most enjoyable and humorous parts of the book is the glossary. Here you will find such definitions as "Villainous means typical of an evil person. Very obnoxious. You could have guessed that, of course, since you already know the word villain. In old movies, villains almost always has mustaches. I don't know why." And "Meticulous means extremely precise and careful. Surgeons have to be meticulous. Some people think great cooks are meticulous, but they are wrong. Great cooks read a recipe, maybe, but they ignore the instructions and add extra garlic if they feel like it. Surgeons can't do that."
Unfortunately, I would not be at all surprised to see this book end up on a banned book list. I imagine there will be some people who look past the humor and wit and see only a book about kids and parents who are trying to do away with each other but to quote from Lois Lowry's website, "this is a humorous book, of course, and no one is recommending that real children do away with their parents. (Unless, of course—heh heh—their parents are as outrageously awful as Mr. And Mrs. Willoughby!"
I loved the tag line for this book as soon as I saw it on the cover. "A novel nefariously written & ignominiously illustrated by the author." If that does not hook your attention then maybe the book description will: " 'Shouldn't we be orphans?' one of the Willoughby children suggests one day. The four are, after all, part of an old-fashioned kind of family, and their parents-well, their parents are not all that one would hope for. The Willoughbys concoct a diabolical plot to turn themselves into worthy and winsome orphans. Little do they know that Mr. and Mrs. Willoughby have already begun to formulate their own thoroughly despicable plan inspired by another favorite bedtime story: the tale of Hansel and Gretel..."
I laughed and snickered my through this whole book. Lowry included a bibliography of "books of the past that are heavy on piteous but appealing orphans, ill-tempered and stingy relatives, magnanimous benefactors, and transformations wrought by winsome children." Books such as Anne of Green Gables, James and the Giant Peach, Heidi, Jane Eyre and Mary Poppins are included. The novel is full of literary allusions to and parodies of these tales as the Willoughby children strive to be old-fashioned, winsome orphans. The story is full of twists that kept me laughing and rooting for all the characters from the Willoughby children to their Odious Nanny and the Melancholy Tycoon but not for Mr. and Mrs. Willoughby. :-)
One of the most enjoyable and humorous parts of the book is the glossary. Here you will find such definitions as "Villainous means typical of an evil person. Very obnoxious. You could have guessed that, of course, since you already know the word villain. In old movies, villains almost always has mustaches. I don't know why." And "Meticulous means extremely precise and careful. Surgeons have to be meticulous. Some people think great cooks are meticulous, but they are wrong. Great cooks read a recipe, maybe, but they ignore the instructions and add extra garlic if they feel like it. Surgeons can't do that."
Unfortunately, I would not be at all surprised to see this book end up on a banned book list. I imagine there will be some people who look past the humor and wit and see only a book about kids and parents who are trying to do away with each other but to quote from Lois Lowry's website, "this is a humorous book, of course, and no one is recommending that real children do away with their parents. (Unless, of course—heh heh—their parents are as outrageously awful as Mr. And Mrs. Willoughby!"
June 25, 2010
Esteemed writer Lois Lowry offers a humorous if irreverent take on old fashioned stories.
All the characters are conscious of being in an ‘old fashioned story’, so they try to do old fashioned things. The narrative is not subtle in featuring elements from Pollyanna, Heidi, Jane Eyre, Huckleberry Finn, Anne of Green Gables, A Christmas Carol, James and the Giant Peach, Little Women, Mary Poppins and The Secret Garden.
It is highly irreverent, and may only be suitable for well read children who are temporarily tired of old fashioned stories and need to laugh a little.
While all is told tongue-in-cheek the story does include:
- Four siblings who can’t stand their parents, and their parents can’t stand them either.
- Each hatches a sincere (if wildly unrealistic) plan to get rid of the other.
- Around the same time a baby is left in a basket at the family’s front door with a note asking them to care for her. The parents will have nothing to do with another child, so the children take it to the front door of a melancholy rich man who lives nearby.
- The parents leave for a fateful holiday (which was contrived by the children), after having organised a plump, old-fashioned nanny to look after the children.
- They have also organised that the house be sold while they are away, in the hope of getting rid of the children.
- The melancholy rich neighbour lives in squalor in spite of his great wealth (which came from his inventing a popular candy which rots children’s teeth). He is sad because he believes he has lost his wife and son to an avalanche in Switzerland. After a year he gives up hope of their survival and stops opening letters sent to him from the rescue team. So when they are miraculously discovered alive 18 months later, he doesn’t find out. Believing her husband to have ignored her letters, the woman marries again and remains in Switzerland with her son.
- The son runs away from his mother and new stepfather in order to go off on an old fashioned, heroic and self-realising adventure to return to his father (of course, he makes it after much toil and suffering).
- The two stories converge when Nanny and the four children are evicted from their house, and Nanny takes them off to the rich candy man who turns into a generous benefactor in the vein of Pollyanna. Nanny and the candy man eventually marry, and all the children form one big happy family.
All the characters are conscious of being in an ‘old fashioned story’, so they try to do old fashioned things. The narrative is not subtle in featuring elements from Pollyanna, Heidi, Jane Eyre, Huckleberry Finn, Anne of Green Gables, A Christmas Carol, James and the Giant Peach, Little Women, Mary Poppins and The Secret Garden.
It is highly irreverent, and may only be suitable for well read children who are temporarily tired of old fashioned stories and need to laugh a little.
While all is told tongue-in-cheek the story does include:
- Four siblings who can’t stand their parents, and their parents can’t stand them either.
- Each hatches a sincere (if wildly unrealistic) plan to get rid of the other.
- Around the same time a baby is left in a basket at the family’s front door with a note asking them to care for her. The parents will have nothing to do with another child, so the children take it to the front door of a melancholy rich man who lives nearby.
- The parents leave for a fateful holiday (which was contrived by the children), after having organised a plump, old-fashioned nanny to look after the children.
- They have also organised that the house be sold while they are away, in the hope of getting rid of the children.
- The melancholy rich neighbour lives in squalor in spite of his great wealth (which came from his inventing a popular candy which rots children’s teeth). He is sad because he believes he has lost his wife and son to an avalanche in Switzerland. After a year he gives up hope of their survival and stops opening letters sent to him from the rescue team. So when they are miraculously discovered alive 18 months later, he doesn’t find out. Believing her husband to have ignored her letters, the woman marries again and remains in Switzerland with her son.
- The son runs away from his mother and new stepfather in order to go off on an old fashioned, heroic and self-realising adventure to return to his father (of course, he makes it after much toil and suffering).
- The two stories converge when Nanny and the four children are evicted from their house, and Nanny takes them off to the rich candy man who turns into a generous benefactor in the vein of Pollyanna. Nanny and the candy man eventually marry, and all the children form one big happy family.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 6, 2008
I remember being told, perhaps six or seven years ago, that Europeans considered America to have no proper sense of irony. Things have changed since then to such an extent that our even our eight-year-olds can understand a well-aimed dry parody. Or at least I hope so, because otherwise there will be no audience for this remarkable little book. Lois Lowry, a master of children's literature in deadly earnest ( The Giver frightened me to death, and remembering it still does) has produced The Willoughbys, which is lighter than air and run through with a wicked sense of humor. I laughed out loud reading this and would probably quote the whole book at you if given the chance, but here's a random selection:
"The nanny turned and looked at them. Wearing her flowered apron, she was standing at the stove, stirring the oatmeal with a wooden spoon.
"'I have fumigated my room with insecticide,' she told them. 'On the count of three, pinch your noses. Like this.' She demonstrated, pinching her own nose with her left hand while she continued to stir with her right. 'One. Two. Three.'
"The Willoughby children, startled by her command, all pinched their noses.
"She looked at them. 'Good,' she said. 'Now do that when you walk past my room. Otherwise you will breathe in phenolmethylcarbamate, and then you will die horribly. Writhing in pain.'"
"The nanny turned and looked at them. Wearing her flowered apron, she was standing at the stove, stirring the oatmeal with a wooden spoon.
"'I have fumigated my room with insecticide,' she told them. 'On the count of three, pinch your noses. Like this.' She demonstrated, pinching her own nose with her left hand while she continued to stir with her right. 'One. Two. Three.'
"The Willoughby children, startled by her command, all pinched their noses.
"She looked at them. 'Good,' she said. 'Now do that when you walk past my room. Otherwise you will breathe in phenolmethylcarbamate, and then you will die horribly. Writhing in pain.'"
October 27, 2018
This charming and witty book is a slight parody on "old-fashioned" children's stories. I enjoyed the tale of 4 siblings who wanted to be orphans and their parents who didn't want children. I loved the nanny who came to save the day and the grieving millionaire who becomes the benefactor of a baby left on his doorstep. I laughed out loud many times and loved all the outright references to children in other "old-fashioned" stories such as Pollyanna, Heidi (yes, the Swiss Alps do play a part in this tale), Jane Eyre and many more. It was a fun read, but at the same time I don't see myself rereading it or even remembering it for long. It's a solid 3 star for me.
January 1, 2022
This is a quirky novel dependent on dark humor and an irreverent appreciation for old-fashion stories. Case in point: the Willoughby children want to be orphaned so they encourage their odious parents to go on a dangerous vacation.
This does feel a lot like a Lemony Snicket novel but with less plot. I think that's the biggest problem. It pushes the envelope at 177 pages because it inserts familiarity with classic children's literature for plot.
But I wouldn't throw this one totally out. It is memorable and amusing. Just not a stand-alone story.
This does feel a lot like a Lemony Snicket novel but with less plot. I think that's the biggest problem. It pushes the envelope at 177 pages because it inserts familiarity with classic children's literature for plot.
But I wouldn't throw this one totally out. It is memorable and amusing. Just not a stand-alone story.
February 22, 2021
As an adult, I cackled while reading Lowry’s satire of an “old fashioned family." The parent's personalities reminded me of those of Roald Dahl’s "Matilda": self-centered, and hostile to the fact that they were responsible for bringing four children into the world.
The children consist of Tim, the oldest, twins Barnaby A and Barnaby B, usually referred to as A and B, and Jane, the youngest. The children basically raised themselves, and came to realize that they needed to get rid of their parents before their parents disposed of them. They composed a plot that sent their mother and father on a trip around the world, with the hope that they would not return.
Check out Ms. Lowry’s book "The Willoughbys" to find out what happens to the nanny, the baby left on the doorstep, and the four children themselves, before seeing the recently released animated black comedy narrated by Ricky Gervais. It’s a quick read that is stylistically different than the titles for which Lois Lowry is better known.
- Donna H.
Click here to find the book at Prince William Public Libraries.
The children consist of Tim, the oldest, twins Barnaby A and Barnaby B, usually referred to as A and B, and Jane, the youngest. The children basically raised themselves, and came to realize that they needed to get rid of their parents before their parents disposed of them. They composed a plot that sent their mother and father on a trip around the world, with the hope that they would not return.
Check out Ms. Lowry’s book "The Willoughbys" to find out what happens to the nanny, the baby left on the doorstep, and the four children themselves, before seeing the recently released animated black comedy narrated by Ricky Gervais. It’s a quick read that is stylistically different than the titles for which Lois Lowry is better known.
- Donna H.
Click here to find the book at Prince William Public Libraries.
January 5, 2009
Not at all what I would've expected from Lowry. Personally, I'm a fan of many of the "old-fashioned" books that she parodied. This is a children's book (at least, it's shelved that way at my local library) but kids won't get many of the references or humor here, which means that it's really a book for adults masquerading as a children's book. When I first started reading, I felt it reminded me quite a bit of the Lemony Snicket books, so young readers might relate a bit more if they've read those novels. Anyway, it was a superquick read. And while I appreciated what the author was doing here, I couldn't get into it completely because I feel awfully protective of my old-fashioned favorites. The best part (and funniest, in fact) was the glossary -- some of those statements did make me chuckle out loud, something the main story failed to do.
December 27, 2008
This book is exactly what the jacket blurb claims it is, "a clever homage to classic works of literature." With references to Heidi, the Bobbsey Twins, and James and the Giant Peach, Lois Lowry creates an old-fashioned tale of four children, hated by their parents, who follow the examples of storybook boys and girls to find a home for themselves.
In the hands of a writer less capable than Lowry, this book could have become a cheesy mess, but the story is delightful. I loved all of the asides and references to classic books and the clever wordplay, and the book makes me want to reread treasured childhood favorites like The Secret Garden.
In the hands of a writer less capable than Lowry, this book could have become a cheesy mess, but the story is delightful. I loved all of the asides and references to classic books and the clever wordplay, and the book makes me want to reread treasured childhood favorites like The Secret Garden.
April 7, 2018
This has been a very fun read even though I can totally imagine some readers frowning and scowling while turning over the pages.
"The Willoughbys" is totally a satire of old-fashioned children's books, from its title to its characters and events. Moreover, you get references from all the popular children's novels' characters like Mary Poppins, Anna from Green Gables, Mary Lennox from The Secret Garden, Hansel and Gretel etc. It was amusing to notice the stark difference the writer has drawn. The novel is not only entertaining but also eye-opening. Even though it's written mainly for young readers, I think adults will also enjoy this book for its clever contents.
"The Willoughbys" is totally a satire of old-fashioned children's books, from its title to its characters and events. Moreover, you get references from all the popular children's novels' characters like Mary Poppins, Anna from Green Gables, Mary Lennox from The Secret Garden, Hansel and Gretel etc. It was amusing to notice the stark difference the writer has drawn. The novel is not only entertaining but also eye-opening. Even though it's written mainly for young readers, I think adults will also enjoy this book for its clever contents.
August 21, 2020
The Willoughbys is a family in the story, but a pretty weird type. The children despise their parents, while parents on the other hand, seem to despise their children just the same. In this moving, entertaining and yet humorous story we dive into the, quote: "old-fashioned" tale of the four Willoughby children with a mix of reference to old-fashioned literature.
For a book like this one, which I read in one sitting, no surprise, this is a type to brighten up a smile to readers of all ages when you want something to detox the sad or any bad feeling in you. Some parts amused me, and some I just can't help but chuckle. Very delightfully well written.
For a book like this one, which I read in one sitting, no surprise, this is a type to brighten up a smile to readers of all ages when you want something to detox the sad or any bad feeling in you. Some parts amused me, and some I just can't help but chuckle. Very delightfully well written.
March 14, 2017
A silly parody of classic or "old fashioned" children's literature. Fun in it's way but not my favorite type of book as I like to disappear into the book, which requires a suspension of disbelief, and a parody is always reminding you that it is a story. I also have mixed feelings about this poking fun at my favorite books, although I am sure it is meant to be gentle and it is pretty funny, I feel a little bit made fun of myself. I will give it an extra half a star for the wholly delightful glossary which is just the kind of silliness that I like.
3.5
Popsugar 2017: a book with pictures
3.5
Popsugar 2017: a book with pictures
June 24, 2019
Yuck. This is awful! No way am I going to finish this. Children who hate their parents. Parents who hate their children. A mother in whom lives not a shred of maternal feeling, who doesn't even know her own children's names, who rejects an orphan baby because its crying drives the recipe for meatloaf out of her mind.
It may be a parody; it supposedly has allusions to classic children's literature, whatever. It starts out horribly and I just can't keep going.
DNF after the first CD.
It may be a parody; it supposedly has allusions to classic children's literature, whatever. It starts out horribly and I just can't keep going.
DNF after the first CD.
April 26, 2022
English review below.
تحتوي هذه القصة من المزيج المثالي من الكوميديا السوداء والسخرية والذكاء وكانت قراءة ممتعة للغاية. كتاب غريب وخفيف وظريف لمحبي الروايات اللي أبطالها أطفال غير تقليديين
نتابع 4 أشقاء غريبي الأطوار ويريدون التخلص من والديهم ، والوالدان الذان يريدان التخلص من هؤلاء الأطفال. يتمتع كل طفل بسماته الخاصة وكان أسلوب الكتابة ذكيًا وخفيفًا. نشاهد كيف يحاول كل من الأطفال والآباء التخلص من الآخر ، بقصة جانبية لطفلة صغيرة تبهج الأيام المظلمة لرجل عجوز ، وكانت قصتهما رقيقة جدا.
لقد أحببت جانب "الدائرة الكاملة" للقصة ، وأنا متحمسة لقراءة الكتاب الثاني ومشاهدة الفيلم.
This middle-grade story has the perfect mix of dark comedy and sarcasm and wit that it was an absolutely enjoyable read.
We follow 4 peculair siblings who want to get rid of their parents, and the parents who want to get rid of their children. Each of the children has thier own peculiar traits and the wiriting style was witty and fresh and snappy. We watch how the children and the parents each try to get rid of the other, with a side story of a toddler who brightens the dark days of an old man, which was really wholesome.
I loved the whole "full-circle" aspect of the story, and I'm excited to read the second book and watch the film.
تحتوي هذه القصة من المزيج المثالي من الكوميديا السوداء والسخرية والذكاء وكانت قراءة ممتعة للغاية. كتاب غريب وخفيف وظريف لمحبي الروايات اللي أبطالها أطفال غير تقليديين
نتابع 4 أشقاء غريبي الأطوار ويريدون التخلص من والديهم ، والوالدان الذان يريدان التخلص من هؤلاء الأطفال. يتمتع كل طفل بسماته الخاصة وكان أسلوب الكتابة ذكيًا وخفيفًا. نشاهد كيف يحاول كل من الأطفال والآباء التخلص من الآخر ، بقصة جانبية لطفلة صغيرة تبهج الأيام المظلمة لرجل عجوز ، وكانت قصتهما رقيقة جدا.
لقد أحببت جانب "الدائرة الكاملة" للقصة ، وأنا متحمسة لقراءة الكتاب الثاني ومشاهدة الفيلم.
This middle-grade story has the perfect mix of dark comedy and sarcasm and wit that it was an absolutely enjoyable read.
We follow 4 peculair siblings who want to get rid of their parents, and the parents who want to get rid of their children. Each of the children has thier own peculiar traits and the wiriting style was witty and fresh and snappy. We watch how the children and the parents each try to get rid of the other, with a side story of a toddler who brightens the dark days of an old man, which was really wholesome.
I loved the whole "full-circle" aspect of the story, and I'm excited to read the second book and watch the film.
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