|
The Willoughbys | 
| Author: Lois Lowry
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin/Walter Lorraine Books
Category: Book
List Price: $16.00
Buy Used: $4.45
You Save: $11.55 (72%)
New (40) Used (13) from $4.45
Rating:  22 reviews
Sales Rank: 5375
Media: Hardcover
Edition: 1
Reading Level: Ages 9-12
Pages: 176
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.7
Dimensions (in): 7.9 x 5.4 x 0.8
ISBN: 0618979743
EAN: 9780618979745
ASIN: 0618979743
Publication Date: March 31, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: Expedited shipping available
Condition: CLEAN UNREAD COPY, Free Delivery Confirmation, Orders Processed Quickly, Will Ship Immediately.
| |
| Also Available In:
|
| Similar Items:
|
| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
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.
|
| Customer Reviews: Read 17 more reviews...
 I enjoyed reading this very much, I wish it hadn't been so short. November 17, 2008
Roxy (Los Angeles, CA)
The book starts off with four children finding an abandoned infant on their front step. These are the Willoughby children: Tim, Barnaby A, Barnaby B, and the youngest, the only girl, Jane. Although at least Jane wants to keep the abandoned baby, the rest of the family, especially their mother, does not. In fact, we soon learn that their mother and their father often how disapprove of the children's thoughts along with their actions and their general existence. Bleak as that might sound, it's quite amusing to read about the way the parents disapprove of them and the reasons they give for this.
Thereafter their story continues to mix in with the lives of a local tycoon, a new nanny, and this new baby who is soon named Ruth. The book is a short, light read, but it is definitely entertaining. It sort of reminded me of the sort of humor found in A Series of Unfortunate Events, but Lemony Snicket, however it's devoid of the constant theme of gloom and doom even with constant examples of unloving parents and abandoned orphans.
I think if anything, some people not enjoy this book if they don't enjoy this type of humor. It's satirical, in a way. My own personal complaint is simply that the book was too short. I wish it hadn't ended so quickly.
Also, I strongly recommend that some of you try out the audiobook read by Arte Johnson. It's about three hours long and it's extremely entertaining to hear the way he reads it, I think the experience is much better this way.
 Cheap October 26, 2008
W. Burton (California)
The writing was really not up to Lois Lowry's usual standards, the characters were not enjoyable to follow, and the jokes are played for cheap laughs. Lowry can write better humor than this.
 Clever, quick read September 16, 2008
S. Woodhams (Milpitas, CA United States)
Read this enjoyable little book this summer and knew I had to share it with my middle school class. We have enough time to read a couple of chapters every few days during our "silent" reading time and I love Lowry's tongue-in-cheek delivery. The vocabulary is great too and I branched out to show them more of the "old fashioned" stories the Willoughby's are obsessed with. Does my heart good when I see kids pick up Heidi or Pollyanna.
I quirky fun story! August 27, 2008
S. E. Johnson (Washington, USA)
I throughly enjoyed this little book. I thought it was quite charming. It kind of reminded me of the series of unfortunate events. Mainly because of the way it's written. I'm glad it ended happily and thought it was whimsical and silly. I think this would be a great story to read as a family.
Whether readers are familiar with classic literature or not, they will soon have their own example of classic parody to point to August 11, 2008
Kidsreads.com (New York, NY)
Lois Lowry is nothing if not versatile. From serious, Newbery Award-winning fare such as NUMBER THE STARS and THE GIVER to brilliantly funny family comedy in the Anastasia Krupnik series, Lowry has successfully explored many different genres and moods in her fruitful career. Now, in THE WILLOUGHBYS, she demonstrates her range once more. Specifically, this book exhibits her extensive knowledge of the history of children's literature and playfully re-purposes those occupants of the bookstore's "Classics" shelf into a clever parody.
At the center of the tale are the four Willoughby children: bossy eldest son Tim, twins Barnaby and Barnaby (nicknamed A and B) and youngest sister Jane, who is convinced that her plain, ordinary name might be one of the reasons her parents seem to keep forgetting about her. The Willoughbys are a thoroughly old-fashioned bunch, engaging in just the kinds of wholesome activities that populate the pages of their favorite old children's stories.
But something is holding the kids back from becoming exactly like their storybook heroes and heroines --- their parents. If only their mom and dad would disappear, they could become "worthy," "winsome" and "deserving orphans," just like so many of the characters --- from Mary Lennox in THE SECRET GARDEN to Jane Eyre --- they emulate. So they hatch a plot to rid themselves of their parents once and for all. Little do they know, though, that their mom and dad (inspired by the story of Hansel and Gretel) might have an old-fashioned plot of their own in mind.
What follows is a glorious, tongue-in-cheek romp through the images and icons of classic stories --- from a baby abandoned on a doorstep to a no-nonsense nanny (who is nothing like Mary Poppins: "It almost gives me diabetes just to think of her: all those disgusting spoonfuls of sugar!") to a boy who pulls himself up by his bootstraps (whatever those are). Chock full of delightful asides from the narrator and genuine moments of dramatic irony and suspense, THE WILLOUGHBYS is --- if it's not oxymoronic to say so --- a thoroughly modern old-fashioned yarn. Lowry even manages to warp the traditional sentimental ending, as the Willoughbys reflect wistfully over their tragically lost parents (whose loss is somehow more comical than tragic).
Of course, the readers who will most appreciate the book's sense of play are those who themselves have knowledge of the stories the author references. But all will enjoy the snarky narrative, and no one should miss either the clever glossary or the hilarious summaries of the classic tales referenced in the novel (LITTLE WOMEN: "Meg is mature and sensible. Jo is literary and boyish. Amy is vain and foolish. Beth is saintly and dies."). Whether readers are familiar with classic literature or not, they will soon have their own example of classic parody to point to --- THE WILLOUGHBYS.
--- Reviewed by Norah Piehl
|
|
|
Can't find the right gift? Try a Gift Certificate
| |
