Lowry, Lois. The Willoughbys. 2008. Houghton Mifflin, 174 pages. $17.20 ISBN: 9780618979745
Plot Summary:
The Willoughby children do not overly care for their parents, but in all fairness their parents find their children tiresome and obnoxious. The Willoughby’s find Tim, the eldest, to be bossy, the twins are whiny and demanding, and most often they forget about their youngest Jane.
When the children find a baby left on the doorstep their mother instructs them to get rid of it, so the children leave the baby girl on the doorstep of the dilapidated mansion around the corner belonging to candy tycoon Commander Melanoff. Six years earlier Commander Melanoff lost his wife and son in an avalanche that buried their train in the Swiss Alps. The Commander fell into a deep depression and since has lived in squalor in his mansion, never leaving the house. But when the Commander find the baby, who the children named Ruth, his depression is lifted as he assumes care for the young life.
Meanwhile the children have been inspired by baby Ruth and have decided they would much prefer to be orphans too. Tim assures his siblings that he will take care of things and later that night after receiving a travel brochure from the Reprehensible Travel Agency, their parent announce that they are going on a vacation and will be leaving the children in the care of a nanny. Unknown to the children, their parents also have a plan to get rid of them. The Willoughby’s intend to leave the children in the care of a nanny until their home sells at which point the children will need to find a new place to live.
Critical Review:
The Willoughbys is a laugh out loud funny and fast paced story. The wry humor of The Willoughbys follows the tradition of Roald Dahl’s beloved children’s novels. Lowry’s novel is sure to become as cherished as Dahl’s stories have for generations to come. Darkly humorous, The Willoughbys has no end to intrigue that is sure to hook readers right away.
Genre:
Humorous Fiction
Reading Level:
5th to 7th grades
Similar Books:
The Bad Beginning by Lemony Snicket
The Mysterious Howling by Maryrose Wood
James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl
Awards/Honors:
Cybil Award 2008 Finalist
E.B. White Read Aloud Award 2009 Honor Book
Author’s Website:
No comments:
Post a Comment