The Willoughbys

   The girls and I just finished reading Lois Lowry's The Willoughbys. In truth, we almost stopped the second night of reading. I was so turned off by the children's awful behavior. Somehow I hadn't gotten the memo that the book was a parody of traditional British children's books. After realizing that--rather, going on Goodreads to see "what the heck" the book was all about!--we raced through it pretty quickly. The girls found certain parts hilarious like the naming of the abandoned baby, and also the candy bar (Baby Ruth). And I think the quote, "It makes me want to womit," will forever be a part of our family's inside joke quote vernacular. I really enjoyed this NPR podcast with Lois Lowry. It was so fun!

   Here is the Goodreads 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 old fashioned 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.