MARVELOUS MIDDLE GRADE MONDAY
The Willoughbys
By Lois Lowry
I stumbled on this little Lois Lowry gem, “The Willoughbys,”
through my local digital library. It’s reminiscent of tongue-in-cheek, Lemony
Snickett type stories. The Willoughbys are a dysfunctional family by anyone’s
standards.
The parents do not want or even like their children and plan to be rid of them. Tim,
the oldest, is the family bully. The twins, both named Barnaby, are called A
and B because no one can call them apart. They even share a sweater. Little
sister Jane, the daughter, is left out and overlooked. Big brother Tim awards
“points” and deducts points from his siblings and tells them what to think and
do.
Ms. Lowry’s use of wry humor, parody, and clichés is
absolutely wonderful. “The Willoughbys”
is an old-fashioned story, with old fashioned kids, a resourceful nanny, at
least one orphan, a baby on the doorstep, a genius-but-depressed-billionaire candy
maker, a near tragedy, and the parents (who are very nearly villains.) Highly
recommended for ages 8-12.
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Tags:
Lois Lowry, The Willoughbys, old-fashioned, parody, humor,
clichés, orphans, siblings, bad parents, candy maker, children’s books, middle
grade book
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