The Willoughbys

On the recommendation of my friend Andrea I read Lois Lowry's book "The Willoughbys".

I loved reading Lowry's books when I was younger and it was nice to go back in time and read something by her again. The Willoughbys is a tongue and cheek homage to classic children's stories. It begins with the four Willoughby children; Tim - the eldest, Jane - the youngest, and the twins Barnaby A and Barnaby B. They are old fashioned children who have parents who dislike them or forget about them all together.

Every children's story cliche appears in this book and the author kindly spells out which story she is referencing (for those who may not know already). The story moves at a quick pace and doesn't get hung up on the details of the why, when, and how. All though this is technically a children's book, adults can appreciate the humor and will get more out of the references than some younger readers.

What I really enjoyed was the expansive vocabulary the author uses. She doesn't try to dumb things down and even includes a helpful glossary in the back with witty definitions of some of the more troublesome words. There is so much I want to say about this book, but I don't want to give anything away. For a book that is only 157 pages long it is jam packed. Fans of the "Series of Unfortunate Events" would also get a kick out of this story.

If you are interested in reading "The Willoughbys" by Lois Lowry you can find it at Barnes and Noble or in the Juvenile section at your local library.