Book Review: The Willoughbys
What Parents Should Know
Parents need to know that the black humor here will not be
to everyone's taste. Some adults, and even a few kids, may find
parents and children who despise each other to be disturbing
rather than funny.
Families who read this book could discuss the old-fashioned books referenced in the story and discussed at the back. Have you read any of them? Did you like them? Do you prefer old-fashioned books or more modern ones? Why? How are they different? Also, parents and kids may enjoy discussing the difficult words and eccentric definitions in the glossary.
Common Sense Media Review
Clearly inspired by both Roald Dahl and Lemony Snicket,
veteran author Lois Lowry has her tongue so firmly planted in
her cheek here that it seems to have obscured her vision of
what made their work so successful. While deaths and other
horrible events may have swirled around them, both Dahl's and
Snicket's heroes and heroines (Charlie, James, the Baudelaire
children) were always lovable and engaged the reader's
affection. Tim Willoughby, on the other hand, though described
by the author as bossy but with a heart of gold, is nothing but
a tin-pot dictator, self-aggrandizing and awful to his
siblings, who are timid followers.
Though Dahl may have appeared subversive, his books actually promoted the most traditional of values. Even Matilda's horrible parents in the end do the right thing and leave her with someone who will understand her better than they. Here the moral seems to be: if you don't like your parents, you can get rid of them and be adopted by a nice rich man. There's no doubt that many kids will find this delightfully hilarious, and there's no harm in it. But some adults may find it leaves a bad taste that's hard to shake.
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