How have I not done an old-fashioned children's novel highlight yet? No matter; I've got the absolute perfect book to kick off - Lois Lowry's The Willoughbys. The Willoughbys is perfect because it's a parody of so-called "old-fashioned children's novels."
"I have a plan," Mr. Willoughby said, putting his paper down. He stroked one eyebrow in a satisfied way. "It’s thoroughly despicable."
"Lovely," said his wife. "A plan for what?"
"To rid us of the children."
Little do Mr. And Mrs. Willoughby know that while they are trying to rid themselves of their children, the children—four of them—are trying to rid themselves of their terrible parents.
"Abandoned by their neglectful parents to the care of an odious nanny, the four Willoughby children—Tim, the twins, Barnaby A and B, and their sister, Jane—attempt to fulfill their roles as good, “old-fashioned” children. Following the models set forth in lauded tales from A Christmas Carol to Mary Poppins, they hope to attain their proscribed happy ending, or at least a satisfyingly maudlin one. An unquestionably ruthless act sets in motion the events that lead to their salvation, and to happy endings for not only the four children but also their nanny, an abandoned baby, and a candy magnate and his long-lost son. Replete with a tongue-in-cheek glossary and bibliography, Lois Lowry pays playful homage to classic works of children's literature in this hilarious and decidedly old-fashioned parody."
If you are thinking this book sounds like perfection, you're right.
Lois Lowry on her inspiration -
“I grew up on classic children’s literature, including fairy tales. So it has always permeated my consciousness. Somehow I was reminded of Hansel and Gretel, and the fact that their parents dropped them off in the woods intending that they die of starvation. Couldn’t do that in a book for kids today! I thought. Then, chuckling, I thought, Why not? And so I created the Willoughby parents, who go off on a lengthy vacation and then send the children a postcard saying, in essence: By the way, the house is for sale. When someone buys it, you will have to find another place to live. Leave your clothes—we might be able to sell them. “The Willoughbys is simply a spoof, or takeoff, on classic children’s literature of the past, with all its stock conventions—the orphans and villains and coincidences and long-lost heirs who turn up at the last minute.”One of my writing group members said my first chapter reminded him of The Willoughbys. I just about died of happiness.
