Details

Synopsis In this tongue-in-cheek take on classic themes in children's literature, the four Willoughby children set about to become "deserving orphans" after their neglectful parents embark on a treacherous around-the-world adventure, leaving them in the care of an odious nanny.
| Size | | Length: | 174 pages | | Height: | 8.0 in | | Width: | 6.0 in | | Thickness: | 0.5 in | | Weight: | 10.4 oz |
Industry Reviews "Lois Lowry, who casts her noble and enviable shadow wide across the landscape of children's literature, from fantasy to realism, here turns her quick, sly gaze to parody, a word which in this case means 'a short novel mocking the conventions of old-fashioned children's books stuffed with orphans, nannies and long-lost heirs.'" (02/04/2008)
"Lacing her narrative with references to classics from the hoariest corners of the canon, Lowry channels her inner Snicket to great effect...Readers who are willing to give themselves up entirely to the sly foolishness will relish this sparklingly smart satire, which treats them with collegial familiarity." (02/15/2008)
"Many are the ways used by children's novelists to get their protagonists' parents out of the way, but Lowry's solution here is particularly inventive and wickedly amusing." (02/15/2008)
"The tone of this darkly dry pastiche is consistently witty, and it's chock-full of accessible parodic references to...classic children's texts...Lowry crafts a tidy plot out of ludicrous circumstances...." (04/01/2008)
|
|