The Willoughby's

The Willoughby's (audio book)

Written by Lois Lowry

The Willoughby children, Timothy, Barnaby A, Barnaby B, and Jane were born into a family with parents who really don't enjoy the inconvenience of having children. Because the Willoughby parents don't actually enjoy having children around, they come up with a series of plans to get rid of them. However, what the parents don't know is that they are playing right into the plan of their children. The Willoughby children arrange a plan to "orphan" themselves by sending their parents off on a vacation. Eventually, they end up in the care of a charismatic nanny and in the end are adopted by her. 

This book is meant for children age ten and up. Because I plan on teaching lower elementary, I can't see myself using this in my classroom, but if I were to end up in a higher-ed classroom then it would be a book available in my student library. This book has won some awards, but not a notable one that was discussed in class.