Willoughbys

For every child whos ever dreamed of being in the Guinness Book of World Records comes the story of eleven-year-old Arthur Whipple and his fantastic family of world record breakers . . .

- Most Crème Brulée Eaten in One Minute

- Highest Number of Matching Outfits Worn by a Stuffed Toy and Its Owner

- Youngest Person to Summit the Third-Highest Mountain in the World

These are just three of the 49,521 records won by Arthurs twelve brothers and sisters. Unfortunately, unlike his siblings, Arthur hasnt broken a single, solitary world record! But when the Whipples suffer a spate of catastrophes and a curious amount of attention from a pair of irregularly sized and unusually menacing clowns, Arthur might be the only one who can save his family from losing their collective crown . . . or worse.

A 2013 BOOK EXPO AMERICA (BEA) BUZZ PANEL SELECTION!

"Echoes of Roald Dahl.... A genuinely fun and comically ludicrous romp, clearly worthy of Most World Records Outside of a World Records Book." --Publishers Weekly

"One of the most fun listening experiences of the year." --Publishers Weekly on the audio edition, starred review

"First-time author Matthew Ward's constant parade of sight gags, stage business, and preposterous feats is highly entertaining." --Common Sense Media

"A rollicking, record-breaking romp, running rife with riotous ribaldry! And featuring even more r's than this quote!"--Robert Paul Weston, award-winning author of Zorgamazoo and The Creature Department

The Willoughby's—Timothy; his twin brothers, Barnaby A and Barnaby B; and their little sister, Jane—are old-fashioned children who adore old-fashioned adventures. Unfortunately, the Willoughby parents are not very fond of their children, and the truth is that the siblings are not too keen on their parents either. Little do the Willoughby kids know that their neglectful mother and father are hatching an evil plan to get rid of them! Not to worry—these resourceful adventurers have a few plans of their own. But they have no idea what lies ahead in their quest to rid themselves of their ghastly parents and live happily ever after.

Soon to be an animated film starring Ricky Gervais, Maya Rudolph, Terry Crews, Martin Short, Jane Krakowski, and Sean Cullen

From the Newbery Medal-winning author of The Giver and Number the Stars, comes a "hilarious" (Booklist, starred review) and wonderfully old-fashioned story about a mother and father who are all too eager to be rid of their four children . . . and four children who are all too happy to be rid of their parents.

The Willoughby's--Timothy; his twin brothers, Barnaby A and Barnaby B; and their little sister, Jane--are old-fashioned children who adore old-fashioned adventures. Unfortunately, the Willoughby parents are not very fond of their children, and the truth is that the siblings are not too keen on their parents either. Little do the Willoughby kids know that their neglectful mother and father are hatching an evil plan to get rid of them Not to worry--these resourceful adventurers have a few plans of their own. But they have no idea what lies ahead in their quest to rid themselves of their ghastly parents and live happily ever after.

Though Matthew Ward was crowned back-to-back School Spelling Bee Champion in the third and fourth grades, his childhood passed with little international distinction. In 2006, he was named the World's First TiVo Ambassador. He lives in San Diego with his wife and son. The Fantastic Family Whipple is his debut.