My Brother Louis Measures Worms: And Other Louis Stories

by Barbara Robinson

How is it that Louis has been driving his mother's car around town if he's only eight years old? Where did the cat go to have her kittens? Who won the free wedding? Whether it's costume parades, mysterious paint allergies, or bicycle disasters, there's never a dull moment when the Lawson family is around!

Genres: Fiction, Childrens, Humor, Short Stories

240 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 1988

About the author

I grew up in a southern Ohio river town -- Portsmouth -- and that small town atmosphere has affected most of my writing.
My mother, widowed when I was three years old, taught school for forty-nine years in that same small town, and her major (indeed, only) extravagance was books. I grew up with, and quickly adopted, the notion that reading was the only way to fill up every scrap of loose time you could snatch.

I had the benefit, as well, of a wide variety of aunts and uncles and cousins, plus the extended family so common to small town life -- the neighbors, friends, teachers, bus drivers, mailmen, local heroes and local neâer-do-wells, and even a local blacksmith...great stuff to feed the imagination.

I began writing very early -- poems, plays, stories -- and just never quit. I attended local schools and then, being both book-struck and stage-struck, found a college -- Allegheny College -- where I could satisfy both passions.

I've been a short story writer, with some forty-fifty stories in McCall's, Ladies' Home Journal, Redbook, etc.; a playwright; an occasional poet, and finally and most happily, an author of children's books...happily, because there's no greater audience than boys and girls who read books and demand that those books be the most exciting, the most mysterious, the most touching, the funniest...the Best.

I live and write in a suburb of Philadelphia, and I have two daughters -- Carolyn, who is a nurse, and Marjorie, who is a sixth grade teacher and at home now with my grandchildren Tomas and Marcos, and all these people read books like crazy!

Reviews

[lethe · Rating 3 out of 5]

(Rating 24 June 1994: 4 stars)

29 years and 1 day after my first reading I still enjoy the book, but the humorous stories are just that, humorous. Still, a solid 3.

Reading the other reviews, I found it funny that some people had objections to "Louisa May and the Facts of Life", about a woman who wants a baby but not a husband. These times are a lot more prudish than the 1980s were, when the book was first published. Alas.

[Becky · Rating 3 out of 5]

I honestly didn't know how to rate this book. It's very funny, and it's not easy to write funny. I'd probably give it 5 stars if I were rating it on its merits alone. But I'm also rating it as a book for children, which is what it's billed as -- it has a colorful kids' book cover and is typeset sort of like a Beverly Cleary book in a semi-large font. But at the risk of sounding like a prude, I have to note that it contains a few off-color words and an entire chapter on a neighbor woman who gets pregnant out of wedlock and makes all the kids in the town wonder where babies come from. I had to do some quick thinking to edit this book on the fly as I read it aloud to my six-year-old son. I got this one from the library because it was written by the same woman who wrote "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever," which was quite suitable for my son, but I ended up being caught off guard. I'm planning to read more of her books because they're hilarious, but I'll preview them first before deciding to read any more to my son. This one was full of the kind of humor that results from people misjudging others' actions and failing to explain things to each other -- wonderful situational humor, plus sarcastic comments from the father that make it all the funnier.

[Heidi · Rating 5 out of 5]

She’s so well-known for “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever,” and for good reason. But honestly, I liked this one even better!

The family in this collection of vignettes is utterly memorable and truly hilarious. Which meant I enjoyed the book more and more as it went on, having gotten to know the entertaining cast of characters and their foibles.

I cannot imagine anyone I know NOT loving this book!

[Cate · Rating 4 out of 5]

There's some language in this that seemed pretty unnecessary to me, and one minor character reportedly had a fling that left her pregnant. But other than that, this was a fun book that I would recommend for ages 12 and up. (Technically, you could read this book to your younger kids if you skipped the one story and didn't mention the cussing.)

[Marisa Maloney · Rating 3 out of 5]

We deep dived this author and found a collection of short stories about her family growing up. The funniest me by far is about her brother driving at age 8. Some got a bit long winded. Her mom’s family totally takes the cake for craziest stories.

[Jill · Rating 4 out of 5]

A crazy collection of strange stories that could be ordinary events, but always have a ridiculous twist. A funny read aloud.

[Jeannie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a funny family story told by Louis' older sister, Mary Elizabeth. Louis' adventures include driving his mother's car, even though he is only eight years old, raising worms in his closet, and bringing a boy he scarcely knows home to live with his family. Adult readers will get a chuckle from the family dynamics, but today's readers may not relate to the story. Although the author did not intend to demean the mother and other women in the story, they seem more foolish than funny toady.

[Joyeux Noelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this growing up and remember thinking it was uproariously funny. I recently decided to read it aloud to my son and still found myself giggling over portions. The book feels a bit dated and some of the story-telling is done in so many flashbacks it can be a bit hard to keep up with, but overall, it was a fun read-aloud book and bonding experience.

[Nathan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bizarre family. Funny stories.

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute & funny.

[Reading Fury · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just always a delight!

[Jaimie Pole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not a kids book! In spite of the title and cover!

[JanaBeth Parker · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite books. Great to read aloud, but maybe not to today’s students. Just finished reading aloud to my mom. We both laughed until we cried.

[Allison Renner · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this right after two Herdman books and kept confusing the main character and her brother in each book, but all the family stories were really funny.

[Aubrie Worsley · Rating 5 out of 5]

had my laughing out loud! especially loved the description of the genealogists in the family and their findings!

[David Erkale · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book's stories were okay, but the writing was quite messy. Because of its hard-to-follow plot, I'm donating this to a Value Village.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adore this book. It's a lot of fun because the family seems so normal and yet they are incredibly wacky at the same time. I read this book as a child and recently found it (sans front and back cover) mixed in with a bunch of old things from home. I read it again, not expecting much but was surprised to find I still laughed out loud in places and wanted to read paragraphs out loud for my husband to enjoy. It's more than just a book about Louis, though he does measure worms, drive a car and win a wedding, but it's also about neighborhood pregnancies, what happens when you have a terrible sense of direction and most of all- family.

[Phoebe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bagthorpes, move over. This often hysterically funny book introduces the seemingly normal Lawson family, whose attempts at normalcy are frequently foiled by their many peculiar relatives. Adults may possibly enjoy this book more than children. For example: the book opens unforgettably with the saga of the new car that Mr. Lawson buys for his wife, who loathes driving, but doesn't notice when Louis, then aged 8, begins to drive the car around town and does so for a whole year before the truth comes out. You get the picture. Don't miss this fabulous read, by the author of the great Best Christmas Pageant Ever. Miraculously, it is still in print, in paperback!

[Robyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read at the dinner table. We all loved this book of stories, there was a lot of laughter in our house when this book was opened. Some of these stories are still mentioned in our house; especially "Louis at the Wheel".

There was one story I did not read out loud to the kids: "Louisa May and the Facts of Life". But Luke and I enjoyed it after the kids where in bed.

[Charlie Moses · Rating 5 out of 5]

This collection of short stories is published as a juvenile book, but I see so many nuances that shine for an adult reader. This is an enjoyable book with an eclectic cast of characters that I will long remember.

[Cathleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely hysterical. I actually liked this book more than "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever." A must read!

[Kelsy Morrison · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, and I love this book as well, as did my husband and kids. The author has a knack for ordinary hilarity.

[ChristineBooks · Rating 1 out of 5]

Doesn't even deserve a star

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars