The Phantom Tollbooth

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Author(s)

Norton Juster

Publisher

Knopf Books for Young Readers

Genre(s)

Classics

Age Range

10+

Release Date

October 25, 2011

ISBN

978-0375869037

Buy This Book

Illustrated in black-and-white. This ingenious fantasy centers around Milo, a bored ten-year-old who comes home to find a large toy tollbooth sitting in his room. Joining forces with a watchdog named Tock, Milo drives through the tollbooth's gates and begins a memorable journey. He meets such characters as the foolish, yet lovable Humbug, the Mathemagician, and the not-so-wicked "Which," Faintly Macabre, who gives Milo the "impossible" mission of returning two princesses to the Kingdom of Wisdom.

Editor reviews

2 reviews

Relive, or Experience for the First Time, a Unique Classic

March 26, 2012 (Updated: March 26, 2012)

Overall rating

4.0

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I read this book for the first time in third or fourth grade, and immediately was transfixed. Not only did this book introduce me to all kinds of new words and figures of speech, it was a unique take on the fairy-tale style. Re-reading it as an adult was a pleasure. All I could remember from my memory was that there were words, math, odd characters, and a boy and a clock-dog riding around in a little car. It is all that, but much more!
The Phantom Tollboth has lots of silliness but also instructive scenes which involve all kinds of people and ways of thinking. It is part author commentary on humanity, part common sense. Younger readers will learn all kinds of new, big words and concepts. The philosophical side of the book also delves into the importance of balance in life, showing how too much of a something can be just as bad as too little. The world Juster creates is extremely unique. Occasionally some places are a stretch and end up being annoying rather than humorous, but all in all Milo's curiosity and questions make you love him and the world he is pulled into. Another plus is the great descriptions of scenery, sunsets, and people.

Nicholette Tilghman Top 50 Reviewer 120 reviews

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User reviews

2 reviews

Overall rating

4.3

Plot

4.5(2)

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4.0(2)

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My Childhood!

April 30, 2012 (Updated: April 30, 2012)

Overall rating

5.0

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I read this book way back when. I was probably in the fifth grade, maybe even earlier than that. And for YEARS after reading this, I tried to remember what it was called, and I searched high and low for the story about the boy who meets the man with the numbers! Just recently, my brother picked it up at the school library and I remembered it! I love this cute story! It's actually really funny, and I can't believe I read this at such a young age and understood it!

Emily Savant, Staff Reviewer Top 50 Reviewer 300 reviews

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Learning experience

April 14, 2012

Overall rating

3.5

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This is a good book if you like some smart-humor. There are lots of different typed of figurative language used in unsusual ways. There are a lot of expressions used to mean something that they don't usually mean.It's a pretty funny book. This is a good book to teach kids about different expressions.