Review Detail

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.