I don't know how I made it this far in life by not reading a novel built entirely around wordplay. The Phantom Tollbooth was not at all what I expected, and I found it quite enjoyable, mirthful, blithesome, convivial. While I can see why it's compared to Alice in Wonderland, Carroll never had much charm for me, and I found a lot of charm in this book.

The Phantom Tollbooth has what may become one of my all-time favorite endings for a middle-grade novel. So many of the quest/travel novels leave the reader feeling a bit bereft for the protagonist upon return. The Phantom Tollbooth shows Milo happier and more interested in his own life, though sad that the Tollbooth has vanished, which I found vastly more satisfying.

I'm convinced that this would make an extremely wonderful read-aloud. Feiffer's pictures are wonderful, though I don't love his style. The 50th anniversary edition has a note from Juster, which made me appreciate my reading of the novel even more, as he showed such good humor and affection for this book. If you, like me, have been wondering what the fuss is about, give it a try the next time you feel in the mood for a clever middle-grade adventure.

Anyone who has a passion for words and wordplay will enjoy reading The Phantom Tollbooth. In this charming children's book, author Norton Juster takes us on an adventure with his main character Milo, a young boy who enters a chaotic place called the Kingdom of Wisdom and finds that to restore order in the kingdom, he must save the banished princesses Rhyme and Reason.

When the story begins, Milo gets home one afternoon expecting to go through the same humdrum after-school routine he always goes through. But on this particular day, he arrives home to find a tollbooth waiting to transport him to a faraway place. Soon, Milo is traveling through the Kingdom of Wisdom, seeking to rescue Rhyme and Reason with the help of his companions, Tock the Watchdog and the Humbug.

Along the way, Milo meets some interesting and clever characters, such as the Whether Man (not to be confused with the Weather Man, "for after all it's more important to know whether there will be weather than what the weather will be") and Kakofonous Dischord, Doctor of Dissonance, whom Milo meets on the outskirts of the Valley of Sound. Page after page, Juster's clever puns and witty plays on words make his characters memorable and his storyline entertaining.

On his journey, Milo travels to several places within the Kingdom of Wisdom, learning useful things along the way. In Dictionopolis, for instance, he discovers the abundance of words and the importance of choosing the right word for the right occasion. On his way to Digitopolis, a land ruled by numbers, Milo ends up on the Island of Conclusions. There, he decides to himself, "From now on, I'm going to have a very good reason before I make up my mind about anything," and he learns that "you can lose too much time jumping to Conclusions."

Armed with the knowledge he has gathered on his journey through the Kingdom, Milo finally reaches the Mountains of Ignorance, where he and his faithful companions dodge and outwit various demons and ultimately save the princesses Rhyme and Reason. In the end, Milo is transported back to the present with a newfound curiosity about the world and a greater appreciation for learning.

Juster's humor throughout the story is at times subtle, at times downright silly, but often clever and thought-provoking, making this book an enjoyable read for young and old alike. They say there's a child in all of us, and The Phantom Tollbooth truly is a children's book for all ages.

If I could give this six stars I absolutely would! This has got to be one of the most clever children's books out there! I've read this three times now and still laugh on every page - yes, *every* page!

Juster's wit, use of popular sayings and concepts, and his play on words is phenomenally conceived and perfectly executed! Here's an excerpt:

"Now will you tell me where we are?" asked Tock as he looked around the desolate island.
"To be sure," said Canby; "you're on the Island of Conclusions. Make yourself at home. You're apt to be here for some time."
"But how did we get here?" asked Milo, who was still a bit puzzled by being there at all.
"You jumped, of course," explained Canby. "That's the way most everyone gets here. It's really quite simple: every time you decide something without having a good reason, you jump to Conclusions whether you like it or not. It's such an easy trip to make that I've been here hundreds of times."

This would be a great family read-aloud!

Ages: 5/6+

Cleanliness:
Children's Bad Words
Mild Obscenities & Substitutions - 1 Incident: stupid
Religious Profanities - 2 Incidents: my goodness
Scatological Terms - 1 Incident: bl**dy

Religious & Supernatural - 1 Incident: There are "demons" in this story. Really, they are bad character traits that have been personified, such as Threadbare Excuse and Gross Exaggeration.

Romance Related - 1 Incident: The words "breast pocket" are used.

Parent Takeaway
This is a story about a boy that is completely unmotivated about learning, activities, ... everything really. But one day, he receives a mysterious box and his life suddenly changes - and he realizes just how fun and full learning, and knowledge, and life can be. Full of satire, play on words, riddles and adventure, this is one of the best family read-alouds of all time.

**Like my reviews? Then you should follow me! Because I have hundreds more just like this one. With each review, I provide a Cleanliness Report, mentioning any objectionable content I come across so that parents and/or conscientious readers (like me) can determine beforehand whether they want to read a book or not. Content surprises are super annoying, especially when you’re 100+ pages in, so here’s my attempt to help you avoid that!

So Follow or Friend me here on GoodReads! You’ll see my updates as I’m reading and know which books I’m liking and what I’m not finishing and why. You’ll also be able to utilize my library for looking up titles to see whether the book you’re thinking about reading next has any objectionable content or not. From swear words, to romance, to bad attitudes (in children’s books), I cover it all!

This is such a wonderful book about Milo and the Watchdog and his incredible adventures through both language and mathematics. Full of inventive language and puns, it makes me sad that Norton Juster didn't write more children's books. This on is abfab and a must!

I read this back in 5th grade and all I remembered about it was the kid who grew down from the air instead of up from the ground.

This was basically dad jokes turned into a story akin to Alice in Wonderland, with the moral being to enjoy where you and learn all that you can. Very enjoyable. The narrator was excellent for this and captured the whimsical tone perfectly.

Since age ten have read Norton Jester’s The Phantom Tollbooth For myself, my son, and students.

Still owning the paperback copy gifted to me by my teacher, Mrs. Flieger. Also purchased an anniversary Hardcover copy many years ago.

Upon finding an audio version on the library Overdrive app grew excited to have this read to me for a change. Whoever says we're ever too old to be read to is clueless of its joy at any age. Especially for an aspiring children’s series writer

brb regressing to childhood and giving this one a reread. i’m so excited!

I remember our class starting this in 5th grade, but we never finished. Really clever and fun, especially considering the time it was published.

My feelings about this book were all over the map as I read; sometimes, I found myself annoyed, sometimes I was giggling and completely delighted, sometimes I was bored, sometimes I marveled at Juster's genius. So, it's a very difficult book for me to assign a rating to as some parts I loved and some parts I didn't. Overall, though, I understand why this is such an enduring classic and I'm very glad I read it.

Even so, I'm not exactly sure who the audience for this book is meant to be; or maybe just that there are many different levels to appreciate it, enjoying different elements at different ages? We have a child protagonist, but for most of the book I didn't find him particularly interesting or easy to relate to; he seemed almost a blank slate, and perhaps this was the point, so that we could all be Milos, wandering through the marvelous lands on the other side of the Phantom Tollbooth. But, I think that children (at least, today's children) are more used to books with a strong character that we root for and that has a very clear personality. (Maybe I shouldn't generalize about all kids, though, and just talk about those like me; I think my mom, so good about exposing us to great literature, tried reading this to me as a kid and I didn't get into it.) Also, I am not sure that most children today will grasp all of the wordplay going on in this book (the Senses Taker, for example) nor all the various deeper meanings and how and why they are so relevant to our real world (such as all the demons like Gross Exaggeration and Hopping Hindsight). Not that any of this is the fault of the book, but I did wonder a bit at it being known as a children's classic when, I think, adults will get more out of it. I am interested to hear from those who read it as a child what they related to; maybe the quest for the princesses or the fun side characters like Tock and the Humbug? Or maybe some lucky children were able to appreciate all the wordplay, too. I agree with the New York Times review that stated, "Juster's amazing fantasy has something wonderful for anybody old enough to relish the allegorical wisdom of 'Alice in Wonderland' and the pointed whimsy of 'The Wizard of Oz'."

I really loved some of the chapters and characters; they were so funny and amusing and I found myself nodding in agreement at all the little life lessons they so skillfully and subtly conveyed. Some characters were just plan delightful, such as all the members of the cabinet. And Tock was so endearing! Some, however, were more frustrating or annoying for me, such as the Confusion in the Marketplace, and the Silent Valley (I wonder what deaf people think when they read that chapter?). A few of the little side scenarios were very fun, like the Jumping to Conclusions (hilarious!) but the little bit with the man who was a Giant/Midget/Fat/Thin etc. just bored me.

As I read, I wished I had bought the book rather than got it from the library so I could highlight the many parts I loved and the fabulous quotes; so wise and witty! I think, though, that was part of my occasional frustration with the story in that sometimes I felt too much like I was being taught and not enough that I was fully involved in a story that really captivated me and wound me up in its magic. I think, though, this is party due to my taste in books as I'm not usually one to enjoy the little segments like this (admittedly, I was not a huge fan of Alice in Wonderland and the book The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, either (though I loved the movie!)) and usually prefer a stronger plot.

Minor frustrations aside, I still really enjoyed the book overall, even if I wasn't super compelled to pick it up each day. And I loved the ending; the chapters beginning with Castle in the Air were just lovely and brought together all the plot and character dynamics I had been hoping for throughout the book. And the last two pages; wow! I think I should copy those out to look back at them often, any time I am feeling less than inspired with life, and remember how glorious it all is!

I recently discovered there were people who hadn't read this book. If so, read it now. This fantastical journey is delightful for all the word play as well as for the basic underlying message.

‘welcome to the island of conclusions!’
‘but how did we get here…?’ wondered milo.
‘you jumped, of course!’ explained canby.

i must have read this book for the first time when i was about 9 or 10 and i will forever attribute it to how my love of words, puns, and silly idioms began. its a major part of my sense of humour, one that started developing with this story. and the wordplay in this is even more enjoyable as an adult.

there are many reasons why reading childrens literature past childhood is beneficial for a reader. where i was always enamoured by milos adventures to dictionopolis and beyond, its now the meaning behind his journey that really hits home.

n  

n    ‘so many things are possible just as long as you dont know they are impossible.’n  

n

these types of messages arent always missing from adult literature, but rarely are they presented in such an innocent and hopeful way. i think its a good thing to momentarily revert back to the mindset of a child, where dreams are infinite and limits are suggestions.

↠ 5 stars

This was a read aloud for my 9and 11 year old grandkids, while I attempt to "homeschool" after retiring May 1. We all enjoyed it but I think they actually enjoyed it more than I did, because they wanted to know if there was a sequel! We found it engaging, curiously educational, and weirdly humorous! Glad we read it!