The Phantom Tollbooth » (Reissue)

Norton Juster has written numerous children's books, including The Phantom Tollbooth, The Dot and The Line, and most recently, The Hello, Goodbye Window. Though he loves to write, Mr. Juster's first passion is architecture, which was the center of his career until his retirement in 1992. He currently lives in Massachusetts with his wife, where he continues to write.

For Milo, everything's a bore. When a mysterious tollbooth appears in his room, he drives through only because he's got nothing better to do. But on the other side, things seem different. Milo visits the island of Conclusions (you get there by jumping), learns about time from a ticking watchdog named Tock, and goes up against the dastardly Discord and Dynne. By the time Milo and Tock set off toward the Mountains of Ignorance to rescue the twin Princesses< Rhyme and Reason, Milo realizes something astonishing. Life is far from dull. In fact, it's exciting beyond his wildest dreams...

Children's Literature

Hero Milo "didn't know what to do with himself-not just sometimes, but always." One day he returns from school to find an easy to assemble tollbooth and when he drives through it, Milo finds wild adventures in Dictionopolis, the land of words; Digitopolis, the world of numbers, and many locations in between. He is on a quest in this nonsensical land to bring back the Princess of Sweet Rhyme and Pure Reason. The book is filled with wild characters like the Spelling Bee who spells more than he speaks. There are silly word plays like the time Milo makes a speech at dinner and is surprised to find out how he has to eat his words. Life philosophy is mixed with tons of punny, funny humor. He is so changed by his travels that when he returns home he is only momentarily disappointed when the tollbooth disappears. As Milo says, "there's just so much to do right here." A children's classic for parent and child to enjoy together.