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The Phantom Tollbooth
The Phantom Tollbooth
Author: Norton Juster, Jules Feiffer (Illustrator)
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-...  more »
ISBN-13: 9780394820378
ISBN-10: 0394820371
Publication Date: 9/2005
Pages: 272
Reading Level: Ages 9-12
Rating:
  • Currently 4.2/5 Stars.
 318

4.2 stars, based on 318 ratings
Publisher: Yearling
Book Type: Paperback
Other Versions: Hardcover, Audio Cassette, Audio CD
Members Wishing: 0
Reviews: Member | Amazon | Write a Review

Top Member Book Reviews

reviewed The Phantom Tollbooth on
Helpful Score: 7
A simply magnificent children's book, imaginative and thought-provoking. I read it as a child and loved it, I can read as an adult and love it as much.
reviewed The Phantom Tollbooth on + 7 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 7
I read books out loud to my children and am going to continue as long as they will let me. My 10 year old is sophisticated enough to understand the many puns in this story while my 8 year old is not, but he still gets a lot out of it--just on a different level. The action starts right away and it hooked my kids on the very first page. I remember reading it because I had to as a kid and I did not like it, but now I am wondering why--since both my kids think it's great and I now realize it is very clever. Give it a go.
reviewed The Phantom Tollbooth on + 11 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 6
For Milo, everything's a bore. When a tollbooth mysteriously appears in his room, he drives through only because he got nothing better to do. But on the other side, things seem different. Milo visits the island of Conclusions(you get there by jumping), leans about time from a ticking watchdog named Tock, and even embarks on a quest to rescue Rhyme and Reason! Somewhere along the way, Milo realizes something astonishing. Life is far from dull. In fact, it's exciting beyond his wildest dreams!
PrincessMisery avatar reviewed The Phantom Tollbooth on + 3 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 5
I remember my 5th grade teacher reading this book to me. I've never enjoyed a book more than this one. I still love it, and I'm 24 years old now. It was just so fantastic and full of adventure and fun. This should always be included in a child's reading. I like it so much, I'm going to order it, just to read it again. LoL
reviewed The Phantom Tollbooth on
Helpful Score: 5
A classic children's fantasy rated at 6.3 reading level.
Read All 60 Book Reviews of "The Phantom Tollbooth"

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dami avatar reviewed The Phantom Tollbooth on + 2 more book reviews
I really Love this book. I remember reading it in school when I was a child and I had to reread it. Great story with a great message for both adults and kids.
reviewed The Phantom Tollbooth on + 67 more book reviews
Although the book appears written for young teens the story line and "moral" of the prose is suitable and in fact most remindful of how our outlook of the world needs updating and improving. I enjoyed it very much.
reviewed The Phantom Tollbooth on
I absolutely love this book. I have loaned it to a couple friend and they liked it also. Norton Juster'S word play is funny and clever at the same time. This is a book everyone should read. Emily-16
Bellbird avatar reviewed The Phantom Tollbooth on + 106 more book reviews
Excellent children's book, a little dated in flavor.
reviewed The Phantom Tollbooth on + 37 more book reviews
This was a great read for my voracious reader in elementary school. Time to pass it on....
reviewed The Phantom Tollbooth on + 20 more book reviews
A classic for all ages.
reviewed The Phantom Tollbooth on + 2 more book reviews
Brought back fond memories of reading this when I was a child.
reviewed The Phantom Tollbooth on + 6 more book reviews
My daughter read this book in her Sonlight curriculum and it was one of her favorites.
reviewed The Phantom Tollbooth on + 90 more book reviews
This is a fun and interesting book. Lots of puns, metaphor and representative characters. I loved it as a kid, and enjoyed it as an adult too.
Spuddie avatar reviewed The Phantom Tollbooth on + 412 more book reviews
A classic childrens fantasy tale that Id never heard of til recentlywritten in 1961 and full of the sort of puns and wordplay I would have loved as a youngsterwish Id known about it then.

Milo is a young boy who is disillusioned with lifewherever he is and whatever hes doing, he wishes he were somewhere else doing something different. Thoroughly bored with life is our Milo. One day he comes home to find a tollbooth in his bedroom, something hes pretty sure wasnt there before. He climbs in his little car, pays his toll and finds himself suddenly somewhere else and certainly doing something different! Consulting the map, he decides to head for Dictionopolis, but first must travel through Expectations, the doldrums and the Foothills of Confusion. Wonderful story with a very basic life lesson (that I think some people never quite learn, actually)...hilarious characters, word streams and funky illustrations as well.
reviewed The Phantom Tollbooth on + 44 more book reviews
Marvellous story of a spoiled boy's somewhat Alice-like journey into the world of words and numbers. must be one of the most brilliant pieces of nonsense written in our time.


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