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The Phantom Tollbooth
- By Norton Juster
- Genre: Learning
Common Sense Media says
Trip to enchanted world excites learning in kids' classic.
Parents say
Kids say
QUALITY
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that this is an enduring classic, celebrating its 50th anniversary of publication and selected as NPR's November 2011 Kids' Book Club Pick. For some younger kids, the academic subject matter may be a little too advanced, and hence boring. Different aspects will appeal to different kids -- some will find the puns hysterical, others will gravitate more to the math or Jules Feiffer's whimsical illustrations. If you're looking for robust, swashbuckling adventure with three-dimensional characters and a fast-moving plot, this is not your book. But if you want a vivid illustration of the perils of jumping to conclusions, The Phantom Tollbooth is for you. Note: The 1970 animated film version fails to convey the book's depth.
What's the story?
Young Milo is bored in school and bored with life, not seeing the point of much of anything. In the midst of this funk, he comes home from school to find a mysterious tollbooth in his apartment and, for lack of anything better to do, hops in his little electric car and drives through it. Ultimately, accompanied by a Watch Dog named Tock and a strange creature called the Humbug, he sets forth on a quest to rescue the princesses Rhyme and Reason from dire captivity, seeing many peculiar sights and meeting many interesting characters along the way -- as well as getting an introduction to numerous academic concepts.
Is it any good?
Clearly a book by an unabashedly brainy adult, it evangelizes intellectualism with glee, which some kids are going to find more entertaining than others. But a book does not remain a hit for half a century without striking a chord in the hearts of a sizeable audience, and THE PHANATOM TOLLBOOTH has garnered a huge, multi-generational following.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about how easy it is not to think about what you're doing, and how much trouble you can get into that way. The book is full of silly examples, but you can probably think of plenty of your own.
What are you most interested in learning about, in or outside of school? What do you find boring? Why do you think it's boring? What might make you change your mind?
If you could go on a quest with your choice of companions, where would you go, what would be your task, and who would you take along?
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Kid, 11 years old
November 7, 2011
AGE
great book!
i really liked this book. it was great and it's really out of this world and stuff. it's awesome!
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Kid, 11 years old
January 6, 2012
AGE
really exiting
it is boring at parts and and at sometimes hard to understand. when it is not boring or hard to understand it is a good funny book
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Kid, 11 years old
January 6, 2012
AGE
the phantom tollbooth
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Kid, 11 years old
January 6, 2012
AGE
imaginative
You need to have a huge imagination to love this book. It also is educational. The words are hard but it is great to learn them! I learned new words and use them in every day life! This is a great book and if you like really out there books this is the one for you!
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Kid, 9 years old
January 6, 2012
AGE
Intresting and fun to read!
This book is really good, it is a fun book with a good imagination, there is a watch dog, a giant dog with a watch atached to it's side. lots of good words are used in this book, it is really fun to read, and any kid girl or boy, will enjoy this fun cool classic!
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Kid, 11 years old
January 6, 2012
AGE
good book
i think it was confusing and boring at times and hard to figure out but when it is not boring it can become a rreally good book.
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AGE
Ridiculously Fun, Imaginative, and Thought Provoking
I read this to my 8 year old daughter and my 7 year old son. Having grown up watching the movie, it was delightful to read the book. There was greater depth, even more fascinating characters, and the situations and experiences the characters went through added a dimension beyond that of the movie to entice the imagination.
My daughter was much more enthralled than my son, largely due to the advanced vocabulary words and concepts that required much more in depth thinking.
My daughter, who loves the 1970 movie, said that the book was much better than the movie. She was delighted all the way through.
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Kid, 8 years old
April 1, 2012
AGE
fascinating book
I think this book is great for 8 year olds that like to read a bit of suspense and chasing around. I feel really fascinated to read on to what is next. Everything in the story is interesting and I am always eager to know everything that is going to happen. This book is very lively and for kids that get really bored a lot, they will get all fascinated and everything when they read this book . This books is about a boy called Milo and he used to be very bored until one day in his room he finds a tollbooth. And he goes to 2 worlds, digitopolis and the other was about letters. So kings of each place are long enemies and Milo tricks both into agreeing to save 2 princesses from a castle above the clouds. After I read it I thought that this book is really good and I also thought that this book is very educational and I feel excited to read more of this author's books. I felt sad for Milo because he used to be very bored. But then I felt happy for Milo because his life became very exciting and full of happiness.
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Kid, 12 years old
March 5, 2012
AGE
loved it !!!!
omg.this book is absolutly amazing!!!!it reminded me of alice in wonderland except a little bit less drugy.my sister loved Milo so much that now i have a nephew named Milo.no joke.
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| Author: | Norton Juster |
| Illustrator: | Jules Feiffer |
| Book type: | Fiction |
| Genre: | Learning |
| Publisher: | Yearling Books |
| Publication date: | August 12, 1961 |
| Number of pages: | 272 |
| Hardcover price: | $19.95 |
| Paperback price: | $6.99 |
| Publisher's recommended age(s): | 9 - 12 |
| Read aloud: | 12 |
| Read alone: | 12 |
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