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The Phantom Tollbooth (1961)

by Norton Juster

Other authors: Jules Feiffer (Illustrator)

Other authors: See the other authors section.

MembersReviewsPopularityAverage ratingConversations / Mentions
16,336416296 (4.3)2 / 444
A journey through a land where Milo learns the importance of words and numbers provides a cure for his boredom.
  1. 91
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    Death_By_Papercut: A child enters a strange new world.
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    The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making by Catherynne M. Valente (aarti, calmclam)
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    RRHowell: Both are clever allegorical fantasies.
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    Momo by Michael Ende (souloftherose)
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    The Lost Track of Time by Paige Britt (JanesList)
    JanesList: If you liked the Phantom Tollbooth (which admittedly, I didn't like as much) you will probably also like this book. It has some of the same feel because it is also a journey to another (kindof random but with its own logic) world to learn things about yourself and your own world.… (more)
  10. 20
    A Barrel of Laughs, A Vale of Tears by Jules Feiffer (suzanney)
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    Dear Dolphin by Herbert Kenny (bmlg)
    bmlg: a quest with clever wordplay and whimsical personified ideas
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    The Pirates' Mixed-up Voyage by Margaret Mahy (FFortuna)
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    The Bookstore Mouse by Peggy Christian (_Zoe_)
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    The Spindlers by Lauren Oliver (C.Vick)
1960s (49)
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» See also 444 mentions

Showing 1-5 of 415 (next | show all)
A classic kid’s book, that the kid and I just read together. So many puns and so much delight!‬ ( )
  MandyPS | May 13, 2023 |
Independent Reading Level: Grades 4+
Awards: Silver Pencil Award
  PaigeDavison | Apr 29, 2023 |
Essentially Gulliver's Travels but for a young audience, this book is adorable. It concerns a young boy who, quite lazy and apathetic about life in general, journeys into a world full of fantastical characters and amazing names (that obviously link to their purpose or occupation) and learns lessons about life. It's an adorable book for young children and does pack quite a few lessons in there too! ( )
  viiemzee | Feb 20, 2023 |
Truly one of the best children's books of all time. Absolute perfection. ( )
  Afriendlyhorse | Jan 18, 2023 |
Loved it as a child, love it as an adult. ( )
  spiritedstardust | Dec 29, 2022 |
Showing 1-5 of 415 (next | show all)

» Add other authors (17 possible)

Author nameRoleType of authorWork?Status
Juster, Nortonprimary authorall editionsconfirmed
Feiffer, JulesIllustratorsecondary authorall editionsconfirmed
Dietz, NormanNarratorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Grant, MelCover artistsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Jones, Diana WynneIntroductionsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Pierce, David HydeNarratorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Sendak, MauriceIntroductionsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Wilson, RainnNarratorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
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Canonical title
Original title
Alternative titles
Original publication date
People/Characters
Important places
Important events
Related movies
Awards and honors
Epigraph
Dedication
To Andy and Kenny,
who waited so patiently
First words
There was once a boy named Milo who didn't know what to do with himself—not just sometimes, but always.
Quotations
"You must never feel badly about making mistakes," explained Reason quietly," as long as you take the trouble to learn from them. For you often learn more by being wrong for the right reasons than you do by being right for the wrong reasons."
Well, since you got here by not thinking, it seems reasonable to expect that, in order to get out, you must start thinking.
The only thing you can do easily is be wrong, and that's hardly worth the effort.
Last words
(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)
Disambiguation notice
Please distinguish between this LT Work, Norton Juster's original The Phantom Tollbooth (1961), and the edition annotated by Leonard Marcus (2011). Thank you.
Publisher's editors
Blurbers
Original language
Canonical DDC/MDS
Canonical LCC

References to this work on external resources.

Wikipedia in English (2)

A journey through a land where Milo learns the importance of words and numbers provides a cure for his boredom.

No library descriptions found.

Book description
The Phantom Tollbooth tells the story of a bored young boy named Milo who unexpectedly receives a magic tollbooth one afternoon and, having nothing better to do, decides to drive through it in his toy car. The tollbooth transports him to a land called the Kingdom of Wisdom. There he acquires two faithful companions, has many adventures, and goes on a quest to rescue the princesses of the kingdom from the castle of air, Princess Rhyme and Princess Reason. The text is full of puns, and many events, such as Milo's jump to the Island of Conclusions, exemplify literal meanings of English language idioms.
Haiku summary
A quite boring boy,
goes on a great adventure,
and he is changed a lot.
(Firefox-Flame_dancer)

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Average: (4.3)
0.5 1
1 26
1.5 5
2 91
2.5 19
3 416
3.5 67
4 1010
4.5 142
5 1719

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Hachette Book Group

2 editions of this book were published by Hachette Book Group.

Editions: 1587171090, 1587171082

 

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