156 of 164 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The childhood favorite that's still with me, September 3, 2000
After my first reading of 'The Phantom Tollbooth', it became,and still remains, my favorite young reader book. I wrote two book reports on it for my middle school reading classes. I even received a copy of it as a tenth birthday present. Ever since, I've read it from cover to cover at least once a year.
As a child, I enjoyed reading the strange adventures of a bored Milo embarking on his legendary quest. As an adult, I enjoy the tome's play on words, such as the Whether man ("It's more important to know whether there will be weather, rather than what the weather will be") and the Isle of Conclusions, a place you have to jump to to get there. I also love the book's personifying such abstract concepts as statistics, like the (literally) half a child that Milo meets who's the end result of the average family having 2.58 children. It also has neat takes on people's points of view, like the boy who grows down, rather than up. Needless to say, it's pretty apparent that even though I loved this book as a kid, I appreciate it much more as an adult.
If you remember reading this as a child, I strongly recommend you give it a look again. You'll likely pick up on quite a few things in the story that you might not have gotten the gist of in your youth!
'Late
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102 of 106 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An enjoyable classic of great originality., June 30, 2000
I first had this book read to me by my third grade teacher, and begged my mother to buy it for me soon thereafter, that I might read it for myself. It was my first "favorite book" (for all those what-are-your-favorite-book questions), and it continues to be a treasured classic on my shelf.
The story follows the journey of Milo, a boy bored of basically everything around him. One day he receives a mysterious package that turns out to be a tollbooth. For lack of anything better to do, he puts it together and begins to play, only to find himself driving in an entirely different world. There he meets all sort of curious creatures, from a giant watchdog (literally, a dog whose body is a watch) and a humbug the size of a person. Juster plays with words as if they were tangible objects to juggle, and continually surprises the reader by turning ordinary events into magical occurrences. This book very much exemplifies the quote (and I apologize for not naming the speaker, who slips my mind at this moment) "The universe is full of magical things, patiently waiting for our wits to get sharper."
Although Norton Juster's tale will probably never receive as much wild acclaim as the Harry Potter series, The Phantom Tollbooth nevertheless exhibits its own quiet charm. It is full of original characters and entertaining events, and I heartily recommend it for any child, or adult for that matter, who would like to be amused for a few hours on a rainy afternoon - especially if you think there's nothing to do! It is a wonderful book to read to a child, and the simple black and white drawings scattered throughout the text belie the vivid pictures that Juster paints with his words.
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204 of 218 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
“WELCOME TO EXPECTATIONS”, April 22, 2006
Milo’s bored with everything
And couldn’t see the reason
For learning math or spelling bees
No matter what the season
At home one day he found a box
Not round, but not quite square
ONE GENU-INE TURNPIKE TOLLBOOTH
The label did declare
Intrigued, he jumped into his car
Although this was a toy
Through the tollbooth he then passed,
One jaded little boy
He found himself quite somewhere else
It happened very fast
“WELCOME TO EXPECTATIONS”
said a signpost that he passed
But in this land there was a feud
Between two stubborn brothers
One thought words were number one
While numbers were the other’s
Milo, Humbug, faithful Tock
Must help to set things straight
Get Rhyme and Reason to return
so the feuding will abate
The brilliance of this story lies
In the author’s verbal skill
The places and the characters
Provide a learning thrill
The characters are wonderful
The plotline never dull
You’ll read this story several times
Until your brain is full
So if you are a child at heart
From two to ninety two
I strongly recommend this one
To you, and you, and you
Amanda Richards, April 22, 2006
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