Norton Juster (1929 – 2021) was a master of word play who believed that “for kids, there are no difficult words, only words they haven’t met yet”.
I first came across The Phantom Tollbooth in fourth grade at my school library. The cover art by Jules Feiffer is what initially caught my eye. “What an odd-looking dog”, I thought. Upon opening, the book displayed a map of “The Lands Beyond”, and I was hooked. Like my hero, Pippi Longstocking, adventure is what my 9-year-old heart craved. So, away I went, to follow Milo on his quest.
Here’s a little info on Milo. To him, everything is boring and a waste of time. That is until one day, a mysterious tollbooth and little, electric car magically appear in his room. With nothing better to do, Milo drives through the toll, and into the Lands Beyond. He then meets Tock, a loyal watchdog with a clock in his side, who often helps Milo think his way out of harm. Together they encounter two warring kingdoms, led by two quarreling brothers.
Together they encounter two warring kingdoms, led by two quarreling brothers. The first, Dictionopolis, where you can literally “eat your words”, is ruled by King Azaz. The second, Digitolopis, where numbers are mined like gems, is ruled by the Mathamagician.
The fight? Each believes that their kingdom of either words or numbers is more important than the other. To end the feud, Milo and Tock must rescue the banished Princesses, Sweet Rhyme and Pure Reason, and bring Sense back to all the land. There will be many distractions along the way and Milo must keep his head if they are to succeed.
As I read Milo’s adventure, I was also beginning my own. A quest for understanding. As Juster had said, there were many words in this book I just hadn’t met yet. Yet, they were beautiful, and frilly, and I wanted to know what every single one of them meant! I immediately asked my grandmother for a pocket copy of a dictionary and thesaurus. Before the internet, these were highly cherished items and I carried them everywhere. Reading The Phantom Tollbooth again as an adult, I feel this story is still relevant and fun. Truly a book parents and children can read together.
Make some crafts, taste some half-baked ideas , and step into the magical world of Norton Juster, as we transform the library’s main lobby into the Phantom Tollbooth during our World of Reading event this March 14th!
Click on the link to learn more about this library wide event: Events – DeKalb Public Library
Want to read this fun book before our program? You can give us a call at 815-756-9568 ext. 3350 or click on the following link to place the book on hold: The phantom tollbooth, Juster, Norton, 1929- | DeKalb Public Library.