Chosen as a favourite by Philip Pullman: "Superb wit and vigorous invention."
As whimsical as The Wizard of Oz, but with the allegorical wisdom of Alice in Wonderland, The Phantom Tollbooth is a book for adults and children to share. Milo is bored with everything until a mysterious tollbooth appears in his room. He hops into his electric car and goes exploring, finding himself in a strange land. Learning that the Princesses Rhyme and Reason need rescuing he sets off with Tock the watchdog to the Mountains of Ignorance to save them, passing through the Doldrums and the city of Dictionopolis along the way, and meeting some very strange characters. On his return, Milo is a changed boy, and everything seems worth trying. Juster turns abstract ideas into unforgettable images, at the very least children will be slow to jump to Conclusions after reading this! ~ Andrea Reece
When Milo finds an enormous package in his bedroom, he's delighted to have something to relieve his boredom with school. And when he opens it to find - as the label states - One Genuine Turnpike Tollbooth, he gets right into his pedal car and sets off through the Tollbooth and away on a magical journey!Milo's extraordinary voyage takes him into such places as the Land of Expectation, the Doldrums, the Mountains of Ignorance and the Castle in the Air. He meets the weirdest and most unexpected characters (such as Tock, the watchdog, the Gelatinous Giant, and the Threadbare Excuse, who mumbles the same thing over and over again), and, once home, can hardly wait to try out the Tollbooth again. But will it be still there when he gets back from school?This new edition of Norton Juster's classic story includes a special "Why You'll Love This Book" introduction by award-winning author, Diana Wynne Jones.