Phantom Tollbooth

"I never knew words could be so confusing," Milo said to Tock as he bent down to scratch the dog's ear.

"Only when you use a lot to say a little," answered Tock."

Norton Juster

The Phantom Tollbooth

For a book that was banned because a librarian thought that it was a "poor fantasy," The Phantom Tollbooth is a fantastical story about a boy named Milo, who can't be bothered with anything and finds everything boring. One day a mysterious tollbooth appears in his room, and, because he has nothing better to do, he drives through it ( admittedly I am a bit confused by the small child driving a car through it, let alone a car in his room that can fit a large dog and a Humbug in it) and finds himself on the other side in a strange land. There he meets a ticking dog, a Watch Dog, named Tock and he sets of on a quest to rescue Rhyme and Reason. On his journey he interacts with many strange people, from the King of Dictionopolis who thinks that words are much better than numbers, to the King of Digitopolis, the Mathemegician. He visits strange places, and on the way learns that even the basic things, like numbers and words, can be more interesting then his wildest dreams.

I loved this book. I can't believe that I haven't read it. Its funny, the prose is poetic, and the story is fascinating. It has an Alice in Wonderland feel without being quite as nonsensical and much less creepy. The story itself could stand alone, but it is enhanced by wonderful illustrations through out the book.

I think this is a very important book for kids to read. Each chapter has it's own individual lesson, and they all fit together for a wonderful moral: that life is never boring, if you just look around.