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4.24 AVERAGE
4.24 AVERAGE
I was a young girl, maybe in sixth grade, maybe seventh, when The Phantom Tollbooth first crossed my path. My younger sister (who, let’s be honest, wasn’t much of a reader back then unless the author was [a: Shel Silverstein|435477|Shel Silverstein|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1690710827p2/435477.jpg]) read it—and loved it. She urged me to read it too, but I wasn’t interested.
Back then, I was all about those gritty pioneer diaries of girls facing blizzards and cholera on the American frontier, raw and harrowing memoirs of abuse, sorrow, and survival, dark and brooding historical dramas, and tragic stories where the main character has cancer and exactly six months to live. (Basically, if it made me sob into my pillow at night, it made the cut.) I had no patience for playful wordplay, whimsical silliness, or a watchdog named Tock who said “tick.”
Which is funny, in retrospect, because The Phantom Tollbooth is a portal fantasy in much the same literary vein as [b: The Neverending Story|27712|The Neverending Story|Michael Ende|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1554230952l/27712._SY75_.jpg|1122661] and [b: The Chronicles of Narnia|132080146|The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (Chronicles of Narnia, #1)|C.S. Lewis|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1697079942l/132080146._SY75_.jpg|4790821]—both of which I devoured like the White Witch’s Turkish delight. But this book, with its cyan blue cover and a glum little boy named Milo, somehow escaped my TBR pile entirely. And yet—I wish I’d read it then.
Sure, I certainly wouldn’t have caught all the cleverness or appreciated the brilliance behind the absurdity. The puns might have flown over my head like the Spelling Bee himself. But I think it might’ve planted something in me—a small seed of delight that may have taken root and quietly grown over the years.
Still, I’m glad I finally read it when I did: at thirty-nine, no less. In the end, "The Phantom Tollbooth" is all about learning to see the beauty and wonder that has been there all along. It reminds us that boredom is often just a failure to pay attention, and that meaning can be found in the most unexpected places if only we take the time to explore. I was already lost in the imagination of stories and didn't think I needed that lesson. But maybe I needed to be reminded that even nonsense has its own kind of logic—and that delight is often hiding in plain sight.
Back then, I was all about those gritty pioneer diaries of girls facing blizzards and cholera on the American frontier, raw and harrowing memoirs of abuse, sorrow, and survival, dark and brooding historical dramas, and tragic stories where the main character has cancer and exactly six months to live. (Basically, if it made me sob into my pillow at night, it made the cut.) I had no patience for playful wordplay, whimsical silliness, or a watchdog named Tock who said “tick.”
Which is funny, in retrospect, because The Phantom Tollbooth is a portal fantasy in much the same literary vein as [b: The Neverending Story|27712|The Neverending Story|Michael Ende|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1554230952l/27712._SY75_.jpg|1122661] and [b: The Chronicles of Narnia|132080146|The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (Chronicles of Narnia, #1)|C.S. Lewis|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1697079942l/132080146._SY75_.jpg|4790821]—both of which I devoured like the White Witch’s Turkish delight. But this book, with its cyan blue cover and a glum little boy named Milo, somehow escaped my TBR pile entirely. And yet—I wish I’d read it then.
Sure, I certainly wouldn’t have caught all the cleverness or appreciated the brilliance behind the absurdity. The puns might have flown over my head like the Spelling Bee himself. But I think it might’ve planted something in me—a small seed of delight that may have taken root and quietly grown over the years.
Still, I’m glad I finally read it when I did: at thirty-nine, no less. In the end, "The Phantom Tollbooth" is all about learning to see the beauty and wonder that has been there all along. It reminds us that boredom is often just a failure to pay attention, and that meaning can be found in the most unexpected places if only we take the time to explore. I was already lost in the imagination of stories and didn't think I needed that lesson. But maybe I needed to be reminded that even nonsense has its own kind of logic—and that delight is often hiding in plain sight.
3.5 stars for the inspired illustrations.
30th read from 1001 Children’s Books You Must Read Before You Die.*
*Deeply mistaken. Forgive me world. This must’ve been my 29th read from said list, making Old Yeller my 30th.
30th read from 1001 Children’s Books You Must Read Before You Die.*
*Deeply mistaken. Forgive me world. This must’ve been my 29th read from said list, making Old Yeller my 30th.
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
I read this book for the first time in 5th grade, and probably read it 4 or 5 times since. I remember finishing the book and immediately flipping to the first page to start it again. This was probably my first experience with allegory, and the stories and lessons have stuck with me for more than a decade. Brilliant imagery.
Love the wit and the puns! I never picked this book up as a child because it had the word "phantom" in the title and I thought that meant it was scary. Should have known better!
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
funny
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
I loved the 1970s movie adaptation of this book when I was a kid. I've finally read the book (with my 9 year old who also really enjoyed it). It was as delightful as my recollection of the movie, which I will watch again soon. Juster managed to write a book about the return of rhyme & reason to a a world of wisdom staunchly divided between math people & language people without it feeling contrived.