The Phantom Tollbooth

Norton Juster

Jan 2011 · Sold by Knopf Books for Young Readers

About this ebook

“Comes up bright and new every time I read it . . . it will continue to charm and delight for a very long time yet.” --Phillip Pullman, New York Times bestselling author of His Dark Materials 

With almost 5 million copies sold in the 60 years since it was published, generations of readers have journeyed with Milo to the Lands Beyond in this beloved classic.

Enriched by Jules Feiffer’s splendid illustrations, the wit, wisdom, and wordplay of Norton Juster’s offbeat fantasy are as beguiling as ever.  For Milo, everything’s a bore. When a tollbooth mysteriously appears in his room, he drives through only because he’s got nothing better to do. But on the other side, things seem different. Milo visits the Island of Conclusions (you get there by jumping), learns about time from a ticking watchdog named Tock, and even embarks on a quest to rescue Rhyme and Reason. 

Somewhere along the way, Milo realizes something astonishing. Life is far from dull. In fact, it’s exciting beyond his wildest dreams!

Ratings and reviews

The ringing thought that is left by this book when I finished it is that I read this book a little too late. I imagine my 13-year-old self would enjoy this a lot more than my present self. But that doesn't take from the creativity of the writing, the puns and jokes are so well delivered that you just can't help but burst into laughter. A fun little children's fantasy journey, one that teaches that reality is as fantastic as imagination, as long as you keep on trying to do fantastical things. Read it as soon as you hear of it, for age do take away the besuty of fantasy.

Absolutely LOVED reading this book in like the 3rd or 4th grade! The movie adaptation wasn't too bad, either.... THANK YOU, Mr. Ciociola, wherever you are, for introducing me to this AWESOME BOOK! 👍🏻👍🏻

Me and my class read this book and it really helped me understand that their are many ways to learn our basic life skills.Now im not just the top student in my class,but I got a letter from one of the best HIGH SCHOOLS in my area! This is a big deal for me because I'm only in the 6TH GRADE!!! I'm very proud of myself and what I've done but I would like to thank my social study's teacher, the author, and the illustrator of this Book for helping me make my family proud of my great achievements so far. May God bless you all.😀

About the author

Norton Juster was an architect and planner, professor emeritus of design at Hampshire College, and the author of a number of highly acclaimed children's books, including The Dot and the Line, which was made into an Academy Award-winning animated film. He collaborated with Sheldon Harnick on the libretto for an opera based on The Phantom Tollbooth. The musical adaptation, with a score by Arnold Black, premiered in 1995 and is performed in schools and theaters nationwide. 


Jules Feiffer is the author of several books for young readers, including The Man in the Ceiling and A Barrel of Laughs, a Vale of Tears, I Lost My Bear, Bark, George, and Meanwhile.... He has won a number of prizes for his cartoons, plays, and screenplays. Mr. Feiffer lives in New York City.