Juster, Norton

The Phantom Tollbooth

"It seems to me that almost everything is a waste of time," Milo laments. "[T]here's nothing for me to do, nowhere I'd care to go, and hardly anything worth seeing." This bored, bored young protagonist who can't see the point to anything is knocked out of his glum humdrum by the sudden and curious appearance of a tollbooth in his bedroom. Since Milo has absolutely nothing better to do, he dusts off his toy car, pays the toll, and drives through. What ensues is a journey of mythic proportions, during which Milo encounters countless odd characters who are anything but dull.

Norton Juster received (and continues to receive) enormous praise for this original, witty, and oftentimes hilarious novel, first published in 1961. In an introductory "Appreciation" written by Maurice Sendak for the 35th anniversary edition, he states, "The Phantom Tollbooth leaps, soars, and abounds in right notes all over the place, as any proper masterpiece must." Indeed.

As Milo heads toward Dictionopolis he meets with the Whether Man ("for after all it's more important to know whether there will be weather than what the weather will be"), passes through The Doldrums (populated by Lethargarians), and picks up a watchdog named Tock (who has a giant alarm clock for a body). The brilliant satire and double entendre intensifies in the Word Market, where after a brief scuffle with Officer Short Shrift, Milo and Tock set off toward the Mountains of Ignorance to rescue the twin Princesses, Rhyme and Reason. Anyone with an appreciation for language, irony, or Alice in Wonderland-style adventure will adore this book for years on end. (Ages 8 and up)

Illustrated in black-and-white. This ingenious fantasy centers around Milo, a bored ten-year-old who comes home to find a large toy tollbooth sitting in his room. Joining forces with a watchdog named Tock, Milo drives through the tollbooth's gates and begins a memorable journey. He meets such characters as the foolish, yet lovable Humbug, the Mathemagician, and the not-so-wicked "Which," Faintly Macabre, who gives Milo the "impossible" mission of returning two princesses to the Kingdom of Wisdom.

The Hello, Goodbye Window

The kitchen window at Nanna and Poppy's house is, for one little girl, a magic gateway. Everything important happens near it, through it, or beyond it. Told in her voice, her story is both a voyage of discovery and a celebration of the commonplace wonders that define childhood. It is also a love song devoted to that special relationship between grandparents and grandchild.

As: A Surfeit of Similes

A "witty celebration of comparisons....The interplay of words and pictures is intriguing, with the artist's sense of humor a perfect match for the author's playful tone....As is a real find."--Language Arts. "Wonderfully entertaining."--Kirkus Reviews.

The Phantom Tollbooth [Unabridged] (Audio CD)

La cabina mágica

Norton Juster's timeless, best-selling novel will reach an even wider readership with this outstanding Spanish translation. Milo thinks that just about everything is a big waste of time--when he even bothers to think at all. But he starts to see life in a whole new way after a mysterious gift transports him to the Lands Beyond. Accompanied by the ticking watchdog Tock and the boastful Humbug, Milo embarks on an unforgettable quest to rescue Princesses Rhyme and Reason and restore common sense to the Kingdom of Wisdom.

Otter Nonsense

A collection of puns based on animals, including "Lemming meringue pie," "Crocoduel," and "Pupsicle."

Alberic the Wise

In the days of the Renaissance, Alberic leads the reader among the folds of a rich tapestry in his search for wisdom.

Il Casello Magico

La recta y el punto

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As Silly As Knees, As Busy As Bees: An Astounding Assortment of Similes

Defines the mode of comparison known as simile and provides many examples in rhyming text.