THE PHANTOM TOLLBOOTH BY NORTON JUSTER

You're never too old to read children's books. Well, not this children's book, anyway. The Phantom Tollbooth is a phenomenal story about a bored young boy named Milo who, upon receiving a mysterious tollbooth in the mail, is transported to an unusual kingdom. In it, the two large cities of Dictionopolis (the city of words) and Digitopolis (the city of numbers) are at war, and Milo must rescue the sisters Rhyme and Reason to restore peace to the kingdom. On the way, he encounters several interesting characters and has many adventures.

The Phantom Tollbooth is more than a fantasy story, however. It is filled with brilliant jokes, puns and plays on words that make every page a joy to read. The messages and lessons that were lost on me when I read this book in fifth grade were clear and thought-provoking when I re-read it last year. You can't help but feel like the world is a beautiful place when you finish this book. In fact, even though The Phantom Tollbooth is filed in the children's section, I think it would do every adult a world of good to go out and read it right now. It's an easy read; you can probably get though it in one day just by reading during commercials. I've decided that I am going to read this book at least once a year. If you read it as a kid and still have a copy lying around, re-read it over the break. If you've never read it, go get it. Now. ($4.99)

-- Vikki Otero, Features Editor

This item appeared in the Features section of the December 6, 1996 issue.

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