Wednesday Book Recommendation

It's Wednesday again, which means that it's time for another book recommendation by yours truly - you can feel the excitement building inside you, right? :-) Well, I won't leave you in suspense any longer...

This weeks book recommendation is "The Phantom Tollbooth" by Norton Juster. This is another book that my oldest sister recommended to me many years ago, but it wasn't until after I was married that I finally picked up a copy. I couldn't stop laughing as I read my way through the book, and when I was done I wondered why I hadn't picked up a copy earlier. In fact, when I finished the book, I took it along on a roadtrip and read it out loud to Peter while he drove and he enjoyed it as much as I did.

From the back cover
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 visit 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....

If you're reading it to a child, you will probably have to explain many of the words and word-plays, but it's really a fun way to do it and a great way for them to expand their vocabulary. The book says it's for ages 8 and up - and since I was on the "up" end when I read it, I would agree with that. :-) There are so many things in this book that I loved, but rather than telling you all about the book, I'll just share one of my favorite parts with you...

      "Now will you tell me where we are?" asked Tock as he looked around the desolate island.
      "To be sure," said Canby; "you're on the Island of Conclusions. Make yourself at home. You're apt to be here for some time."
      "But how did we get here?" asked Milo, who was still a bit puzzled by being here at all.
      "You jumped, of course," explained Canby. "That's the way most everyone gets here. It's really quite sumple: every time you decide something without having a good reason, you jump to Conclusions whether you like it or not. Its such an easy trip to make that I've been here hundreds of times."
      "But this is such an unpleasant-looking place," Milo remarked.
      "Yes, that's true," admitted Canby; "it does look much better from a distance."
(The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster, Chapter 13, Page 168)

This book is selling for $9.00 on Amazon, or it's FREE at your local library. Check it out (literally)!

Happy Reading!