Skip to content

The Phantom Tollbooth
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

The Phantom Tollbooth Hardcover - 1961

by Norton Juster; Jules Feiffer (Illustrator)

This 35th anniversary edition of Juster's ingenious fantasy introduces young readers to Milo, a bored ten-year-old who comes home to find a large toy tollbooth sitting in his room. Illustrations.


Summary

A bored young boy named Milo travels to a strange fantasy world where he learns to appreciate the time he has been given.

From the publisher

"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!

From the jacket flap

Illustrated in black-and-white. We're celebrating the thirty-fifth anniversary (1996) of this modern kids' classic with a special hardcover edition! This ingenious fantasy centeres 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...

Details

  • Title The Phantom Tollbooth
  • Author Norton Juster; Jules Feiffer (Illustrator)
  • Binding Hardcover
  • Edition Reissue
  • Pages 288
  • Volumes 1
  • Language ENG
  • Publisher Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers, New York
  • Date 1961-08-12
  • Illustrated Yes
  • Features Illustrated
  • ISBN 9780394815008 / 0394815009
  • Weight 0.96 lbs (0.44 kg)
  • Dimensions 9.1 x 6.3 x 0.9 in (23.11 x 16.00 x 2.29 cm)
  • Ages 10 to 13 years
  • Grade levels 5 - 8
  • Reading level 1000
  • Library of Congress subjects Fantasy
  • Library of Congress Catalog Number 2015002504
  • Dewey Decimal Code FIC

Excerpt

Chapter I: Milo

There was once a boy named Milo who didn’t know what to do with himself — not just sometimes, but always.

When he was in school he longed to be out, and when he was out he longed to be in. On the way he thought about coming home, and coming home he thought about going. Wherever he was he wished he were somewhere else, and when he got there he wondered why he’d bothered. Nothing really interested him — least of all the things that should have.

“It seems to me that almost everything is a waste of time,” he remarked one day as he walked dejectedly home from school. “I can’t see the point in learning to solve useless problems, or subtracting turnips from turnips, or knowing where Ethiopia is or how to spell February.” And, since no one bothered to explain otherwise, he regarded the process of seeking knowledge as the greatest waste of time of all.

As he and his unhappy thoughts hurried along (for while he was never anxious to be where he was going, he liked to get there as quickly as possible) it seemed a great wonder that the world, which was so large, could sometimes feel so small and empty.

“And worst of all,” he continued sadly, “there’s nothing for me to do, nowhere I’d care to go, and hardly anything worth seeing,” He punctuated this last thought with such a deep sigh that a house sparrow singing nearby stopped and rushed home to be with his family.

Without stopping or looking up, Milo dashed past the buildings and busy shops that lined the street and in a few minutes reached home — dashed through the lobby — hopped onto the elevator — two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, and off again — opened the apartment door — rushed into his room — flopped dejectedly into a chair, and grumbled softly, “Another long afternoon.”

He looked glumly at all the things he owned. The books that were too much trouble to read, the tools he’d never learned to use, the small electric automobile he hadn’t driven in months — or was it years? — and the hundreds of other games and toys, and bats and balls, and bits and pieces scattered around him. And then, to one side of the room, just next to the phonograph, he noticed something he had certainly never seen before.

Who could possibly have left such an enormous package and such a strange one? For, while it was not quite square, it was definitely not round, and for its size it was larger than almost any other big package of smaller dimension that he’d ever seen.

Attached to one side was a bright-blue envelope which said simply: “FOR MILO, WHO HAS PLENTY OF TIME.”

Of course, if you’ve ever gotten a surprise package you can imagine how puzzled and excited Milo was; and if you’ve never gotten one, pay close attention, because someday you might.

“I don’t think it’s my birthday,” he puzzled, “and Christmas must be months away, and I haven’t been outstandingly good, or even good at all.” (He had to admit this even to himself.) “Most probably I won’t like it anyway, but since I don’t know where it came from, I can’t possibly send it back.” He thought about it for quite a while and then opened the envelope, but just to be polite.

“ONE GENUINE TURNPIKE TOLLBOOTH,” it stated — and then it went on:

“EASILY ASSEMBLED AT HOME, AND FOR USE BY THOSE WHO HAVE NEVER TRAVELED IN LANDS BEYOOND.”

“Beyond what?” thought Milo as he continued to read.

“THIS PACKAGE CONTAINS THE FOLLOWING ITEMS:

“One (1) genuine turnpike tollbooth to be erected according to directions.

“Three (3) precautionary signs to be used in a precautionary fashion.

“Assorted coins for use in paying tolls.

“One (1) map, up to date and carefully drawn by master cartographers, depicting natural and man-made features.

“One (1) book of rules and traffic regulations, which may not be bent or broken.”

And in smaller letters at the bottom it concluded:

“RESULTS ARE NOT GUARANTEED, BUT IF NOT PERFECTLY SATISFIED, YOUR WASTED TIME WILL BE REFUNDED.”

Following the instructions, which told him to cut here, lift there, and fold back all around, he soon had the tollbooth unpacked and set up on its stand. He fitted the windows in place and attached the roof, which extended out on both sides, and fastened on the coin box. It was very much like the tollbooths he’d seen many times on family trips, except of course it was much smaller and purple.

“What a strange present,” he thought to himself. “The least they could have done was to send a highway with it, for it’s terribly impractical without one.” But since, at the time, there was nothing else he wanted to play with, he set up the three signs,

SLOW DOWN APPROACHING TOLLBOOTH

PLEASE HAVE YOUR FARE READY

HAVE YOUR DESTINATION IN MIND

And slowly unfolded the map.

As the announcement stated, it was a beautiful map, in many colors, showing principal roads, rivers and seas, towns and cities, mountains and valleys, intersections and detours, and sites of outstanding interest both beautiful and historic.

The only trouble was that Milo had never heard of any of the places it indicated, and even the names sounded most peculiar.

“I don’t think there really is such a country,” he concluded after studying it carefully. “Well, it doesn’t matter anyway.” And he closed his eyes and poked a finger at the map.

“Dictionopolis,” read Milo slowly when he saw what his finger had chosen. “Oh, well, I might as well go there as anywhere.”

He walked across the room and dusted the car off carefully. Then, taking the map and rule book with him, he hopped in and, for lack of anything better to do, drove slowly up to the tollbooth. As he deposited his coin and rolled past he remarked wistfully, “I do hope this is an interesting game, otherwise the afternoon will be so terribly dull.”


From the Trade Paperback edition.

Media reviews

" I read [The Phantom Tollbooth] first when I was 10. I still have the book report I wrote, which began 'This is the best book ever.'"
--Anna Quindlen, The New York Times


"A classic... Humorous, full of warmth and real invention."
--The New Yorker


From the Trade Paperback edition.

Citations

  • Entertainment Weekly, 11/14/2014, Page 111
  • Hornbook Guide to Children, 07/01/1996, Page 69
  • New Yorker (The), 10/17/2011, Page 30

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.
Back to Top

More Copies for Sale

The Phantom Tollbooth

The Phantom Tollbooth

by Norton Juster

  • Used
  • Acceptable
  • Hardcover
Condition
Used - Acceptable
Binding
Hardcover
ISBN 13
9780394815008
ISBN 10
0394815009
Quantity Available
1
Seller
Seattle, Washington, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 4 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
$6.02
FREE shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
Random House, 1989. Hardcover. Acceptable. Readable copy. Pages may have considerable notes/highlighting. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less.Dust jacket quality is not guaranteed.
Item Price
$6.02
FREE shipping to USA
The Phantom Tollbooth

The Phantom Tollbooth

by Norton Juster

  • Used
  • Acceptable
  • Hardcover
Condition
Used - Acceptable
Binding
Hardcover
ISBN 13
9780394815008
ISBN 10
0394815009
Quantity Available
5
Seller
Seattle, Washington, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 4 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
$6.02
FREE shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
Random House, 1989. Hardcover. Acceptable. Former library book; Readable copy. Pages may have considerable notes/highlighting. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less.Dust jacket quality is not guaranteed.
Item Price
$6.02
FREE shipping to USA
The Phantom Tollbooth

The Phantom Tollbooth

by Norton Juster

  • Used
  • Acceptable
  • Hardcover
Condition
Used - Acceptable
Binding
Hardcover
ISBN 13
9780394815008
ISBN 10
0394815009
Quantity Available
8
Seller
Seattle, Washington, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 4 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
$6.02
FREE shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
Random House, 1989. Hardcover. Acceptable. Disclaimer:A readable copy. All pages are intact, and the cover is intact. Pages can include considerable notes-in pen or highlighter-but the notes cannot obscure the text. The dust jacket is missing. At ThriftBooks, our motto is: Read More, Spend Less.Dust jacket quality is not guaranteed.
Item Price
$6.02
FREE shipping to USA
The Phantom Tollbooth
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

The Phantom Tollbooth

by Norton Juster

  • Used
Condition
UsedGood
ISBN 13
9780394815008
ISBN 10
0394815009
Quantity Available
1
Seller
Skokie, Illinois, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 5 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
$7.62
$4.00 shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
UsedGood. NO DJ & flyleaf inscribing. Slightly worn/discolored. Text is mostly clean & readable.
Item Price
$7.62
$4.00 shipping to USA
The Phantom Tollbooth
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

The Phantom Tollbooth

by Norton Juster; Illustrator-Jules Feiffer

  • Used
  • Hardcover
Condition
Used: Good
Binding
Hardcover
ISBN 13
9780394815008
ISBN 10
0394815009
Quantity Available
1
Seller
HOUSTON, Texas, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 4 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
$7.84
FREE shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
Random House, 1989. Hardcover. Used: Good.
Item Price
$7.84
FREE shipping to USA
The Phantom Tollbooth
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

The Phantom Tollbooth

by Norton Juster

  • Used
Condition
Used - Good
ISBN 13
9780394815008
ISBN 10
0394815009
Quantity Available
1
Seller
Frederick, Maryland, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 4 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
$8.18
$3.99 shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
Random House. Used - Good. Good condition. Poor dust jacket. A copy that has been read but remains intact. May contain markings such as bookplates, stamps, limited notes and highlighting, or a few light stains.
Item Price
$8.18
$3.99 shipping to USA
The Phantom Tollbooth
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

The Phantom Tollbooth

by Juster, Norton

  • Used
  • near fine
  • Hardcover
Condition
Used - Near Fine
Edition
Special Edition
Binding
Hardcover
ISBN 13
9780394815008
ISBN 10
0394815009
Quantity Available
1
Seller
carson city, Nevada, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 5 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
$9.00
$5.00 shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
New York: Random House , 1989. Book. Illus. by Jules Feiffer. Near Fine. Hardcover. Special Edition. Reprint edition no dust jacket Book is in Near Fine condition. Boards are clean, minor bumping noted. Not remaindered. All-ways well boxed, All-ways fast service. Thanks..
Item Price
$9.00
$5.00 shipping to USA
The Phantom Tollbooth
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

The Phantom Tollbooth

by Juster, Norton

  • Used
Condition
Used - Good
ISBN 13
9780394815008
ISBN 10
0394815009
Quantity Available
3
Seller
Mishawaka, Indiana, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 5 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
$10.66
FREE shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
Random House Children's Books. Used - Good. Used book that is in clean, average condition without any missing pages.
Item Price
$10.66
FREE shipping to USA
The Phantom Tollbooth
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

The Phantom Tollbooth

by Juster, Norton

  • Used
Condition
Used - Good
ISBN 13
9780394815008
ISBN 10
0394815009
Quantity Available
2
Seller
Mishawaka, Indiana, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 5 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
$10.66
FREE shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
Random House Children's Books. Used - Good. Former library book; may include library markings. Used book that is in clean, average condition without any missing pages.
Item Price
$10.66
FREE shipping to USA
The Phantom Tollbooth
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

The Phantom Tollbooth

by Norton Juster, Jules Feiffer (Illustrator)

  • Used
  • Hardcover
Condition
Used:Good
Edition
Reissue
Binding
Hardcover
ISBN 13
9780394815008
ISBN 10
0394815009
Quantity Available
1
Seller
HOUSTON, Texas, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 4 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
$14.48
FREE shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
Random House, 1961-08-12. Reissue. Hardcover. Used:Good.
Item Price
$14.48
FREE shipping to USA