45. The Phantom Tollbooth

by Norton Juster (272 pages)

Rating: 5

Milo, an apathetic youth in need of a good shaking up, comes home one day to find a large package in his room. Because he didn't have anything better to do he unpacks and sets up his very own tollbooth.

Ok so why does The Phantom Tollbooth get a five? 1. It's a well written piece of fiction with good characterization and a fun sense of humor and plot. 2. It is, obliquely, about the importance of education. And 3. It is, less obliquely about the relative importance of mathematics and the literary arts (in that they are equally important.) In a society of specialists where education is left more and more to the will of the child and the involvement of the parent I think this is a stellar work that explains the importance to the child gently and without the preachy overtones of so much of the available children's lit.

It is essentially a well rounded work that is a parable demonstrating many of the values (over used concept that it is right now) that the uber conservative elements in this country really ought to be concerned with as opposed to legislating morality for ourselves and the rest of the world. If you taught children appropriately to their abilities and not to some misguided concept of fairness, then issues of morality are something they can very well take care of themselves. I shall now step down from my soap box.

*ahem*

So, read the book. Whether you are adult or child I'm sure you will find amusement in it.