#the phantom tollbooth

[facts-i-just-made-up]

Which letter tastes the best?

Just make sure they're ripe-

(from The Phantom Tollbooth, 1970 by Chuck Jones)

[book--brackets]

Summaries under the cut

Stardust by Neil Gaiman

Young Tristran Thorn will do anything to win the cold heart of beautiful Victoria—even fetch her the star they watch fall from the night sky. But to do so, he must enter the unexplored lands on the other side of the ancient wall that gives their tiny village its name. Beyond that old stone wall, Tristran learns, lies Faerie—where nothing not even a fallen star, is what he imagined.

Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls

Billy, Old Dan, and Little Ann—a boy and his two dogs...

A loving threesome, they ranged the dark hills and river bottoms of Cherokee County. Old Dan had the brawn, Little Ann had the brains—and Billy had the will to train them to be the finest hunting team in the valley. Glory and victory were coming to them, but sadness waited too. And close by was the strange and wonderful power that's only found...

The Witches by Roald Dahl

This is not a fairy-tale. This is about real witches. Real witches don't ride around on broomsticks. They don't even wear black cloaks and hats. They are vile, cunning, detestable creatures who disguise themselves as nice, ordinary ladies. So how can you tell when you're face to face with one? Well, if you don't know yet you'd better find out quickly-because there's nothing a witch loathes quite as much as children and she'll wield all kinds of terrifying powers to get rid of them.

The Kane Chronicles by Rick Riordan

Since his mother's death six years ago, Carter Kane has been living out of a suitcase, traveling the globe with his father, the brilliant Egyptologist, Dr. Julius Kane. But while Carter's been homeschooled, his younger sister, Sadie, has been living with their grandparents in London. Sadie has just what Carter wants—school friends and a chance at a "normal" life. But Carter has just what Sadie longs for—time with their father. After six years of living apart, the siblings have almost nothing in common. Until now.

On Christmas Eve, Sadie and Carter are reunited when their father brings them to the British Museum, with a promise that he's going to "make things right." But all does not go according to plan: Carter and Sadie watch as Julius summons a mysterious figure, who quickly banishes their father and causes a fiery explosion.

Soon Carter and Sadie discover that the gods of Ancient Egypt are waking, and the worst of them—Set—has a frightening scheme. To save their father, they must embark on a dangerous journey—a quest that brings them ever closer to the truth about their family and its links to the House of Life, a secret order that has existed since the time of the pharaohs.

Hatchet by Gary Paulsen

Brian is on his way to Canada to visit his estranged father when the pilot of his small prop plane suffers a heart attack. Brian is forced to crash-land the plane in a lake--and finds himself stranded in the remote Canadian wilderness with only his clothing and the hatchet his mother gave him as a present before his departure.

Brian had been distraught over his parents' impending divorce and the secret he carries about his mother, but now he is truly desolate and alone. Exhausted, terrified, and hungry, Brian struggles to find food and make a shelter for himself. He has no special knowledge of the woods, and he must find a new kind of awareness and patience as he meets each day's challenges. Is the water safe to drink? Are the berries he finds poisonous?

Slowly, Brian learns to turn adversity to his advantage--an invading porcupine unexpectedly shows him how to make fire, a devastating tornado shows him how to retrieve supplies from the submerged airplane. Most of all, Brian leaves behind the self-pity he has felt about his predicament as he summons the courage to stay alive.

Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell

On San Nicolas Island, dolphins flash in the surrounding blue waters, sea otter play in the vast kelp beds, and sea elephants loll on the stony beaches. Here, in the early 1800s, a girl named Karana spent eighteen years alone.

Karana had to contend with the ferocious pack of wild dogs that killed her younger brother, constantly guard against Aleutian sea otter hunters, and maintain a precarious food supply. Her courage, self-reliance, and grit has inspired millions of readers in this breathtaking adventure.

Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli

Leo Borlock follows the unspoken rule at Mica Area High School: don't stand out--under any circumstances! Then Stargirl arrives at Mica High and everything changes--for Leo and for the entire school. After 15 years of home schooling, Stargirl bursts into tenth grade in an explosion of color and a clatter of ukulele music, enchanting the Mica student body.

But the delicate scales of popularity suddenly shift, and Stargirl is shunned for everything that makes her different. Somewhere in the midst of Stargirl's arrival and rise and fall, normal Leo Borlock has tumbled into love with her.

The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster

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. . . .

Black Beauty by Anna Sewell

As a young horse, Black Beauty is well-loved and happy. But when his owner is forced to sell him, his life changes drastically. He has many new owners—some of them cruel and some of them kind. All he needs is someone to love him again....

Whether pulling an elegant carriage or a ramshackle cab, Black Beauty tries to live as best he can. This is his amazing story, told as only he could tell it.

Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt

Doomed to - or blessed with - eternal life after drinking from a magic spring, the Tuck family wanders about trying to live as inconspicuously and comfortably as they can. When ten-year-old Winnie Foster stumbles on their secret, the Tucks take her home and explain why living forever at one age is less a blessing that it might seem. Complications arise when Winnie is followed by a stranger who wants to market the spring water for a fortune.

[snailbucket]

The Phantom Tollbooth (1970) Art Appreciation (X)

[haveyoureadthisfantasybook]

vote yes if you have finished the entire book.

vote no if you have not finished the entire book.

(faq · submit a book)

[haveyoureadthisbook-poll]

[existennialmemes]

Executive Dysfunction is bad because of missed assignments and appointments and bills and all that, obviously.

But Executive Dysfunction is also bad because literally all I want in the entire world right now is to drink my ice tea and smoke my weed but I keep not doing that, because the frontal lobe of my brain has been replaced by the Doldrums from The Phantom Tollbooth

[thedupshadove]

I'm not saying this would be a good idea, but I do think you could make one of those blown-up, slightly-adultified, lots-of-added-lore adaptations of the Phantom Tollbooth without it seeming completely insane.

[idembroiderthat]

Milo and the OG Book Tock. ‘The Phantom Tollbooth’ was the first time I realized a book could be art. Never have I been more captivated and awed by words. There are many beautiful quotes in the book, but this one feels particularly relevant.

[modmad]

Just wanted to say that TPoH has the most genius writing I’ve ever seen. It reminds me so much of the phantom tollbooth, but 10x better. The symbolism is absolutely insane, the story is beautiful, and the characters are so human. I really wouldn’t be surprised if it won an award in the future, it’s criminally underrated!

every time I get compared to TPTB my heart grows three sizes because I only discovered that book and film because someone said TPoH reminded them of it, and I am so happy because it's now one of my favourite stories!!! I do not think TPoH is 10x better than it though.

[jadagul]

I've been reading an old copy of The Phantom Tollbooth to my girlfriend, and tonight we finished it. And just for fun I read some of the ads for other books at the end, and I found what may be the greatest book blurb in history.

A Dark Horn Blowing Dahlov Ipcar Far out across the sands stretching silver-white into the darkening bay, the cow was calling. That mourning, that sadness; it filled my whole soul with its sorrow. But there were words crying in the sound, and it was not the cow that spoke those words, but a small man with a horn standing by a long, black boat there at the edge of the tide. The cow's lowing became the dark horn blowing, and then it was too late ­— if ever I could have turned back I could no longer. 'Here is a remarkable piece of fantasy; haunting title, magical opening chapter — I can promise you the rest won't disappoint.' Naomi Lewis

Everything about that is amazing. The author's name is spectacular. And whoever wrote that blurb has literary pretensions far in excess of their wordsmithing capabilities.

I tried to read it out loud, broke twice, gave it to my girlfriend, who then broke at how hard I was laughing. There were words crying in the sound, and it was not the cow that spoke those words.

[hollyevolving]

It's the Kingdom of Wisdom; Rhyme and Reason are the princesses.

But WHATEVER, Brennan knew The Phantom Tollbooth right away, and that just goes directly to my heart.

[book--brackets]

Hi everyone, this was a mistake on my part! The Kane Chronicles are not supposed to be here as they were in the last competition. Any votes for them will be counted as "see results" votes when it comes to calculated if any books are outright eliminated, and if they end up winning, second place will be taken instead.

[knightotoc]

^ that's what happened to me

[ewingstan]

Trying to figure out how to do quicker, more cartoonish doodles. Don't know why I jumped to midcentury children's classics for inspiration but there you are.

[cicaklah]

I'm a tock coded tock girl.

(I love him so much and @alienfuckeronmain is the best tattoo artist I've ever had, thank you so much ❤️❤️❤️)