Guest Blogger! Recommending The Phantom Tollbooth (Middle-Grade Fiction)

I'm delighted to introduce yet another exceptional guest blogger.  Marirosa (Mia) Garcia will graduate with me in a few weeks from the New School's MFA Program in Writing for Children.  She recently wrote a graphic novel that has already been accepted by an editor--with good reason.  I don't say this lightly:  It's spectacular.  It's funny and meaningful and beautifully written.  Remember her name:  Marirosa Garcia.  You'll want to read that book. 

In the meantime, here's her recommendation for us: 

I have several confessions to make before I start with my review.

1. I never read The Phantom Tollbooth as a child. Aside from fairy tales – which I read in Spanish – I wasn’t introduced to children’s literature written in English till I was much older.

2. I saw and LOVED the Phantom Tollbooth movie before I even knew it was a book. And I mean I LOVED it so much I recently bought a VHS copy of it on ebay and I don’t even have a VCR! Yeah. I wanted to be Rhyme AND Reason. Just saying.

So I decided it was about time I buckled down and bought my copy of The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster (Hardcover of course). One online order and 4 super-saver-shipping days later, I got my book in the mail.

The Phantom Tollbooth centers around Milo, who after a very boring day at school comes home to find a mysterious Tollbooth in the middle of his room. What else is he to do, but play along? Suddenly Milo finds himself in the magical land of Wisdom. The Land of Wisdom is in great trouble since the banishment of Rhyme and Reason. To find his way home and help the people of Wisdom, Milo decides to rescue the princesses. Cue fantastic adventures that both challenge our hero physically and mentally!

The best part of the book is how earnest and sweet it is about its message: Learning is fun. Not only is it fun, but it’s all around you! In books! Walking down the street! Everywhere you look there are things to be learned and things to do. Even when we make mistakes – there is always something to gain.
Here’s a little taste of why this book made me giggle on the subway. Whilst in Dictionopolis (land of words) Milo causes a ruckus and is stopped by the local policeman who also happens to be the judge:
“Good point,” replied the policeman, taking off his cap and putting on a long black robe. “I am also the judge. Now would you like a long or a short sentence?”

“ A short one, if you please,” said Milo.

“Good,” said the judge, rapping his gavel three times. “I always have trouble remembering the long ones. How about ‘I am’? That’s the shortest sentence I know.”

I literally laughed out loud on the subway – which is THE place to read by the way – and got some weird looks from the people around me. Although some of the puns and word play might be lost on some children – at the same time I think it’s a wonderful learning experience.

Don’t wait as long as I did. Make sure you have a copy of The Phantom Tollbooth in your personal library right now!

To return to Julie's website, click here:  www.juliesternberg.com/books. And please feel free to post a comment about Mia's recommendation, or any others, and to add a recommendation of your own.

Comments

[Mia]

*tear* you are so sweet. thank you for that intro, Julie.

[Julie]

you are so welcome! you deserve every single word of it. and thank you for commenting! i so love comments. please comment, everyone! otherwise it gets a little lonely out in the blogosphere.