The Phantom Tollbooth (Essential Modern Classics)

‘Think Alice in Wonderland for the modern age. Brilliant’. The Guardian

‘The most unpredictable, the most stimulating children’s book I have read for a very long time. Words, numbers, clichés, proverbs are taken literally, imaginatively or punningly in an enthralling and very funny dazzle of mental fireworks.’ The Sunday Times

‘An altogether remarkable book, one that should delight any bright child, and that will be no burden for a parent to read aloud. Related with unflagging wit and a marvellous sense of the fun to be had with words, this book will be enjoyed by children for years to come.’ Spectator

Essential Modern Classics are relaunched in gorgeous new covers bringing these timeless story to a new generation.

Milo’s extraordinary voyage takes him into such places as the Land of Expectation, the Doldrums, the Mountains of Ignorance and the Castle in the Air. He meets the weirdest and most unexpected characters (such as Tock, the watchdog, the Gelatinous Giant, and the Threadbare Excuse, who mumbles the same thing over and over again), and, once home, can hardly wait to try out the Tollbooth again. But will it be still there when he gets back from school?

This new edition of Norton Juster’s classic story includes a special “Why You’ll Love This Book” introduction by award-winning author, Diana Wynne Jones.