The Phantom TollboothThe Phantom Tollbooth
Score Classic
What it's about
For Milo, everything is a bore. When a tollbooth mysteriously appears in his room, he drives through only because he has nothing better to do. On the other side, he visits the Island of Conclusions (you get there by jumping), meets a watchdog named Tock and sets off to rescue Rhyme and Reason, and discovers that life is anything but dull.
Why it's worth reading
It's on TIME's list of the 100 best young-adult books. Its wordplay delights children and adults alike.
You'll love it if you liked
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
The Little Prince
The HobbitGood to know
It's a children's classic full of puns, best read aloud.
By the numbers
- Readers89 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics41 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller31 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #71 of the 504 fantasy books we rank
- #198 of the 924 classics we rank
- #553 of the 3,057 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Adventurous
If you like this, read next
The Lord of the Rings
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
The Godfather
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Quick answers
Is The Phantom Tollbooth worth reading?
Yes. It's on TIME's list of the 100 best young-adult books. It ranks #553 of the 3,057 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 78.3 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is The Phantom Tollbooth about?
For Milo, everything is a bore. When a tollbooth mysteriously appears in his room, he drives through only because he has nothing better to do. On the other side, he visits the Island of Conclusions (you get there by jumping), meets a watchdog named Tock and sets off to rescue Rhyme and Reason, and discovers that life is anything but dull.
How long does it take to read The Phantom Tollbooth?
About 7 hours (268 pages), or about 2 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after The Phantom Tollbooth?
If you liked it, try Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll, The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry or The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien.