The Phantom Tollbooth
Norton Juster
Milo is bored by absolutely everything, until a mysterious tollbooth arrives in his bedroom. He drives his toy car through it and finds himself in the Lands Beyond, where you can eat your words, a dog has a clock inside him, and two quarrelling kings have banished the princesses Rhyme and Reason.
- Length
- About 42,000 words
- To read it
- About 28 days
- Stage
- Key Stage 2
Reading time at 1,500 words a day, the pace we start from until we know your child’s own.
Where it is taught
Why The Phantom Tollbooth is on the list
- Year 6, Challenge. Demanding books for a strong reader who wants a real challenge.
Reading it here
What your child does with it
- 1
Choose it and set a finish date
You get a suggested target from the length of the book and your child's reading pace.
- 2
Check in along the way
A longer book has short check-ins every week or two, so it keeps moving and nothing is forgotten.
- 3
Answer two questions
When they finish: a review of the book, and a deeper question about how it works.
- 4
Get it marked, and redraft
Every answer is marked against the rubric for their year, with a reason for every score.