Fostering a Love of Learning in Norton Juster's "The Phantom Tollbooth"

     I had always heard of this book growing up, but I'd never known anything about it prior to reading it about a week ago. I knew it was considered a classic piece of children's literature, but aside from that I really had no expectations going in to this story. Although I knew it was a work of fiction, at first I did find this book to be a bit eccentric. For the majority of the story there was appeared to be no real plot-line, and admittedly, I grew a bit impatient. Eventually though, a point of conflict did emerge, and what resulted was a whimsical adventure being undertaken by a motley crew of friends.
     Although written for children, the story had a great deal of satire and humor, which I personally loved. The writing style of Juster was reminiscent of other greats such as Shel Silverstein and Lemony Snicket, so despite the book's slow start, I found it quite enjoyable as a whole. It's been quite some time since I read a work of fiction, and this was just the kind of fun read I needed in the dull month of January. By the end of this tale, the characters of this book had truly grown on me, and I was sad to see the story end.
     What I appreciated most about this book, however, was its underlying message. Through larger-than-life characters and witty anecdotes, Juster weaves a clever tale that teaches young readers the importance of developing a life-long hunger for knowledge. Indeed, by the end of the book main character Milo has become an excited learner himself, who deeply cherishes all of life's many wonderful opportunities for education and growth. As a college student who occasionally dreads the classroom and all the time-consuming assignments along with it, I personally found this book to be quite inspiring, as it reminded me that any opportunity to learn ought to be embraced in full. Truly, The Phantom Tollbooth is a book for young and old alike. Learning does not end when we leave the classroom, which is a concept we should all affirm in throughout our day-to-day lives.