I just learned today about the passing of Norton Juster, the author of The Phantom Tollbooth, one of my favorite books as a child (and young adult!). I was probably in my thirties before I finally stopped re-reading it, eventually even letting go of my old, dog-eared copy.
But as soon as I read the news, all the wonderfulness of the book started coming back to me. Milo’s journey to the Lands Beyond. Getting lost in the Doldrums. The arrival of Tock, the “watchdog.” The Princesses of Rhyme and Reason. The Spelling Bee and the Humbug.
Of course, my favorite memory is Milo’s experience substituting for Chroma the Great, a conductor whose orchestra creates the colors of the world. How my imagination thrilled (then and now) to such fantastical ideas!
Well, I guess now I need to go buy another copy and read the entire book again.