FINISHED:

Juster, Norton. (1961). The phantom tollbooth. New York: Dell Yearling/Random House.

[I just CAN'T BELIEVE that I've never read this one before! Milo receives a tollbooth in the mail which ends up being a porthole to a strange world where language is everything. The princesses Rhyme and Reason have been locked away, thus causing unwelcome changes across the lands, and it is up to Milo, Tock (a literal "watch dog"), and Humbug the bug, to travel to save them. Naturally, they have many odd adventures and meetings with strange creatures and beings, all of which tend to play on a well-known phrase in the English language. And it is just this, the wordplay, that makes this one an absolute classic - one that I would recommend to any avid reader with a firm knowledge of, and interest in, language. There are many memorable scenes here: Milo getting a chance to bring color into the world by conducting an orchestra that controls the comings and goings of the day; coming across the home of the man who is, all at once, the skinniest fat man, the fattest skinny man, the tallest short man, etc.; and meeting with the kid who, in his world, appears to be floating because he grows down instead of up. Quirky, odd, nonsensical, and fun in that classic, Roald Dahl-ish way, this one should be on every reading list.]



STARTED & FINISHED:
Robinson, Barbara. (1972). The best Christmas pageant ever. New York: HarperCollins.

[Gotta get in a holiday themed title here. This one has special meaning to me because not only do I remember watching the TV version of this classic, but I played Leroy Herdman in a community theatre production of the play. A must read at some point, despite the fact that it's main focus is a church nativity play. The Herdmans are the rottenist kids in town and, when they find out that there is free food given out, show up at church and end up taking over all of the major roles in the church nativity pageant. This one is really amusing, has a great narration, and bullies that are humanized by the end of the story. The image of Imogene Herdman dressed as Mary and crying while holding the baby doll gets me every time.]


STARTED:
Lord, Bette Bao. (1984). In the year of the boar and Jackie Robinson. New York: HarperCollins.

[Recommended by a colleague who is reading with her adopted daughter from China.]

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