Thumbs up for The Phantom Tollbooth by Norman Juster. Children’s.
There’s a certain kind of whimsical, nonce-based middle-grade kids’ book that does nada for me personally – Alice in Wonderland, I’m looking at you. Some amusing bits for sure, though I think I’ll stick to things with character development. But yeah, it’s cute.
“Have you ever heard the wonderful silence just before the dawn?” she inquired. “Or the quiet and calm just as a storm ends? Or perhaps you know the silence when you haven’t the answer to a question you’ve been asked, or the hush of a country road at night, or the expectant pause in a roomful of people when someone is just about to speak, or, most beautiful of all, the moment after the door closes and you’re all alone in the whole house? Each one is different, you know, and all very beautiful, if you listen carefully.”
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