The Phantom Tollbooth, by Norton Juster

This book tells the story of Milo, a bored young boy who unexpectedly receives a tollbooth as a gift.  Not knowing quite what to do with this present, he drives through it in his toy car and arrives in the Kingdom of Wisdom.  There, he meets two troubled princesses named Rhyme and Reason, and sets off on a quest to restore order to the Kingdom.  Along the way, Milo rediscovers his love of learning while exploring the literal meaning of many common idioms.

This story is a great adventure on the surface, but what really makes the book is the epic quantity of puns inside.  Anyone who enjoyed the wacky antics of Amelia Bedelia would probably love The Phantom Tollbooth as well, particularly the part where Milo finds himself “jumping” to an island called Conclusions.  This is a smart, funny adventure for young men of all ages, and if you haven’t read it already then you’re missing out.

The Book of Three, by Lloyd Alexander

Taran is a young boy who dreams of being a grand hero, mostly as an escape from the drudgery of his real job:  that of assistant pig-keeper at Caer Dallben.  Taran’s responsibilities include caring for a mystical pig named Hen Wen, who one day runs away into the forbidden forest.  Taran gives chase, an act which leads to an epic adventure with an absent-minded sorceress named Eilonwy, a mighty prince named Gwydion, and an odd man-beast known only as Gurgi.  Together, the group faces off against The Horned King, an evil warlord who rules the land with an iron fist.

One of the reasons that I love this series is that all of the the five books follow Taran through his adventurous childhood in the land of Prydain.  The wide-ranging cast of characters is based largely on Welsh mythology, a country where Mr. Alexander was stationed during World War II.  Although Mr. Alexander wrote over forty books for children, the Prydain series are his best-known works.  If you’re looking for a way to escape the drudgery of your own “normal” life, just pick up a copy of The Book of Three from your local library and stand by to be swept away!