Books I Wish I Had Read As a Child

[snowynight]

The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster,

Synopsis:

"For Milo, everything’s a bore. When a tollbooth mysteriously appears in his room, he drives through only because he’s got nothing better to do. But on the other side, things seem different. Milo visits the Island of Conclusions (you get there by jumping), learns about time from a ticking watchdog named Tock, and even embarks on a quest to rescue Rhyme and Reason. Somewhere along the way, Milo realizes something astonishing. Life is far from dull. In fact, it’s exciting beyond his wildest dreams!"

Child!me didn't know about this books's existence, but would have loved adventure stories.

Matilda by Roald Dahl.

Synopsis:

Matilda's parents have called her some terrible things, but the truth is she's a genius and they're the stupid ones. Underestimating Matilda proves to be a big mistake as they, along with her spiteful headmistress, Miss Trunchbull, soon find out when Matilda discovers she has a very special power.

Child!me would appreciate knowing that adults could be wrong.

Comments

[larryhammer]

The Phantom Tollbooth was exactly the sort of adventure book filled with mathematics that child!me wished the world had more of, and instead had to reread several times.

[snowynight]

Yeah. Child!me loved adventure and mathematics, at least before calculus beat the later love out of me.

[silveradept]

There was an adaptation of The Phantom Tollbooth that I watched, and it was rather good. I haven't watched or read Matilda, but it is a good lesson to learn that grownups can be wrong, and one best learned early.

[snowynight]

Yeah, it's an important early lesson that adults can be wrong.

[garonne]

The Phantom Tollbooth is also on my list of books I wish I had known about as a child and plan to read as an adult. It sounds great.

[snowynight]

Yeah, some books are better read during different life stages.

[apachefirecat]

Definitely agreed on that second one! The first one sounds cute, but the idea that Matilda's parents are so cruel to her because her intelligence makes them feel inferior... That almost makes me want to find a copy of that book today! I did enjoy Dahl's BFG and, to a lesser extent, The Witches when I was younger.

Thanks for sharing!

[snowynight]

It's empowering to read that Matilda has a happy ending despite the adults's cruelty and stupidity.