Norton Juster
Norton Juster
Norton Justeris an American academic, architect, and popular writer. He is best known as an author of children's books, notably for The Phantom Tollbooth and The Dot and the Line...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionChildren's Author
Date of Birth2 June 1929
CityBrooklyn, NY
CountryUnited States of America
dog confusing scratches
I never knew words could be so confusing," Milo said to Tock as he bent down to scratch the dog's ear. "Only when you use a lot to say a little," answered Tock. Milo thought this was quite the wisest thing he'd heard all day.
stars eye journey
They walked for a while, all silent in their thoughts, until they reached the car and Alec drew a fine telescope from his shirt and handed it to Milo. "Carry this with you on your journey," he said softly, "for there is much worth noticing that often escapes the eye. Through it you can see everything from the tender moss in a sidewalk crack to the glow of the farthest star — and, most important of all, you can see things as they really are, not just as they seem to be. It's my gift to you.
book writing thinking
The only other thing which I think is important is: Don't write a book or start a book with the expectation of communicating a message in a very important way.
inspirational mistake princess
It has been a long trip," said Milo, climbing onto the couch where the princesses sat; "but we would have been here much sooner if I hadn't made so many mistakes. I'm afraid it's all my fault.
book boys littles
AHA!" interrupted Officer Shrift, making another note in his little book. "Just as I thought: boys are the cause of everything.
want phantom-tollbooth ifs
If you want sense, you'll have to make it yourself.
education school important
...it's not just learning that's important. It's learning what to do with what you learn and learning why you learn things that matters.
thinking order phantom-tollbooth
Since you got here by not thinking, it seems reasonable to expect that, in order to get out, you must start thinking.
matter phantom-tollbooth can-do
What you can do is often simply a matter of what you will do.
smell gone phantom-tollbooth
A slavish concern for the composition of words is the sign of a bankrupt intellect. Be gone, odious wasp! You smell of decayed syllables.
expectations unexpected
Expect everything so that nothing comes unexpected.
secret today tomorrow
What you learn today, for no reason at all, will help you discover all the wonderful secrets of tomorrow.
names four would-be
Why, can you imagine what would happen if we named all the twos Henry or George or Robert or John or lots of other things? You'd have to say Robert plus John equals four, and if the four's name were Albert, things would be hopeless.
moving fall dust
Whatever we learn has a purpose and whatever we do affects everything and everyone else, if even in the tiniest way. Why, when a housefly flaps his wings, a breeze goes round the world; when a speck of dust falls to the ground, the entire planet weighs a little more; and when you stamp your foot, the earth moves slightly off its course. Whenever you laugh, gladness spreads like the ripples in the pond; and whenever you're sad, no one anywhere can be really happy. And it's much the same thing with knowledge, for whenever you learn something new, the whole world becomes that much richer.