From the New York Times bestselling author of The Name of This Book Is Secret comes a darkly funny story about a boy who wants the world to disappear. This fantastical quest for comfort and belonging was called “a surprisingly powerful, formula-breaking coming-of-age story” by the New York Times.
Mickey is angry all the time: at his divorced parents, at his sister, and at his two new stepmoms, both named Charlie. And so he can't resist the ad inside his pack of gum: "Do you ever wish everyone would go away? Buy The Anti-Book! Satisfaction guaranteed." He orders the book, but when it arrives, it's blank—except for one line of instruction: To erase it, write it. He fills the pages with all the things and people he dislikes . . .
Next thing he knows, he's wandering an anti-world, one in which everything and everyone familiar is gone. Or are they? His sister soon reappears--but she's only four inches tall. A tiny talking house with wings looks strangely familiar, as does the mysterious half-invisible boy who seems to think that he and Mickey are best buds. The boy persuades Mickey to go find the Bubble Gum King—the king, who resides at the top of a mountain, is the only one who might be able help Mickey fix the mess he's made.
From Raphael Simon (a.k.a. beloved author Pseudonymous Bosch!) comes this Phantom Tollbooth for today's generation—a fantastical quest for comfort and belonging that will resonate with many, many readers.
Genre: Children's Fiction
Mickey is angry all the time: at his divorced parents, at his sister, and at his two new stepmoms, both named Charlie. And so he can't resist the ad inside his pack of gum: "Do you ever wish everyone would go away? Buy The Anti-Book! Satisfaction guaranteed." He orders the book, but when it arrives, it's blank—except for one line of instruction: To erase it, write it. He fills the pages with all the things and people he dislikes . . .
Next thing he knows, he's wandering an anti-world, one in which everything and everyone familiar is gone. Or are they? His sister soon reappears--but she's only four inches tall. A tiny talking house with wings looks strangely familiar, as does the mysterious half-invisible boy who seems to think that he and Mickey are best buds. The boy persuades Mickey to go find the Bubble Gum King—the king, who resides at the top of a mountain, is the only one who might be able help Mickey fix the mess he's made.
From Raphael Simon (a.k.a. beloved author Pseudonymous Bosch!) comes this Phantom Tollbooth for today's generation—a fantastical quest for comfort and belonging that will resonate with many, many readers.
Genre: Children's Fiction
Praise for this book
"Rafi Simon has created a wildly inventive world and a story that is both deep and deeply funny." - Stuart Gibbs
"This book will move you, make you laugh, and change the way you think. A mind-bending experience, unlike anything you've ever read before." - Adam Gidwitz
"Quirky, snarky, and fast-paced. I'm very much pro The Anti-Book. I loved it!" - Chris Grabenstein
"Wildly original. Witty. Whimsical. This book is clever and full of good humor. Kids (and their parents) will love it." - Holly Goldberg Sloan
"This exciting, clever, and ultimately moving book deserves a place on the same shelf as our most beloved children's fantasies." - Trenton Lee Stewart
"This book will move you, make you laugh, and change the way you think. A mind-bending experience, unlike anything you've ever read before." - Adam Gidwitz
"Quirky, snarky, and fast-paced. I'm very much pro The Anti-Book. I loved it!" - Chris Grabenstein
"Wildly original. Witty. Whimsical. This book is clever and full of good humor. Kids (and their parents) will love it." - Holly Goldberg Sloan
"This exciting, clever, and ultimately moving book deserves a place on the same shelf as our most beloved children's fantasies." - Trenton Lee Stewart
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Used availability for Raphael Simon's The Anti-Book