The Phantom Tollbooth

The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster wasn't at all what I was expecting it to be.  From the title, I thought it would involve creepy supernatural shenanigans of the Neil Gaiman variety, but it actually turned out to be a old-fashioned fable full of life lessons for young whippersnappers.  It was a little whimsical for my taste, and I've never been too keen on obvious educational messages in stories, but a lot of it was very cleverly done, and it kept me interested right to the end with all the fascinating places Milo journeyed through and all the colourful characters he met along the way.