Norton Juster Dead: ‘The Phantom Tollbooth’ Author Was 91

Author Norton Juster has died, his friends and colleagues announced on Tuesday. The acclaimed author of children’s books like The Phantom Tollbooth was 91 years old. His passing was first revealed by his friend and fellow author Mo Willems on Twitter, and then confirmed by representatives from Random House who spoke to reporters from Rolling Stone.

“My lunch partner, Norton Juster, ran out of stories and passed peacefully last night” Willems tweeted early on Tuesday morning. “BEst known for The Phantom Tollbooth and The Dot and the Line, Norton’s greatest work was himself: a tapestry of delightful tales. Miss him.” So far, details about the cause and circumstances of Juster’s death have not been made public, nor have plans for any memorials or funeral services.

Juster was a prolific writer, who stumbled into children’s books and publishing in general after already establishing his career as an architect. According to his biography on the Scholastic website, Juster grew up in New York City and studied architecture at the University of Pennsylvania, then enlisted in the U.S. Navy. While there, he reportedly fell in love with writing.

Juster began his architecture career as planned after his naval tour was finished, but continued to write as well. His roommate, Jules Feiffer, was an illustrator, and the two worked together on Juster’s first book The Phantom Tollbooth. The acclaimed children’s novel was published in 1961 when Juster was 32 years old. At the time, he worked for an architecture firm and taught architecture part-time in various colleges.

The book follows a young boy named Milo who is suffering from relentless boredom when he comes across a magic tollbooth. He drives through it with his toy car and finds himself transported to the Kingdom of Wisdom — a magical land that has fallen on hard times. Milo goes on a quest with some magical companions to restore the exiled princess to the Castle in the Air.

The book was an unexpected success, selling millions of copies and teaching a whole generation of young people about wordplay, puns and self-effacing humor. It is also credited with promoting a healthy love for learning and a respect for education.

Juster would go on to write ten more books in his life, the last of which was published in 2011. His wife, Jeanne, passed away in October of 2018. His work is still available in print and digital formats.