Universal School-7th Grade Summer Reading: 2016The Phantom Tollbooth, by Norton Juster
2017
Summer Work for incoming 7th graders:
1. Read The Phantom Tollbooth, by Norton Juster. This book is excellent as an
audio book; you can find it at your public library or on Youtube.
2. Review the vocabulary words as you read each chapter. Cross check
your comprehension of each chapter by reading over online summaries
at sparknotes.com or cliffsnotes.com.
3. Answer any comprehension questions you see after the vocabulary.
4. Write an analytical essay by choosing a prompt and following the listed
expectations in the rubric. (Due on Monday, August 22, 2016)
Universal School-7th Grade Summer Reading: 2016The Phantom Tollbooth, by Norton Juster
2017
Chapter 1
Dejectedly – Miserably, Sadly
Precautionary – Warning
Phonograph – A record player
Cartographer – Map maker
Puzzled – Confused
Impractical – Useless
Turnpike Tollbooth – A place where
you pay a toll on a highway.
Peculiar – Odd or strange
Wistfully - Thoughtfully
Chapter 2
Polished – Wiped clean
Effusive – Loud and attention grabbing
Encounter – Meeting someone
Doldrums – The feeling of being stuck, unmotivated
Lethargy – The feeling of not wanting
to do anything.
Loiter – To wait around
Lethargarians – People who are
lethargic
Lounge around – To wait around
Ordinance - A law
Alternate – Every other
Bide your time – To wait around
Linger - To wait around
Apologetically – With apologies
Loaf – To wait around
Dawdle – To wait around
Delay – To wait around and
postpone
Conciliatory – Peacemaking
Strenuous - Difficult
Precisely – Exactly!
Impatiently – Without patience
Reasonable – Making sense, fair
Chapter 3
Gruff – grumpy or rude
Inscribed – Written down
Overwrought – Worried, Nervous, Anxious
Disrepute – Shamed, disrespected
Immense – Large, enormous.
Orchard – A field of trees where things are grown (like apples
Reticence – Silence, calmness
Cabinet – Official advisors to the leader of a country
Universal School-7th Grade Summer Reading: 2016The Phantom Tollbooth, by Norton Juster
2017
Banquet – A large dinner
Chapter 4
Tumult – Noise
Merchant – A salesperson
Bustle – Busy-ness
Quagmire – A puzzling situation
Flabbergast – To amaze or astound in confusion
Upholstery – The cloth covering on furniture
Misapprehension - Misunderstanding
Brow – Forehead
Adept – Skilled
Balderdash! – Nonsense!
Humbug – Nonsense!
Fraud – A fake
Fury - Anger
Chapter 5
Short Shrift – A rushed judgment, a quick negative response.
Guilty – Responsible for a crime
Suspicious – worrisome
Sentenced – To be given a punishment
Corridor – A hallway a little
Faintly - Only
Macabre – Evil, wicked
Brevity – Shortness, in terms of words used
Wit - Intelligence
Corrupt – Used for personal gain
Miserly – Stingy (pronounced Stingee)
Rhyme and Reason – A phrase meaning “common sense”
Universal School-7th Grade Summer Reading: 2016The Phantom Tollbooth, by Norton Juster
2017
Chapter 6
Barren – Empty, without plants
Null – Nothing
Flourished – Grew and prospered
Rival - Compete
Grandeur – Impressiveness
Animosity – Anger, dislike of someone else
Twilight – 1. The time when sun sets 2. The last days of your life.
Reign – The time a king is in power
Grievances – Complaints
Unabridged – Without revisions (a book that is unabridged is longer than the
regular book)
Reconcile – To fix
Significant – Important
Arbitration – A decision made by a judge
Cloak – A cape or a coat.
Warp and Woof – The way something is woven. Warp are the strings that go
sideways and woof are the strings that go up and down.
Verdict – Decision
Banish – To kick someone out and not let them back in.
Rhyme and Reason – A phrase meaning “common sense”
Banquet – A large meal
To go without saying – A phrase meaning “it is obvious”
Universal School-7th Grade Summer Reading: 2016The Phantom Tollbooth, by Norton Juster
2017
NOTE TO STUDENTS: This section has a lot of questions for a very short reading. The
reason is that this part of the book is EXTREMELY IMPORTANT and you must clearly
understand it in order to understand the rest of the book!
1. What happened when the king died?
2. What were the new names of the kings sons?
3. Why do you think the king of Dictionopolis chose the name Azaz?
(Hint….look at the way the name is spelled!)
4. Why did people love the princesses?
5. What was the decision of Rhyme and Reason on the matter of
importance of words and numbers?
Universal School-7th Grade Summer Reading: 2016The Phantom Tollbooth, by Norton Juster
2017
6. Why is there no Rhyme or Reason in the kingdom of Knowledge.
7. Why does the Which need Rhyme and Reason?
Chapter 7
Vast – Large
Crimson – Dark Red
Cordially – politely
Famished- Very hungry
Embroidered – Sewn on, with stiches
Sonnet – A type of poem
Light Meal – A phrase meaning a meal with less food.
Square Meal – A phrase meaning a well-balanced diet
Eat your words – A phrase meaning to get what you deserve
Half-Baked idea – A bad idea
Chapter 8
Indigestion – Stomach sickness
Stout – Brave (although it can also mean fat….it’s a multiple meaning word)
Steadfast – Fixed in the right direction
Chasms – A crack in the earth
Tear apart limb from limb – To tear someone’s arms and legs off
Universal School-7th Grade Summer Reading: 2016The Phantom Tollbooth, by Norton Juster
2017
Chapter 9
Gallant – Exciting in a brave way
Dense – Packed, crowded
Scenic – Like a scene from a picture
Promontory – A high point of land
Contradict – To argue against someone
Chapter 10
Luminous – Filled with light (lum)
Metropolis – A big city
Percussion – Drums or things that you beat
Gaunt – Thin and bony
Chrom – the root word meaning color
1. BIG QUESTION: How does the problem of the city of reality connect to
Milo’s own life?
Chapter 11
Frantically – Desperately
Dawn – Sunrise
Glove Compartment – The drawer on the passenger side of a car
Plummet – To drop
Cacophonous - Loud and Noisy (in the book, Kakafonous is a pun)
Discord – Sounds that don’t sound nice together.
Dissonance – Ideas and sounds that don’t go well together
Bric-a-Brac – a collection of things
Deficiency – Missing something
Din – A loud noise
Universal School-7th Grade Summer Reading: 2016The Phantom Tollbooth, by Norton Juster
2017
Chapter 12
Laudable – Good, Deserving recognition
To no avail – Without success
Monarch – A king or queen, someone who rules by themselves
Catalogued – Categorized and kept safe
Disconsolate – Unhappy
Crestfallen – Unhappy
Obstinate - Stubborn
Chapter 13
Fuse – The string that is used to light a cannon
Ominous – A sign of evil
Jump to a conclusion – An idiom meaning that you assume something without
proof.
Objection – Disagreement
Chapter 14
Dodecahedron – A 3-d shape with 12 faces. (Do=2, deca = 10)
Beret – A hat
Doff your cap – To take off your hat as a sign of respect
Mine – a place where minerals are dug up
Nuisance – Annoying thing
Chapter 15
Caldron – A pot of boiling water
Famine – A time when all food is gone or is rotten
Chapter 16
Weary – Exhausted
Melancholy – Sadness
Wretch – A despicable person
Jovially – Happily
Universal School-7th Grade Summer Reading: 2016The Phantom Tollbooth, by Norton Juster
2017
Disdainfully – With disgust
Ignorance – Not knowing anything
Context – Hints about the meaning of something
Mourning – Feeling sad when someone dies
Nuisance – Something annoying
Chapter 17
Worthwhile – Something that is worth doing
Indignantly – Angrily
Trivial – something that is unimportant…which leads to trivium…
Transfixed – amazed and captured, hy[notized
Insincerity – Untruthfulness
Plateau – Flat land
Gelatinous (jelatinus) – Like Jello
Conspicuous – Easy to see
Chapter 18
Ledger – a notebook
Quill – A pen made from a feather
Census – A collection of information about people (The senses in this chapter is
a pun for “census.”)
Universal School-7th Grade Summer Reading: 2016The Phantom Tollbooth, by Norton Juster
2017
Essay: Choose one of the topics below to write an analytical essay. The rubric
and example essays are attached.
The first draft should be typed and printed, ready to submit on the first full day of
school, Monday, August 22, 2016.
We will spend the first two weeks of 1st quarter analyzing the themes, central
questions, and character outcomes from The Phantom Tollbooth. We will also
revise our essay.
1. What lessons could the Soundkeeper learn from Dischord and Dynne?
2. Why does Faintly Macabre remain in prison, despite knowing how to
escape?
3. What would the King of Wisdom—Azaz and the Mathemagician's father—
think of the state of things in the Lands Beyond? Would he be pleased
with the way his sons have been looking after the kingdom?
4. What would have happened to Milo if Tock had not shown up in the
Doldrums? Would he have stayed there forever?
Universal School-7th Grade Summer Reading: 2016The Phantom Tollbooth, by Norton Juster
2017
Ideas: The main message of the
piece, the theme, with supporting
details that support and enrich
the theme
Organization: The internal
structure, thread of central
meaning, logical pattern or
sequence of ideas
Voice: The unique perspective of
the writer evident in the essay
through the use of compelling
ideas, engaging language, and
revealing details
5: This paper is clear and focused.
It holds the reader’s attention.
Relevant examples and details
support the central theme.
5: The structure of this paper
highlights the central theme; it
includes a catchy introduction
and a satisfying conclusion.
5: The writer of this paper speaks
directly to the reader in a manner
that is individual, compelling,
engaging, and shows respect for
the audience.
a.
b.
c.
The topic is narrow and
manageable.
Ideas are crystal clear
and supported with
details.
Relevant, telling, quality
details go beyond the
obvious.
3: The writer is beginning to define
the topic, even though
development is still basic or
general.
a.
b.
c.
The topic is broad.
Support is attempted.
The writer had
difficulty going from
general observations
to specifics.
1: This paper has no clear sense
of purpose or central theme.
a.
b.
c.
The writer is still in search
of a topic.
Information is limited or
unclear.
The topic may be
repetitious,
disconnected, and
contains too many
random thoughts
Key Question: Did the writer stay
focused and share original and
fresh information or perspective
about the topic?
a.
b.
c.
An inviting introduction
draws the reader in; a
conclusion leaves the
reader with closure and
resolution.
Thoughtful transitions
connect ideas and the
sequencing is logical.
The title is original.
3: The structure is strong enough
to move the reader through the
essay without too much
confusion.
a.
b.
c.
The paper has an intro
and conclusion.
Transitions are present
and the sequencing is
fairly logical.
A title is present.
1: The writing lacks a clear sense
of direction.
a.
b.
c.
No real introduction or
conclusion are present.
Connections between
ideas are confusing and
the sequencing needs
work.
No title is present.
Key Question: Does the
organizational structure enhance
the ideas and make it easier to
understand?
a.
b.
Uses topic, details, and
language to strongly
connect with the
audience.
The essay reflects
understanding and
appreciation of the topic.
3: The writer seems sincere, but
not fully engaged or involved. The
result is pleasant, but not
compelling.
a.
b.
Attempt to connect with
the audience is earnest
but impersonal.
Writing lacks consistent
engagement with the
topic.
1: The writer seems uninvolved
with the topic and audience.
a.
b.
Fails to connect with the
audience.
Writing is mechanical
and shows no
engagement with the
topic.
Key Question: Would you keep
reading this piece if it were
longer?
Universal School-7th Grade Summer Reading: 2016The Phantom Tollbooth, by Norton Juster
2017
Word Choice: The use of rich,
colorful, and precise language
that moves and enlightens the
reader
Sentence Fluency: The rhythm
and flow of the language, the
sound of word patterns, the way
in which the writing sounds to the
ear, not just how it looks to the
eye
Conventions: The mechanical
correctness of the piece: spelling,
punctuation, capitalization,
grammar usage, and
paragraphing
5: Words convey the intended
message in a precise, interesting,
and natural way.
5: The writing has an easy flow
and rhythm. Sentences are well
constructed.
5: The writer demonstrates a good
grasp of standard writing
conventions.
a.
b.
c.
Words are specific and
accurate.
Lively verbs, specific
nouns and modifiers are
used.
Language enhances and
clarifies the meaning.
3: The language is functional,
even if it lacks much energy.
a.
b.
c.
Words are adequate and
correctly used.
Passive verbs, everyday
nouns, and mundane
modifiers are used.
Occasionally, the words
and phrases show
refinement and precision.
1: The writer struggles with a
limited vocabulary.
a.
b.
c.
Words are nonspecific or
distracting.
Limited vocabulary,
misuse of parts of speech.
Language is
unimaginative and
lifeless.
Key Question: Do the words and
phrases create vivid pictures and
linger in your mind?
a.
b.
Sentences vary in length
as well as structure.
Purposeful and varied
sentence beginnings are
present.
3: The text tends to me more
pleasant or businesslike, rather
than musical.
a.
b.
Sentences are usually of
a similar length, yet
constructed correctly.
Sentence beginnings are
sometimes varied.
a.
b.
c.
3: The writer shows reasonable
control over standard writing
conventions.
a.
b.
c.
1: The reader has difficulty
reading this essay.
a.
b.
Sentences are choppy,
rambling, or awkward.
Sentences begin the
same way.
Spelling, end
punctuation, and
capitalization are usually
correct.
Problems with grammar
and usage are not
serious.
Paragraphing is
attempted.
1: Errors in spelling, punctuation,
capitalization, usage, grammar,
and/or paragraphing make the
essay difficult to read.
a.
b.
Key Question: Can you FEEL the
words and pictures flow together
as you read it aloud?
Spelling, punctuation,
and capitalization are
generally correct.
Grammar and usage are
correct.
Paragraphing makes
sense.
c.
Spelling, punctuation,
and capitalization errors
are frequent.
Errors in grammar or
usage are very
noticeable.
Paragraphing is missing.
Key Question: How much editing
needs to be done before
sharing?
Universal School-7th Grade Summer Reading: 2016The Phantom Tollbooth, by Norton Juster
2017
Organizer for Expository Writing
You may choose to use this organizer to help you start your essay.
Introductory Paragraph/Thesis Statement:
Supporting Idea:
Supporting Idea:
Supporting Idea:
Detail:
Detail:
Detail:
Detail:
Detail:
Detail:
Detail:
Detail:
Detail:
Concluding Paragraph/Restatement of Thesis:
Universal School-7th Grade Summer Reading: 2016The Phantom Tollbooth, by Norton Juster
2017
Sample Essay: Score of 1
I would like to travel to lots of different lands. I would like to take a trip
around the world. There are many places to see. This includes Scotland. My
ancestors are from Scotland. There are mysteries there.
I like to read about mysteries, spooky ghost stories and haunted places.
There’s haunted castles in Scotland. My friend Karen would be scared to go
because she hates all ghost stories and scarey movies even on Halloween. I
wouldn’t be scared to go to a haunted castle in Scotland. I wouldn’t be scared
to go to LockNess and se the monster either. Nessie is like a gosht because
there are no clear pictures of her.
Karen is from Peurto Rico. My grandmother came from Scotland. We all have
different backgrounds it’s interesting to hear about ancesters. Karen and I go to
the same school and live in the same town but our ancestors came from
different places far away. Karen has been to her homeland and I want to go to
mine. Karen has photos of herself in Peurto Rico, I want photos of myself in
Scotland.
Universal School-7th Grade Summer Reading: 2016The Phantom Tollbooth, by Norton Juster
2017
Sample Essay: Score of 3
There are several foreign countries I would like to visit, and they include
China, Australia, Scotland, Jamaica, and Japan. The one I most want to see is
Scotland. Second on the list close behind is Canada because it is not so far
away. I would like to see Scotland because of the mysteries and interesting
places there. My heritage is in Scotland.
My grandmother loves to talk about Scotland. She taught me about it.
There are clans, tartans, the Scottish Highlands, Lock Ness, castles, historical
figures, and Edinburgh International Festival of the Arts. That’s a lot to see. I
could look for my family tartan.
Lock Ness has the Lock Ness Monster some say it is real. They call it
“Nessie.” I could see if it is real for myself. If I went there. The capital of this
country is Edinburgh. There’s a castle there you can walk through. The natural
landscape have steep valleys, green fields, and blue lakes, and farmers raise
sheep there.
It is a place I have always wanted to see. I would take
photographs. I could add my photographs to my grandmother’s photographs
of Scotland. A photo of Nessie would make me famous. My grandmother said
a trip to Scotland is like a trip going back home.
Universal School-7th Grade Summer Reading: 2016The Phantom Tollbooth, by Norton Juster
2017
Sample Essay: Score of 5
There are several foreign countries I would like to visit, but the one I most want to see
is Scotland. Some of my ancestors came from there, and I would really like to find out more
about my heritage. I would also like to see Scotland because I have heard about some of
the mysterious places there, and I want to investigate them in person.
My grandmother came from Scotland when she was a little girl, and she has been
collecting information about our family for a long time. She told me that many of our
ancestors came from Scotland and settled in the United States during the eighteenth
century. She explained that each family, or clan, in Scotland has its own tartan. A tartan is
a kind of plaid fabric made from wool; it is used in making clothes and banners. Each
tartan has its own special design and colors and is an easy way for the Scottish people to
identify members of different clans. During my visit, I hope I can find our tartan and locate
other members of our clan.
I have also heard many family stories about the Scottish Highlands, and I would hope
my visit would take me through this beautiful area. My grandmother has photographs of its
steep valleys, green fields, and crystal blue lakes. I would especially like to see Loch Ness. It
is 23 miles long and about 800 feet deep. Many people claim to have seen a sea creature
swimming in this lake. I would like to see the creature, called “Nessie,” for myself.
My grandmother also told the story of a haunted castle in Edinburgh. She said the
castle belonged to Robert Bruce, a legendary warrior and later king of Scotland. I would
like to spend time wandering the castle and visiting other museums and shops in the capital
city.
The highlight of my trip, however, would be a visit to the Edinburgh International
Festival of the Arts. It is held every year in August and features music and traditional
dances. I would like to hear the bagpipes play, and dance the Highland fling during the
festival.
A trip to Scotland, for me, would be a trip back in time, but a trip to remember for a
long time to come.
Universal School-7th Grade Summer Reading: 2016The Phantom Tollbooth, by Norton Juster
2017