Photo Gallery: 'Phantom Tollbooth' Party

Kids and adults crowded into The Little Shop of Stories Thursday night for a celebration of "The Phantom Tollbooth," the book chosen for Decatur's first citywide reading project.

After placing a token in the box at the purple toll booth, the kids and their keepers climbed the stairs into the shop's upper room. There they enjoyed snacks and activities based on the book, which tells the story of a bored boy who passes through a tollbooth into a magical land.

The Renfroe Middle School debate team argued a major point from the book: which is better, words or numbers? The judges, the Princess of Reason and the Princess of Rhyme, called it a tie.

The citywide reading project, called , encourages adults and kids to read and discuss the book. The Little Shop of Stories came up with the idea and organized the reading project.

On Dec. 9, author Norton Juster will visit Decatur. Leonard Marcus, author of “The Annotated Phantom Tollbooth,” will interview Juster in Presser Hall at . It’s free and open to the public, but ticketed.

Tickets are still available and can be obtained at the Little Shop of Stories, located at 133 E. Court Square in Decatur. The phone number is 404-373-6300.