# The Anti-Book - Hardcover

by **Raphael Simon** (Author)

**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.

### Author Biography

Raphael Simon is an author who lives in Pasadena, CA, with his husband and twin daughters. He is definitely not the alter ego of infamously anonymous author Pseudonymous Bosch, writer of the _New York Times_ bestselling Secret Series and the Bad Books.

**Number of Pages:** 320

**Dimensions:** 1.4 x 8.4 x 5.7 IN

**Illustrated:** Yes

**Publication Date:** April 06, 2021

**Accelerated Reader:**

**Quiz Name:** Anti-Book

**Interest Level:** Middle Grades, 4-8

**Reading Level:** 4

**Point Value:** 7

## Details

- **Price:** 17.99 USD
- **Vendor:** Books by splitShops
- **Type:** Books
- **Tags:** Books by splitShops, Shopify Collective

## Variants

| Variant | Price | Available |
|---------|-------|-----------|
| Default Title | 17.99 USD | In stock |

## Images

- The Anti-Book - Hardcover

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> Updated: 2026-07-23