Bridge To Terabithia. Katherine Paterson, Illustrated by Donna Diamond, Crowell, c1977. 128 pages.
"Do you know what we need?" Leslie called to him. Intoxicated as he was with the heavens, he couldn't imagine needing anything on earth. "We need a place," she said, "just for us. It would be so secret that we would never tell anyone in the whole world about it." She lowered her voice almost to a whisper. "It might be a whole secret country," she continued, "and you and I would be the rulers of it (Paterson, 1977, p38-39)."
Plot/ Description: Fifth grader, Jess Aaron has practiced all summer to become the fastest kid in the fifth grade. All of his classmates know him as the boy who draws all the time and he is ready to shed that reputation. But Leslie; a new student and a girl beat out Jess. Leslie and her educated parents move from the suburbs to rural West Virginia to enjoy the simple life. Leslie is an outcast at school, but soon Jess and Leslie become close friends. Leslie encourages them to create their own secret land in the woods called; Terabithia. The two tell and act out stories in Terabithia. Jess and Leslie are very influential on each other; she gives him her Narnia books and teaches him about saving endangered species, while he teaches her compassion for the school bully. After a rainy season, the creek bed they swing across to enter Terabithia is dangerously full of water, Jess is afraid to cross and feels embarrassed to tell Leslie not to go to Terabithia. One day, he is invited by his favorite teacher to go to the National Gallery, while he is away; Leslie is killed after the rope they use to swing across breaks. Jess goes through a myriad of emotions; including denial, anger, and guilt as he deals with her death. Jess resolves to build a bridge to Terabithia and to share Leslie’s secret world with his little sister.
Review: Bridge to Terabithia is a work of realistic fiction about two lonely kids who create a magical forest kingdom. The novel deals with the subjects of boy and girl relationships, children and death, country life, imagination in children, ten year-olds and friendship. Leslie and Jess are both outcasts at school; Leslie does not wear dresses and runs as fast as the boys, while Jess likes to draw and enjoy music. Leslie and Jess accept each other for who they are and they make each other better people; they communicate, they are honest, and loyal. They share an exemplary friendship. Both children are good role models for boys and girls because their friendship and personalities do not follow typical gender roles. The book deals with the topic of death, when Leslie, the story’s heroine dies. Jess, who is still a young child, must learn to grieve and accept his best friends death. This plot twist can benefit children who have and have not experienced a death of a family member or friend by relating to and learning from Jess’s grieving process.
Personal Thoughts: I read this book in the fifth grade and it is the first book, that I remember affecting my emotions. Leslie is the heroine, I loved Leslie just as much as the character; Jess Aaron. And I remember grieving for Leslie with Jess Aaron too. This book was my first introduction to death and grief, which are very taboo subjects but facts of existence. Great friendships and death are common occurrences throughout a person’s lifetime, which is why this novel is a core piece of contemporary realistic fiction. This story is valuable to any one who has ever experienced love and loss.
Plot/ Description: Fifth grader, Jess Aaron has practiced all summer to become the fastest kid in the fifth grade. All of his classmates know him as the boy who draws all the time and he is ready to shed that reputation. But Leslie; a new student and a girl beat out Jess. Leslie and her educated parents move from the suburbs to rural West Virginia to enjoy the simple life. Leslie is an outcast at school, but soon Jess and Leslie become close friends. Leslie encourages them to create their own secret land in the woods called; Terabithia. The two tell and act out stories in Terabithia. Jess and Leslie are very influential on each other; she gives him her Narnia books and teaches him about saving endangered species, while he teaches her compassion for the school bully. After a rainy season, the creek bed they swing across to enter Terabithia is dangerously full of water, Jess is afraid to cross and feels embarrassed to tell Leslie not to go to Terabithia. One day, he is invited by his favorite teacher to go to the National Gallery, while he is away; Leslie is killed after the rope they use to swing across breaks. Jess goes through a myriad of emotions; including denial, anger, and guilt as he deals with her death. Jess resolves to build a bridge to Terabithia and to share Leslie’s secret world with his little sister.
Review: Bridge to Terabithia is a work of realistic fiction about two lonely kids who create a magical forest kingdom. The novel deals with the subjects of boy and girl relationships, children and death, country life, imagination in children, ten year-olds and friendship. Leslie and Jess are both outcasts at school; Leslie does not wear dresses and runs as fast as the boys, while Jess likes to draw and enjoy music. Leslie and Jess accept each other for who they are and they make each other better people; they communicate, they are honest, and loyal. They share an exemplary friendship. Both children are good role models for boys and girls because their friendship and personalities do not follow typical gender roles. The book deals with the topic of death, when Leslie, the story’s heroine dies. Jess, who is still a young child, must learn to grieve and accept his best friends death. This plot twist can benefit children who have and have not experienced a death of a family member or friend by relating to and learning from Jess’s grieving process.
Personal Thoughts: I read this book in the fifth grade and it is the first book, that I remember affecting my emotions. Leslie is the heroine, I loved Leslie just as much as the character; Jess Aaron. And I remember grieving for Leslie with Jess Aaron too. This book was my first introduction to death and grief, which are very taboo subjects but facts of existence. Great friendships and death are common occurrences throughout a person’s lifetime, which is why this novel is a core piece of contemporary realistic fiction. This story is valuable to any one who has ever experienced love and loss.
Genre: Non Sexist Literature, Realistic Fiction
Reading Level: Ages 9 - 12
Awards:
Newbery Medal
Virginia Readers’ Choice Award: Elementary School (Grades 3- 5)
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