Bridge to Terabithia
by Katherine Paterson
Publisher: HarperTeen
Publication Date: December 2004
ISBN: 9780060734015
208 Pages (Paperback)
Young Adult/Children's Fiction
Summary (from the publisher):
Jess Aarons' greatest ambition is to be the fastest runner in his grade. He's been practicing all summer and can't wait to see his classmates' faces when he beats them all. But on the first day of school, a new girl boldly crosses over to the boys' side and outruns everyone.
That's not a very promising beginning for a friendship, but Jess and Leslie Burke become inseparable. Together they create Terabithia, a magical kingdom in the woods where the two of them reign as king and queen, and their imaginations set the only limits. Then one morning a terrible tragedy occurs. Only when Jess is able to come to grips with this tragedy does he finally understand the strength and courage Leslie has given him.
My Opinion:
Are you longing to read a good cathartic tale about childhood friendship? Then Bridge to Terabithia is the book for you.
Although written for a younger audience, Bridge to Terabithia is a book that touches on so many timeless subjects (friendship, family, alienation, being different, bullies, and death) that it is a story that can be enjoyed by adults too.
The friendship that develops between Leslie and Jess is beautiful. The things that others see in them as oddities end up being the things that they admire in each other. Leslie is confident and imaginative, while Jess is kind and artistic.
My preconception of the book was that there would be a large portion of the book devoted to the imaginary land of Terabithia, but what I found was that Terabithia is really only a small part of the book (even though it does play a key role). The friendship between Leslie and Jess is really the focus of this book.
Altogether this is a beautiful book about friendship, but it does deal with the topic of death, so you'll want to be prepared for a tearjerker ending (which some younger kids might not be ready for).
Rating: 4.5/5
About the Author:
To learn about Katherine Paterson and her writing please visit her website.
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21 comments:
Isn't this such a beautiful book? I absolutely LOVED it growing up - I must have read it at least a bagazillion times. In the book I'm writing right now, the kids actually have their own terebithia.
I'm glad you loved it.
I read this book in school ages ago.. don't remember too much it's been so long gonna have to read it again !!
-Bookjunkee00
I think this book was on the list of Shelf Discovery. I've never read it, but my daughter and I went and saw the movie, and of course we were both bawling like babies. If you haven't seen it, it is worth a rental.
I have only seen the movie but that one was good and had me crying. Bf liked it too
I remember loving this book as a child. So sad.
It's a real great book. I watched the movie too . Both had a great emotional impact on me.
I agree it is a book that brings a lot of childhood memories back.
Even my husband cried at the end of this movie. It is so good, but so sad!
This is a wonderful book. I read it when I was young and remembered nothing from it except the two of them swinging across the creek on a rope. When the movie came out, I thought it sounded dumb and I never realized I'd read the book. I was put off by the description of all the fantastical creatures and such. But then I went back and reread it and to my surprise, there were no fantastical creatures PLUS it was one I'd read and loved as a kid. Excellent book.
I've never read this book but I remember that the librarian at Vance's elementary school loved it and promoted it heavily. Great review.
This was one of my favorite books in elementary school and also a very important read for me. It holds a special place in my memory. (And the movie doesn't even compare!)Thanks for another wonderful review.
One of my all-time favorites. I used to read this with my students every year back when I taught sixth grade. I always had to have a student read the last chapter when we read out loud, because I could never get through it myself.
My old copy is sitting on my daughter's shelf. I'm not going to re-read it; I'm not much for tear-jerkers anymore.
It's interesting that I'm commenting after CB...what I wanted to say was that my 6th grade teacher read this aloud to us, and I'll never forget how she broke down crying.
I'd like to read this one again at some point.
--Anna
Diary of an Eccentric
I've read this book both as an adult and child, and I've loved it every time. This book counts towards the challenge I hosting -- The Shelf Discovery Challenge, so I'll be anxious to see how many people read it after your review!
I can't believe I never read this book.. being the reader that I was as a child.. I just thought I would have.
I am definitely going to have to pick it up, now!
What a beautiful looking book. I seen the movie but have not read the book. I enjoyed it.
I've loved this book for a long time and was totally dismayed at the movie version they created this past year or two. Terabithia was never portrayed as Narnia!! I always cry no matter how many times I've read it!!
I still haven't read this book although I keep meaning to, someday I will though
Can you believe I overheard a woman loudly discussing the ending of this book -- in a bookstore, no less!?! I still want to read it, and I'm glad you point out that the imaginary world is actually only a small part of the story. I think I'll like it more that way.
My granddaughter introduced me to this one....it's a gorgeous story, and one that we re-read every summer together. Great review.
As I think I've mentioned several times, this was such a huge book for me a child. And when I saw the preview of the movie, I knew they had done it totally wrong -- the Terabithia in the book is NOT what seemed to be presented in the movie (like a Narnia thing). It was so grounded in reality and kids playing together. I'm glad you liked it ... I think it is great book for introducing or discussing the concept of death.
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