Book Cover Image:
Book Summary: All
Jesse cares about is proving that he is the best runner in the fifth grade. He
also really cares about drawing, but he can never admit that because nobody at
school or in his family truly understands him. That all changes when Leslie
Burke moves to their small town and flips Jesse’s world upside down. He is able
to stand up to bullies and befriend her, much to his surprise, and he finds
that he is drawn to her spirit and imagination. Together, they find a place in
the woods where their misunderstood creativity can flow free in their own
world, Terabithia. Here, they are no longer lonely kids but kings and queens
who protect their lands from invaders and giants and mystical spells. Soon Jess
learns that while the world is not as magical as the time he spends with Leslie
in Terabithia, he can overcome any obstacle in life through the transformation
that takes place in him after creating the world with Leslie. When Leslie dies
in a tragic accident, all that he has learned from her is put to the test as
Jess must find ways to surpass his guilt and keep Terabithia alive for her.
APA Reference of Book: Paterson, K. (1977). Bridge to Terabithia. New York,
NY: T.Y. Crowell.
Impressions: I
cannot stop crying after reading this book! It is enchanting in its
imagination, and I can feel everything that Jess feels as he grows through his
experiences. Leslie helps Jess discover who he was always meant to be through
their adventures in Terabithia, and Jess becomes a better person for it. It is
not just the experience of loss that makes me emotional, but it is the way that
Patterson has woven a tale of growth, connecting people, and overcoming life’s
obstacles that makes me feel strongly about this story. I love how Jess
introduces his sister, May Belle, to Terabithia in the end because it shows
that while he will always hold on to Leslie and what she taught him, he will
use everything he learned from her to give others a life full of purpose and imagination.
It is a well-written novel that I would love to explore again.
Professional Review: Forman,
J. (1977). Bridge to Terabithia [Book Review]. School Library Journal, 24(3),
61.
“Gr 4-6 – Jess’ ambition is to be ‘the fastest runner in the
fifth grade,’ and he is well on this way when Leslie arrives on the scene…and
beats him in a race. The two quickly find that they have much in common – and
each has something to give the other. Leslie opens Jess to a whole new world of
myth and fantasy while he gives her an empathy for the underdog, even when the
underdog is a big, ugly seventh grade girl bully. The two friends build a
secret hideout and invent an imaginary kingdom they call Terabithia, but soon
torrential rains make it risky for them to get there. When Jess gets back from
a day trip to Washington, D.C. with a teacher he learns that Leslie drowned
trying to reach their meeting place and reacts first with shock, then
selfishness, and finally grief. Though he gets support from most of his large,
usually bickering family and from his teacher, Jess alone has to work through
his shattering loss, and it is he who decides how to best memorialize Leslie
and what she meant to him. Not only is the story unusual because it portrays a
believable relationship between a boy and a girl at an age when same-sex
friendships are the norm but it also presents an unromantic, realistic, and
moving reaction to personal tragedy. Jess and Leslie are so effectively
developed as characters that young readers might well feel that they were their
classmates.”
Library Uses: Students can choose five traits that they believe
make a great friend. Each student will then be paired with another student who
matches most of the same chosen friendship traits. They can then work together
to create a world that represents them and explain why it is important.
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