Bridge to Terabithia by: Katherine Patersoon

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Publisher: Scholastic

Copyright Date: 1977

Number of Pages: 128

Reading Level: 9-12

Summary:

It was the summer before Jess' fifth grade year and he was determined to be the fastest runner come fall. He would get up every morning when his dad left for work, before it was even light out, to go run in the field right next to his house. He didn't want anyone to see. It is a tradition at recess. All the fourth and fifth grade boys would race every day at recess to see who was the fastest. Jess had one once and he was determined to win every time. His summer went that way for a while. A family moved in across the street and the girl that was his age tried to make friends with him but he thought she was weird and so they didn't hang out all summer. Finally the first day of school came. Jess was excited for two things, to see his music teacher Miss Edmunds(who he is in love with), and to beat everyone at recess. Jess was ready, he had been practicing. Just as the races were about to begin his new next door neighbor, Leslie, shows up wanting to race. Girls weren't allowed but they let her anyway because they knew she'd be no match. Well, she beats them all. They are all mad and embarrassed. But, from that point on, Jess and Leslie become friends.

They are together all the time. They tell each other everything. Leslie is intriguing. Her family moved to this town to "find themselves" her parents are writers and they come there to get away from the material things of the world. They didn't even bring their TV. Leslie has a wonderful imagination. Together they share ideas and laugh and make up stories. They stick up for Jess' younger sister May Belle who is picked on by the older girls. The most important thing they do together is the make the magical kingdom of Terabithia. It is a secret known only to them. They use a rope swing to cross the creek behind their house and they enter the woods there. Once across, the land turns into Terabithia. They are king and queen. They have to protect their fortress (which they built with some scrap wood and nails) from outside foes and they have to bring peace to their kingdom. A little way into the woods, they found a sacred spot where they go in times of greatest fear or joy to ask for strength or to give thanks for their fortune. You could say it was their church grounds. On normal days they would sit in their fortress and Leslie would tell stories. All sorts of stories, from books that she had read to stories that she would make up. It was their magical land and it was perfect. While they were there, they would talk with royal words and there their imaginations could go wild.

At one point, Leslie's dad is remodeling their house and so Leslie is there helping him a lot. Jess gets jealous until Leslie invites him over. There he learns more about her family and he likes her parents a lot. Christmas time was coming and Jess' family didn't have any money (as his sisters were pretty bitter about). Jess wanted to get Leslie a really meaningful present. He could paint her a picture (which is a huge hobby of his) but he fears that he isn't talented enough. One day on the way home from school, he sees a sign for free puppies. He decides to get Leslie a puppy. That puppy becomes Prince Terrien of Terabithia.

Their friendship grows and grows and they become inseparable. They have other friends but they really only need each other. In the spring time it starts to rain a lot. It rains so much that the water level rises on the creek that they cross by rope. Jess is too proud to admit that he is afraid of crossing it and with Leslie there he is more brave anyway. One Saturday morning he gets a call on the phone. It's Miss Edmunds. She invites him to go to Washington D.C. with her (they live close to it). Of course he accepts. It is like a dream. They go to Washington D.C. and walk around the monuments and the museums. She buys him ice cream. Jess is on cloud nine. It had been raining as usual that morning but on their way home, the sun comes out. To him it is just a perfect ending to a perfect day. When he gets home however, something is wrong. His family was all waiting for him looking solemn. Leslie died. She went to cross to Terabithia on the rope and the rope broke and she hit her head and drown.

Jess can't believe it. He goes through each stage of the grief cycle. At first he doesn't believe it. He wakes up the next morning not remembering what happened. He fights it. He is angry with everyone. He hates everyone. He thinks that somehow she will come back. He mourns heavily for his lost friend. Then, finally, he accepts it. He realizes she won't come back. He then builds a bridge out of wood to Terabithia and he introduces May Belle to it. He knows that as long as Terabithia lives, Leslie's spirit can never die.

Who would benefit from reading this book/who would I recommend this book to?

This book is wonderful for anyone who has lost someone. Unlike the other book that I read that had death in it, this one ends in hope. It ends on a happier hopeful note that the reader can take courage from. This book explains the grief cycle (indirectly) really well because Jess goes through each of the stages. It is a wonderful book about friendship and how it never really dies.

What problems/conflicts could this book potentially cause?

Well, Miss Edmunds takes Jess to the capitol alone. That is not tolerated anymore and so that was a little weird to read about. I thought that the climax of the book was going to be in that situation. Thank goodness it wasn't. But it is also obviously about death and so it is not for a younger audience who wouldn't understand death yet.

My reaction:

This was a sweet and honest book. It was a wonderful story about a friendship that was so strong that it couldn't be broken by death. There is so much imagination in it that it touched my heart in a way that other books couldn't that I have read this semester. It was about a true friendship where each person was making the other better. Together they were unstoppable. But even after Leslie died, Jess still found strength from the memories that they have together. It is a keeper.