Needing a short book before beginning another major reading challenge, I turned to this piece by Katherine Paterson. It’s one I enjoyed in upper elementary, though many of the details have slipped my mind, which makes a re-read all the more justifiable. Jess Aarons is eager to begin the fifth grade. He hopes to finally be able to call himself the fastest boy in school, having risen early to practice all summer long. When a new family moves in next door, Jess is curious to see what to make of them. Having moved from Arlington, Virginia, they are sure to have money and likely the attitude to go with it. When Jess meets Leslie Burke, she is nothing like he expected. A tomboy if ever there was one, Leslie befriends Jess and they are soon inseparable. While Jess must cede his chance to be the fastest in school, he and Leslie soon find new and exciting ways to spend their time. Realising that they enjoy one another’s company and could care less what others feel, they create a world all their own, where they can rule and lock the rest of humanity out. Terabithia is hereby created and the only means by which to access it is a rope tied to a tree. Jess and Leslie spend all their time there, hiding Terabithia from family and friends alike. When Jess is invited to go into Washington one day, he forgets to invite Leslie. Upon his return, he discovers what a truly horrible thing it was not to have reached out. A stunning piece that resonates with the reader and leaves them thinking, while also searching for a ray of hope. Recommended to those who need a little heartfelt emotion in a quick read, as well as those who enjoy young adult fiction with a deeper meaning.

There are times when you need to turn off your brain and choose something a little lighter to pass the time. I usually turn to young adult fiction for that, though I suppose some of the full-length fiction I read could be said to do that as well. This piece may be the former, but light it is not! Katherine Paterson develops an exceptional protagonist in Jess Aarons, who is loosely modelled after her own son. Jess comes from a poor family and has high hopes for his upcoming school year. The reader learns much about his backstory—the only boy, sandwiched between four sisters—and how he longs to have a companion all his own. Throughout the piece, Paterson offers up some wonderful character development as Jess befriends Leslie and things move forward. Emotions develop and turn to a sobering coming of age by the end of this tale. The number of secondary characters in this piece all serve to keep the story on its toes, while not becoming too burdensome. Paterson does a masterful job with Leslie Burke as well, as the young girl complements the protagonist while also shining in her own right. This is a story that is a mix of happiness, sadness, and revelation, allowing the reader of any age to take something away that they will not soon forget. Told in a mere fourteen chapters, Paterson compacts so much into a short book that the reader will surely extrapolate to carve out additional chapters for themselves. What might have continued happening on Terabithia? How could Jess and Leslie have continued to grow closer? What of the constant pains the Aarons family proved to be for Jess when he wanted solitude? Paterson uses a masterful narrative and dialogue to tell this story that will leave the reader wondering why things had to end as they did, but understanding the deeper message as they cross the bridge into Terabithia.

Kudos, Madam Paterson, for such a wonderful book. I think, given a year or so, my son will be ready for this adventure. I will make sure to introduce him to many of your other works as well!

Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/

A Book for All Seasons, a different sort of Book Challenge: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...

I read this in 2014. Why does that seem like forever ago? All I remember is that the girl liked swinging around on her rope swing over the river. And maybe there was a tiger in the story? Or maybe that was a different book. And I also remember a spoiler about the river, but spoilers are not good to tell, so I will not tell them.

Wow. This must be the worst review ever. But I can't stand not saying something so there you have it. I hope you have a nice day!

ˏˋ꒰ re-read ꒱ ´ˎ˗
·₊˚⁀➷ 3.75 - ★★★★☆

❝You have to believe it and you hate it. I don't have to and I think it's beautiful.❞

✅ - love the characters & how short this was!

My damn heart is broken

Bridge to Terabithia is wonderful and beautiful and all of the great imaginative things that children should experience as they grow up.

It is realistic and gritty, and a true look at all that is hardship in a small town and when attending a small school. This book is written so well that you feel like you are there watching it unfold as you read.

The movie definitely did this book justice, and I cried like a baby even when I knew what was going to happen. 5 stars. Touchingly wonderful.

Si no lloras con este libro, genuinamente pensaré que no tienes sentimientos. Es inevitable no sentirte conmovido por la historia, que aunque tiene un desarrollo muy rápido, se saborea por completo al tener personajes muy bien construidos.

Todo pasa tan rápido y al mismo tiempo lo ves en cámara lenta.

Lee este libro si buscas algo ligero. Genial para quitarte un bloqueo lector

A lovely book that has stood the test of time.

2020: Read this aloud to the kids as it's on the Battle of the Books list this year for my daughter. I had forgotten how much is covered in such a slim book, yet how fast it goes. Also the casual cruelty of both Jess's family and bullies at school, not to mention how Leslie and Jess retaliate. Interesting.

Bridge to Terabithia, Katherine Paterson
Bridge to Terabithia is a work of children's literature about two lonely children who create a magical forest kingdom in their imaginations. It was written by Katherine Paterson and was published in 1977 by Thomas Crowell. In 1978, it won the Newbery Medal. Paterson drew inspiration for the novel from a real event that occurred in August 1974 when her son's friend was struck dead by lightning.
In the novel, Paterson illustrates the life of an artistic young boy named Jess Aarons and the burdens and hardships of his home life, such as his duties on his family's farm and the constant agitations and annoyances of his four sisters. He has straw-colored hair and long legs. Leslie Burke is an intelligent, wealthy girl who has just moved into "the old Perkins place" down the road from him. He is initially cold toward her. After having trained all summer to become his class's fastest runner, he is infuriated when she outruns him in a recess footrace. After further negative experiences with classroom tormentors or rivals, including Gary Fulcher, Jess eagerly anticipates the arrival of music class due to his infatuation for its beautiful young teacher, Miss Edmunds. However, on the day it begins, he discovers a fondness for Leslie, eccentric and ostracized, and they develop a friendship. He marvels at the way she genuinely likes to read and write, not just to impress their teacher, and the way she makes running look beautiful and effortless (not that he would ever actually say anything of the sort). On a sunny day, Jess and Leslie use a rope to swing over a creek, and they decide to design an imaginary sanctuary from the burdens and pains of everyday life. They reign as monarchs, calling their domain Terabithia and constructing a small refuge in which their imaginary escapades take place. At school, Jess and Leslie are challenged by an older bully named Janice Avery, whom they immensely detest. After she steals a package of Twinkies from Jess' younger sister May Belle's lunch, they forge a romantic letter under the disguise of Willard Hughes, the object of Janice's infatuation, setting her up for misunderstanding. The plan is successful, exposing her to public mortification. Later, Leslie encounters her sobbing in the girls' bathroom. ...
تاریخ نخستین خوانش: روز یازدهم ماه آگوست سال 2006 میلادی
عنوان: پ‍ل‍ی‌ ب‍ه‌س‍وی‌ ت‍راب‍ی‍ت‍ی‍ا (ب‍رن‍ده‌ م‍دال‌ ن‍ی‍وب‍ری‌ از ام‍ری‍ک‍ا؛ در سال 1978 میلادی)؛ ن‍وی‍س‍ن‍ده‌: ک‍ات‍ری‍ن‌ پ‍ات‍رس‍ون‌؛ ت‍ص‍وی‍رگ‍ر: دون‍ا دی‍ام‍ون‍د؛ م‍ت‍رج‍م‌: ن‍س‍ری‍ن‌ وک‍ی‍ل‍ی‌ (وک‍ی‍ل‌)؛ ت‍ه‍ران‌: دس‍ت‍ان‌، 1383؛ در 184 ص، مصور؛ شابک: ایکس - 964764230؛ موضوع: داستانهای نوجوانان از نویسندگان امریکایی - سده 20 م
عنوان: پلی به سوی ترابیتیا؛ نویسنده: کاترین پاترسون؛ تصویرگر: دون‍ا دی‍ام‍ون‍د؛ مترجم: سحر بشارتی‌راد؛ تهران: آسو، ‏‫1397؛ در 188 ص؛ شابک: 9786008755425؛
تنها پسر یک خانواده پرشمار «جس»، همیشه تنهاست. بزرگترین آرزویش، برنده شدن در مسابقه ی دویدن، بین کلاس پنجمیهاست. همه ی تابستان دلمشغول تمرینات دو بوده، و برای شکست دادن همکلاسیهایش لحظه شماری میکند. در نخستین روز مدرسه، دختری به نام «لزلی»، که شاگردی تازه است، با جسارت وارد زمین بازی پسرها شده، از همه جلو میزند. با اینحال بین «جس» و «لزلی»، دوستی ناگسستنی برقرار میشود. آن دو با هم «ترابیتیا» را میآفرینند؛ سرزمینی جادویی در جنگل، سرزمینی که هر دو، به عنوان پادشاه و ملکه، در آن حکمرانی میکنند. یکروز در غیاب «جس» رخدادی ترسناک برای «لزلی» رخ میدهد. «جس» در برابر از دست دادن دوستش «لزلی»، واکنشی قهرمانانه و شگفت انگیز ندارد. سوگواری را تاب میآورد، و سختیها را پشت سر میگذارد. در پایان «جس» با این تراژدی کنار میآید، و سرانجام میتواند، پلی به سوی «ترابیتیا» بزند، و خواهر کوچکش را، به عنوان فردی تازه، در فرمانروایی آن سرزمین، شریک میکند. به این ترتیب است که «جس» درمییابد، «لزلی» چه تاثیر شگرفی، در او ایجاد کرده، و چه توانایی و شجاعتی، به او بخشیده است. نویسنده در این داستان، از فاصله ی نوجوانان با دیگر اعضای خانواده، از نقش ورزش و هنر برای جبران تنهایی، از دوستی، و از معجزه ی خیال، برای پاسخگویی به نیاز نوجوانان، میگویند، و به خوانشگر نوجوان خود، شجاعت و توان میبخشد. این کتاب جوایز بسیاری از جمله: مدال نیوبری سال 1978 میلادی را، از آن خود کرده، و ترجمه ی فارسی کتاب نیز، از سوی شورای کتاب کودک، در سال 1384 هجری خورشیدی، به عنوان اثر ویژه، برگزیده شده است. ‬ا. شربیانی

Oh I loved this book too! Its so sweet, and sad and wonderful. I cried.

My teacher read it out loud in my 5th grade class and when the character died, I turned to the little boy next to me , and said, "That's not true is it?" and he looked at me with tears in his eyes and nodded. It was probably one of the first mature interactions I ever had with an "icky" boy.

5/5stars

I've never heard my fifth graders get more into something than they did at the end of chapter 10 lol the shock and screaming was so genuine

I love this story and my fifth graders seemed to really love it too!!

This book will make you cry, period. Not by employing any manipulative sentimentality, but by being honest. It is a rare thing to be so affected by fictional characters like this. This book saw the birth of friendship; a friendship in the truest sense of the word. A perfect example of give and take; a balanced mutuality based on respect. And we almost witnessed the evolution of that friendship into something more potent, profound, altering and everlasting. But just then we helplessly watch the abrupt unfair end of that beautiful blooming, a real nip in the bud (Sorry spoilers!).

This book is about those wonderful nascent days of childhood, where everything is impossible and beautiful. It’s about two young children who didn’t fit in their respective worlds. They stowed away to build a bridge to their own private land, where they reigned as king and queen; it was a just kingdom where simply put, negativity wasn’t allowed. When we had first met Jesse, he was an awkward boy unsure of himself, a budding artist, but he rather felt embarrassed about his art. He was at odds with his almost all-female family, hungry for his father’s waning attention, acceptance, and approval. Leslie changed him. She helped him grow, not only as an artist but also as a person. Ultimately, she'd help him deal with his loss, almost unendurable pain, she'd help him heal and recover from it, to be a better more mature and generous person. That he managed to pass on what he learned was his victory. Not for a second will this book would feel like it’s geared toward children. In fact, this should be essential reading for adults. It makes you question certain things. Maybe we’d understand something in the process.

Its obligatory visual cousin is different but equally good albeit a little more detailed. One of those occurrences where both mediums are equally rich and enriching. The book’s counterpart is just a visceral display of the same beautiful emotional bond.

This book will make you cry, end of. Not at the inevitable loss, but at what could have been.

Additionally; some books are pure magic where every word is made up of joy, and this is one of them. Even better on rereads. What a surfeit of imagination, the display of childhood, and the power of friendship. Watch these kids forge a kinship. Leslie brimming with intelligence. When Jess was thinking about how he could draw a whale, you could see the vibrancy of colors in his mind. Pure magic this book is.

I cannot love this book enough. I cannot reread it enough. And I continue to learn from it.

i remember reading this as a kid and feeling shaken, overwhelmed with emotion at the unexpected way the story bent. all these years later, that emotion—the grief—had crystallized in my mind to the point where i remember the intensity of feeling (and the twist that led me to feel those feels) but not any other details about this novel.

recently, i've been craving something that will make me feel—emotional escapism—and my mind went to terabithia. rereading this has highlighted for me that many parts of this book did NOT age well: the blatant fatphobia, described almost with a relish; the one-dimensional renderings of jess' sisters, who are either snotty airheads or eager recipients of his disparagement; and even the abrupt way the book treats its most pivotal moment.

and yet, i definitely felt feels—my eyes welled up as i reached the ending i knew was coming. i'm not sure i'll reread this book again, but the emotionality of this story will stay with me for a long time still.