Audiobook reread.

I read this is 5th grade and the story has stuck with me all of these years. For me its the quintessential book about the innocence of childhood, but also about the moment when you realize you cannot stay in that innocence bubble forever, and how hard that is.

I cannot wait to share this story with my kids.

This is absolutely a great book. I loved to read it!

I don't know if you ever watch the film from 2007, if you do, but you haven't read the book, I can tell you that the movie is a good adaptation BUT it can mislead you in the "fantasy" factor, even I used that label in my review but only because, at this moment, I don't have a better label to describe the book in a fair way.

I tell you all that since in the film, they gave a lot of emphasis and screen time to all "those magic creatures", however, they don't exist, in the book, the kids are really clear on that, they are playing sure, but they don't start to watch magic creatures from the thin air, they just using something called "imagination".

I tell you that too, just to make you understand that if you want to read this book expecting something in the style of Harry Potter or Narnia, you will get a real disappointment, BUT if you are looking to read an amazing, coming-to-age story, you will read one of the best books in that area, genre and/or topic.

Due to clumsy reasons, this great book has been banned in many libraries. What I can tell you is that the kids here talk and think in a very real and honest way, so I don't think that can be a good reason to ban this book.

This is a truly great novel about growing, about maturing, about the impossibility of controlling life and that you have to treasure each moment that you are living since you never know when something will change forever.

Also, you won't understand the reason for the title of this book until you read it, but please, don't do any research or investigation, since the impact of the story depends of that you don't know anything ahead.

This is a short book, just read it and it will live in your heart forever.

Summer 2019. Reading/listening with the kiddo as part of his summer reading assignment.

I will always love this book. I love it even more every time I read it. The audio is amazing.

A pesar de haber conocido la historia a través de esa película con Josh Hutcherson, fue un libro que disfrute demasiado. Es increíble el desarrollo de Jesse a partir de que conoce a Leslie y me conmueve d runa manera u otra lo que el amor inocente puede hacer y como la vida te puede quitar todo en un segundo.
Por alguna razón me recordó mucho a Looking for Alaska y no se si será cierto que se parecen o que pero vi muchas similitudes y eso me encanto.
Puedo verme releyendo este libro porque fue increíble. Definitivamente uno de mis favoritos.
Reseña completa en Gracias a los Libros.

Janusz Korczak Medal (Poland) 1981
Silver Pencil Award (Netherlands) 1981
Newbery Medal 1978
ALA Notable Children's Books 1977
School Library Journal Best Book of 1977
Lewis Carroll Shelf Award, 1978
Le Grand Prix des Jeunes Lecturs (France), 1986
1986 Colorado Blue Spruce Young Adult Book Award

Note also that on the American Library Association Reading List: Bridge to Terabithia (along with Tuck Everlasting) is one of six books recommended for 9-12 year-old children. This is especially heartening since “the novel's content has been the frequent target of censors and appears at number nine on The American Library Association list of the 100 Most Frequently Challenged Books for the decade 1990–2000.” (Wikipedia)Apparently, the banning, which occurred after year 2000 as well, was for offensive language, sexual content and Occult/Satanism.

There are a few mild swear words in the book, and they are merely used for emphasis. If having a crush on a girl means the book contains sexual content, and if creating a magic kingdom (Terabithia) in which to play at being king and queen means dabbling in the occult or Satanism, well… need I say more?

Death and what happens to a person after dying are also discussed in the book. Perhaps some adults think children shouldn’t read about death. Personally, I commend Patterson for writing a moving story for children that addresses adult themes, and yet is never condescending.

I read this book as an adult, wishing I had read it when I was younger. Of course, I may have cried harder then. Highly recommended for readers from ages 9 and up – all the way up – to adulthood and through old age!

Even when I was 12, I thought this was a crap book.

What's with all the hype? This was so fucking boring. I read this in 6th grade, during a time when I was prone to sobbing at anything. We watched Ben Hur in class and I cried like a baby. I don't even remember why.

We read Where the Red Fern Grows aloud in class and I was sobbing in front of everyone. I didn't shed a single fucking tear for this book.

Apparently I have been living under a rock my entire life because I had never even heard of Bridge to Terabithia before a friend of mine brought it up in conversation one day. She says, it’s a short read, I’ll bring you in my copy. Sure! I replied!

I had been under the impression that this was a children’s fantasy book and therefore had visions of Narnia dancing in my head. A few weeks after she had given me her copy I told her I would finally be getting around to it (I was finishing up a book I had been reading). I said to her: I need a nice light read to pick up after the soul-crusher that is The Fault in Our Stars. I wish I had taken a picture of the horrified look on her face that screamed: BRIDGE TO TERABITHIA IS A SOUL CRUSHER. I had been warned.

When I first started reading it I’ll admit I was pretty bored. Again, I had been under the impression it was a fantasy book filled with a mysterious land called Terabithia and that I would soon be immersed in a world I had yet to discover. That was not, however, what I got. Instead I got a story of ten year old kids who become best friends and build a fort on the edge of the forest. Their lives seem rather sad and mundane, except for the few instances where they actually get to escape to their secret hideaway, Terabithia.

I wish it had been more of a fantasy story but the story I did get was satisfying. A complete tragedy that brought me to tears, but the innocence of youth can’t be held onto forever…

Although this book was far from what I thought it would be, I still enjoyed it and thought it was a great book; a book that everyone should read at least once in his/her life.

اینقدر متاثرم که نمیتونم فکرهامو جمع کنم... برای خودآزاری بیشتر بعد خواندن کتابش دوباره فیلمش رو دیدم و من چقدر جسی و ازلی و همه‌ی شخصیت‌های این کتاب رو دوست دارم (به جز دوتا خواهر بزرگه‌ی جسی که انگار خواهرای سیندرلان!

n  “She had tricked him. She had made him leave his old self behind and come into her world, and then before he was really at home in it but too late to go back, she had left him stranded there--like an astronaut wandering about on the moon. Alone.”n

I grew up watching the bridge to Terabithia movie on repeat and every time I watched it, It never failed to make me cry. And none of that has changed now, either. I happened to look up short reads and found this on the list. I couldn’t not read it. it really brought back so many memories I can’t believe it’s taken me this long to read it.

I loved the friendship between Jess and Leslie, and then the book ended the way it did. I’ll probably read this to my children one day. Though I should protect them from the trauma that is this book right?

Overall, the book made me feel fuzzy and nostalgic. A timeless classic that everyone should read.



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এভাবেও মনটা খারাপ করে দেওয়া যায় :/

2023 - ‘70’s Immersion Reading Challenge

Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson (1977; 2003 ed.) 163 pages.

READING LEVEL 4.6 AR POINTS 5.0

Excellent! I really had no idea what this book was about. This story actually brought out some emotions from me. It’s been a long time since a book has done that.

I found myself giggling because the author captured the siblings quarrels so perfectly. The silly things they did and said to each other is exactly how it goes down with siblings.

I could relate to their castle and imagination over the creek and in the woods. We didn’t have castles, but we had make believe homes connected to each other by trails. It wasn’t over a creek. Our getaway was across the street, well away from parents.

I unexpectedly teared up at the end…more from the compassion 10-year-old Jesse Aaron’s father showed him…finally…after losing his good friend and neighbor, Leslie Burke.

.There are only two cuss words, p. 11 (hellhole) and p. 18 (bitch), but, putting that aside, this really is a story 4th and 5th graders will really enjoy and can relate to.

Books-to-Movie

Bridge to Terabithia (2007), starring Josh Hutcherson as Jesse Aarons and Annasophia Robb as Leslie Burke.

1/13/2023 UPDATE: I watched the movie with my daughter and four of my grandsons, aged 5-7. I looked over to see my daughter bawling her eyes out at the end. Of course we all were cracking up at her. The boys really enjoyed the movie. The forest was full of mythical creatures drawn up from the kids imagination. Quite different from the book, which was about kings and queens and things. We had to keep reminding the kids that this was all in their imaginations, and if they would get off those X-boxes and Nintendo games, and get outside and play, they could have imaginations too.

A BANNED BOOK

Evidently one of the most banned youth books in the U.S. because of its references to witchcraft and atheism and swearing, and is morbidly depressing for young minds. Since this was written for fourth to fifth graders, all of the above might be something to consider for young kids. I read this as an adult and thought it was all just their imaginations. But, the movie is different with mythical creatures and appears to just be kids imaginations of scary things in the woods.

I first took a liking to this book because Jesse is a runner. He reminded me of my younger self, as I was always proud to run cross country and perform as starter for my school’s relay racing team. His passion resonated with me deeply, which was lovely.

n  n    “Sometimes it seemed to him that his life was delicate as a dandelion. One little puff from any direction, and it was blown to bits.”n  n

Bridge to Terabithia follows a friendship between a young boy and girl, Jesse and Leslie. The two become acquaintances almost immediately upon Leslie’s move into the town. Together they create an imaginary kingdom in the woods called Terabithia, as their way of escaping reality.

Jesse was easily my favourite thing about this book. I enjoyed hearing about his love for running and art of any kind. It also made me happy to see Katherine Paterson comment on gender roles through her characters, making it so that they didn’t have to conform to anyone’s expectations.

I found much of this story quite uneventful, though perhaps it’s meant to be that way due to central themes of simple friendship and grief. Regardless, I wished for something more from this book. I know this is a tale that broke the hearts of many, but I felt there wasn’t enough time to truly understand the characters before tragedy struck. Considering this is a book largely based on teaching about hurt and healing, I was surprised at how the ending was glossed over, leaving Jesse with little to no closure.

I definitely enjoyed Katherine Patterson’s writing, and can easily see why Bridge to Terabithia resonates with people of all ages!