Bridge to Terabithia

Bridge to Terabithia
Katherine Paterson
Crowell, 1977 128 pages
Grades 4-7
Realistic Fiction

Jess is anxious to begin fifth grade. It is not easy to be the only boy and middle child in a rural family that never seems to have enough. He has been practicing his running all summer in the hope of being the fastest boy in the daily races during recess. This year there is a surprise. A new girl has moved next door and she not only races with the boys instead of jumping rope, but is faster than even Jess. At first he resists her friendship, but eventually discovers that the two of them have much in common. Jess loves to draw, making him different than the other boys and Leslie is a bit of a tomboy with a huge imagination. The two friends find a magical spot in the woods and name it the Kingdom of Terabithia. It is here that their imaginations run wild and they can be totally themselves. Unfortunately, after the best day of Jess' life, tragedy strikes. Jess is not sure how to appropriately deal with the news as his life is thrown upside down. Somehow, through the power of imagination and the magic of Terabithia he finds a path towards healing.

Chosen as a final book/movie selection for my combined elementary book clubs, I was very anxious to reread this classic to see if it stands up to the test of time. Written in a very different place (rural American) and a different time (pre internet and social media) when children were encouraged to play outside in all kinds of weather unmonitored, it demonstrates the best and the worst in the "good old days". The unmonitored play results in a terrible tragedy, yet the creative freedom is also the path leading Jess to healing. I forgot that books and movies from this time period almost required a few curse words. I was startled by the amount of swearing in this book, especially since we no longer see it in children's fiction. Paterson paints a beautiful friendship between a boy and a girl at an age when this is awkward. She also effectively deals with a bully and how bullies are vulnerable and worthy of our compassion. I love the message of the positive effect of the arts in our schools and the portrayal of teachers as human and compassionate, even when they seem stern and unfeeling at first glance. Yes, the book is still a tear-jerker and, in my humble opinion, one-hundred percent worthy of its Newbery medal. I will be gathering with my book group kids in a few weeks to watch the movie from 2007 and discuss both and am very interested to hear what they have to say and if this story speaks to them.