Paterson, K. (1972). Bridge to Terabithia. Simon & Schuster.
Summary
Jess practices all summer to be the fastest boy at school. But, when a girl decides to show she can outrace any boy there, Jess finds an unexpected friendship. Together, Jess and Leslie create their own magical kingdom in the woods called "Terabithia" where they rule together away from the rest of the world. When tragedy strikes, Jess is faced with the reality of no longer having a best friend and not knowing how to deal with it. Slowly but surely, Jess figures out a way to understand his new situation and eventually shares Terabithia with his little sister, so that the kingdom they created could go on.
A Teacher's Perspective
As usual, the book is way better than the movie. Granted, I did read the book after I had seen the movie, but I still found it so much better. I really loved the way this book is put together. The story flows with ease, page breaks are divided by little leaves and black and white picture sketches are scattered throughout the book. It makes for easy reading without getting bogged down in too much.
From my teacher perspective, I think this novel has some deeper concepts that most people think younger kids can't handle, but I feel like would help them understand. Death isn't an easy concept at any age, but Paterson does a really great job showing children how to navigate this painful and uncertain path.
Want to know more?
To purchase your own copy of Bridge to Terabithia: Click here!
There are several free resources on Teachers Pay Teachers that give novel study questions, book to movie comparisons, and project ideas.
For a link to the free resources, click here!
Disney did create their own version of the movie starring Josh Hutcherson and Annasophia Robb. If you would like to purchase your own copy, here is a link.
Here is the movie trailer from 2007:
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