Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson

Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson is such a classic, and I was so excited to reread this book! I’ve seen the movie a couple times as an adult, but I hadn’t read the book since I was a lot younger. Bridge to Terabithia holds up really well, and made me cry just as much this time as the first time I read it. 

Jess is excited for fifth grade–it’s finally his chance to be the fastest runner in school. Instead, Leslie, the new girl, breaks the status quo and races with the boys instead of playing with the girls. She’s faster than everyone, and Jess’s plans of popularity disappear. However, he soon forgives Leslie and the two develop a fast, life-changing friendship. Leslie teaches Jess how to use his imagination and shows him that his world can be much bigger than the routine of school and chores. Leslie and Jess crown themselves Queen and King of Terabithia, a mythical kingdom they can only access by swinging on a rope over a creek. 

One morning, when it’s storming really badly, Jess gets a call from his music teacher who he has a crush on. She invites him to spend the day with her at a museum. Jess sneaks out before his mom wakes up. He enjoys the outing, but wishes he’d asked his teacher to invite Leslie too. When Jess returns home, his family tells him that Leslie was found drowned in the creek. Jess tries to navigate his grief, and he ultimately builds a bridge back to Terabithia. He takes his younger sister over the bridge, crowns her Princess of Terabithia, and widens her world in the same way Leslie widened his.

Bridge to Terabithia is a classic for a reason–the writing is immersive, the story is compelling, and the ending is simultaneously heartbreaking and hopeful. Before this read, I hadn’t realized just how foreshadowed Leslie’s death is. Leslie’s death seems to be a constant presence in this book. It’s always hovering, always on the horizon. The impossibility of her existence in Jess’ world haunts the narrative. Leslie is ethereal, other, not of this world. The only way for Leslie to continue to represent fantasy and imagination is for her to only exist as a child, unbothered by reality. 

I hope Bridge to Terabithia continues to introduce kids to literary, character-driven fiction.

Thanks for reading with me,

Katie