Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson- Book Set #3

Paterson, K. (1977).  Bridge to Terabithia. Waterville, ME. Thorndike Press.

 Jess is a farm boy who lives in the country with his parents and 3 sisters.  His hobbies and interests include running and art.  He is excited about his first day of school to show everyone that he is the fastest runner in 5th grade until Leslie, a new girl in town shows up and outruns him and everyone else.  At first this angers Jess but he makes the choice to become her friend instead. She is interesting to Jess because she seems to be the opposite of him in so many ways. Leslie has come from suburban life with nice cars, houses, and fancy schools. Her family takes vacations where she scuba dives and her family has even chosen not to own a T.V. They are a liberal, intellectual, and cultured family...everything that his family is not. One day after school Leslie and Jess decide to create a world of their own within the nature and woods of a near by forest.  They swing across a creek on a rope to their kingdom of Terabithia where together they rule their imaginary land.  Within their oasis, they develop a close friendship and help each other work through life and their own problems.  During a terribly raining Easter weekend, Jess is invited to drive to Washington DC to explore an art museum with his teacher Miss Edmunds who appreciates his talents (and whom he happens to have a crush on).  When he returns home from his long day, he discovers the news that his best friend Leslie has drowned trying to swing across the rushing flood water of the creek when the rope broke.    His devastation is expressed through a grieving process of denial, numbness, anger, sadness and crying.  He finally accepts this loss when he decides to rebuild a bridge to Teribithia with wooden logs and makes his little sister May Belle the newest queen, honoring his friend by moving on but continuing with their traditions and love.  This book is a classic because it meets all of the evaluative criteria for the makings of a wonderful piece of contemporary realistic fiction.  Perhaps that is why it is a Newberry Award Winning Book.  It's strongest criteria being the characters, setting, and theme.  These opposite characters develop a relationship and appreciation for each other at a time in their life (and mostly likely in the readers life) when boys and girls seem to separate unless they are together in a romantic way like a boyfriend or girlfriend.   The characters are relatable to both boys and girls.  The rural setting and natural "getaway" of Teribithia may be foreign to some readers but no less magical.  The theme of deep and true friendship along with loss and death are universal themes that many young readers need to relate to.