Bridge to Terabithia
by Katherine Paterson
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Book Summary Information
Author: Katherine PatersonBrand: Harper Collins Publishers
Illustrator: Donna Diamond
Edition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 1987-06-17
ISBN: 0064401847
Number of pages: 144
Publisher: HarperCollins
Product features:
- ISBN13: 9780064401845
- Condition: New
- Notes: BRAND NEW FROM PUBLISHER! BUY WITH CONFIDENCE, Over one million books sold! 98% Positive feedback. Compare our books, prices and service to the competition. 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed
Book Reviews of Bridge to Terabithia
Book Review: Touching story
Summary: 5 Stars
(Warning: The summary below can be a book-spoiler)
Jesse Oliver Aarons, Jr. is going on fifth grade, and he wants to be the fastest runner when summer vacation is over. Jesse practices running every day, racing around the cow field until his lungs are on fire and he is as hot as 'popping grease'. Then a girl moves into the house next door, and when school starts, this new girl becomes the running champion. Leslie Burke is from the suburbs, and in this rural town, she is seen as an oddity. Her parents are 'hippies'; they write for a living, and came to the country to 'reassess their value structure'. She doesn't have a television at home, she always wears pants to school, and she races with the boys.
Jesse and Leslie become best friends; both are rather 'different' from others. Jesse loves to draw, a hobby he hides to avoid being called a sissy, and Leslie is wildy imaginative and loves reading books. Leslie and Jesse make a kingdom in the woods, in which they are king and queen, and call it Terabithia. Terabithia is separated from the farmland by a dry creek bed, which can be crossed by a long forgotten rope hanging from an old crab apple tree. With Leslie and her wild imagination, Jesse can escape his whining, snobby older sisters, his younger sister May Belle who adores him but can be a pest sometimes, his cranky mother and tired father.
About half a year after Leslie moved in, it is March and the rain pours down endlessly. The dry creek bed, the magical entrance in to Terabithia, swells with dirty, swirling, rushing water. Jesse is secretly afraid when he swings over it with the old rope, but he won't admit it to Leslie. Then one day, Miss Edmunds, the music teacher Jesse adores, invites him to go to the art gallery with her. Jesse can't believe his luck, and rushes out, after cunningly asking his mother in her sleep in order to obtain permission. He has the perfect day admiring art with Miss Edmunds, although he is a little sorry about not inviting Leslie along too; she must be bored by herself. Then Jesse returns to find his entire family waiting for him, and his mother breaks into shuddering sobs at the sight of him. His whiny older sister says, "Your girl friend's dead, and Momma thought you was dead, too."
The rope broke when Leslie was crossing into Terabithia and she was swept by the torrents to her death. Jesse is numb at first; he can't accept her death. Then at Leslie's funeral, Jesse runs out and after throwing Leslie's Christmas present of paints in to the creek, heartrendingly crys at its banks. The Burkes move out, and Jesse is left with Leslie's paints and books, her last present.
Jesse builds a bridge to Terabithia with planks that the Burkes left behind. He takes his little sister May Belle and introduces her to Terabithia, as a new queen.
The summary became much longer than I was planning, but I wanted to sufficiently describe the moving ending. I always cry when I read this book, at the part when Jesse is taking in Leslie's death, even when I know it's coming along. His sisters throw unconsciously mean remarks that tear at the heart, such as Brenda: "You don't even care. Do you? If Jimmy Dicks died, I wouldn't be able to eat a bite. ... Well, it don't seem right for him to be sitting there eating like a brood sow.", Ellie: "Boys ain't supposed to cry at times like this. Are they, Momma?", May Belle: "I wanta go, too. I never seen a dead person before.", "Did you see her? Did you see her laid out?". They aren't mature enough to be considerate about his feelings; they don't see the deep sorrow and shock enveloping him. On the other hand, his parents, who have always seemed rather uncaring about him, show their love for him. His cranky mother tells the girls to shut up and is unusually quiet as she heaps pancakes on his plate. His father follows him and holds Jesse as he crys his heart out. The novel shows a reconciliation of sorts between Jesse and his parents.
Leslie's death is hinted at here and there throughout the book, though the reader is in complete shock when he finds out about it. When Leslie goes to the church for the first time at Easter with Jesse's family, she says that she doesn't believe in the bible, but she thinks the story is beautiful. May Belle, on hearing that, says that God will damn you to Hell if you don't believe in the bible. She insists, "But Leslie, what if you die? What's going to happen to you if you die?" Jesse's fear of water, and his terror and hesitation at crossing the rushing torrents by swinging on the rope also hint of Leslie's death. Even Leslie's favorite hobby of scuba diving somehow insinuates her fate. At the art gallery, Jesse is struck by the small model of Indians in a hunt, chasing the buffaloes over a cliff, and the buffaloes falling, falling...
By meeting Leslie, his deep friendship with her, and her death, Jesses matured into a more thoughtful, understanding boy. Terabithia extended the limits of his imagination and helped him gain self-confidence. He was able to keep on drawing with Leslie's help, and partly overcame his shame of it.
Though the characters are rather stereotypical; after all, they are children and this is a children's book, and Mrs.Edmunds suddenly evaporates at the end without leaving a trace(a real mystery), 'Bridge to Terabithia' is a commendable, heartwarming, eloquently written book. This short story shows how profoundly one person can change another's life, and also indirectly portrays many types of love.
Summary of Bridge to Terabithia
Jess Aaron's greatest ambition is to be the fastest runner in the fifth grade. He's been practicing all summer and can't wait to see his classmates' faces when he beats them all. But on the first day of school, a new kid, a new girl, boldly crosses over to the boy's side of the playground and outruns everyone.
That's not a very promising beginning for a friendship, but Jess and Leslie Burke become inseparable. It doesn't matter to Jess that leslie dresses funny, or that her family has a lot of money -- but no TV. Leslie has imagination. Together, she and Jess create Terabithia, a magical kingdom in the woods where the two of them reign as king and queen, and their imaginations set the only limits. Then one morning a terrible tragedy occurs. Only when Jess is able to come to grips with this tragedy does he finally understand the strength and courage Leslie has given him.
The story starts out simply enough: Jess Aarons wants to be the fastest boy in the fifth grade--he wants it so bad he can taste it. He's been practicing all summer, running in the fields around his farmhouse until he collapses in a sweat. Then a tomboy named Leslie Burke moves into the farmhouse next door and changes his life forever. Not only does Leslie not look or act like any girls Jess knows, but she also turns out to be the fastest runner in the fifth grade. After getting over the shock and humiliation of being beaten by a girl, Jess begins to think Leslie might be okay.
Despite their superficial differences, it's clear that Jess and Leslie are soul mates. The two create a secret kingdom in the woods named Terabithia, where the only way to get into the castle is by swinging out over a gully on an enchanted rope. Here they reign as king and queen, fighting off imaginary giants and the walking dead, sharing stories and dreams, and plotting against the schoolmates who tease them. Jess and Leslie find solace in the sanctuary of Terabithia until a tragedy strikes and the two are separated forever. In a style that is both plain and powerful, Katherine Paterson's characters will stir your heart and put a lump in your throat.
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