Bride to Terabithia
By: Katherine Paterson

Talk about another sissy! I know you're thinking that I'm talking about a girl. Yet no, I'm talking about Terabithia's very own king Jesse. Who ever said a girl can't beat a boy at a race? If you believe this you obviously haven't met Leslie. I know that that is not exactly the theme of the book but it is very important. In the words of Jesse "Fetch me a shirt."
This book is about a boy named Jesse and his hopes of being the fastest kid of the third, fourth and fifth graders. Ok, so the whole book is not about being the fastest kid, but that's how Jesse and Leslie become friends. This book is about Jesse and Leslie finding a secret place they call Terabithia. You would think that this story would be all about Terabithia but it's mostly about Leslie and Jesse and conflicts in school like Janice Avery the school bully. I don't want to give away the ending but there is a major surprise. Let me leave you with that thought.
Ok done with the thought? Now I would like to tell you about the theme of this story because if you ask me it's pretty obvious. The theme is to spend every day like it's your last and don't judge a book by its cover. If you read " A Summer to Die" you'd know what I'm talking about. The author Katherine Paterson is a good author and I would recommend this book Bridge to Terabithia to ages eight and up and if you like reality fiction genre that have slow starts and gets better as you go along you'll like this book! Don't forget to read Bridge to Terabithia.

Published in the 70's, this book was an instant children's classic in American literature. This book deals with the friendship of a boy, Jesse, and a girl, Leslie, both of whom are social outcasts. Coming from different families and upbringings, they form a friendship that bears the strain of tragedy. This reviewer read this book while in elementary school; but revisited it once I heard that a movie was being made about it. The book is very good, and is great for children to read in today's culture where intergender relationships are often characterized in terms of sex. I recommend it.

One of my favorite parts of parenting is rediscovering wonderful children's literature with my daughters. I had heard of this book but never read it, so when my daughter chose it for a book report I seized the opportunity to read an award-winning book that I had neglected.

The story of Jess and his unusual friendship with Leslie is touching. There is the contrast between his family -- rural and unsophisticated -- with Leslie's very educated parents; Leslie is an only child and Jess is surrounded by sisters for whom he has mostly disdain. Yet they find comfort in one another, surrounded by provincial teachers and classmates who don't understand either one of them. Togehter the two of them create a world only they can share, and Leslie helps Jess discover who he really is.

I won't ruin the climax of the book for those who have not read it. Suffice it to say, it may be the saddest book I have ever read. My daughter has not finsihed it, but when she does, I am ready for a discussion as we've never had before. This book is beautifully written and deals, very sensitively, with some very difficult issues. Yet I think it can help children navigate some complicated themes in life, areas they'll need to deal with at some point.

Because of its tragic ending, this book may be hard for some. But I think the author has given careful thought into her treatment of a tough subject, and it is well worth a read.

I read this story at least twice as a child and I still remember how much the book impacted me. Many children never get the opportunity to actually get to "know" the characters in a book and this book provides an excellent opportunity. The situations are real, the characters are real, the emotions are real and the reader leaves this story feeling as if they themselves have lost a loved one. This is an excellent read that I would DEFINITELY recommend to anyone!

The book that influenced my life in a way is Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson. It has common stories that we also have dealt with in life. Its about a boy named Jess Aarons and how he has made a special friendship with a girl named Leslie Burke. He loses her in a place they have crated called Terabithia. I has taught me how important your friendship is with someone and they can be taken away from you in a snap.