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Bridge to Terabithia

Bridge to Terabithia


Author: Katherine Paterson
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Award: John Newbery Medal
Grade: 4th grade and up


A boy named Jess lives in the countryside, he gets bullied by other kids. He met the new girl next door named Leslie and they instantly became friends. Leslie protected and stood up for him from the bullies. They both created a secret fantasy world called Terabithia, which is located in the woods. In this place, they can do whatever they want and they can forget about the world. They created it so they can think of ways to overcome the hardships they encounter in life and for Jess to spark his imagination with Leslie’s help. It is a place where no one gets bullied and they can invent different and wonderful fun games. The story then goes in with their everyday lives and one day, Jess took a field trip with his music teacher. Once he got back, he heard the news about Leslie drowned in the creek. Jess could not move on and felt depressed but he realized that he will keep Leslie’s memories and continue on with his life. In the end, he takes his little sister to Terabithia and makes her the new queen.

This is a really sad story but it is a great book because it deals with overcoming bullying and developing friendship and strong bond. There is a lot of imagery in this book which will stimulate student’s minds. I would recommend this to 4th-grade students and up because it is a novel and a chapter book. It will be too long for younger students. The book teaches you to not bully and to use your imaginations. Also, it teaches the value of life and how to appreciate nature.


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