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Bridge to Terabithia (1977)

Newbery Award Winners (1978)

    Leslie was more than his friend; she was his other, more exciting, self, his way to Terabithia and all
    the worlds beyond.
        -Bridge to Terabithia

Okay, before I make this unmanly confession, let me first state in my own defense that I have two small children and I was listening to the conclusion of this book at a very early hour, before I'd even had breakfast to fortify me for the day. That said, I'll now acknowledge that I very nearly started sobbing...

In 1976, Katherine Paterson's son David was 8 years old when his friend, Lisa Hill, was struck by lightning and killed. A year later Bridge to Terabithia was published, winning a Newberry Medal and becoming, if such a thing is possible, an instant classic. Ms Paterson drew upon this personal tragedy to create the story of a boy, Jess Aarons, and a girl, Leslie Burke, in rural Virginia, who become the best of friends. Jess is the middle child, and only son, of a reticent father, who struggles to earn a living. Leslie is the daughter, and only child, of two successful writers who have moved to the country, next door to the Aarons, for lifestyle reasons.

The friendship between the two kids is hesitant at first, particularly after Leslie usurps Jess's title as the fastest runner in their 5th grade class at Lark Creek Elementary. But both have some trouble fitting in with theirs peers, Jess because of his interest in Art, Leslie because of her scholastic ability and her parents' very 70s social attitudes (like not having a TV), and this shared awkwardness gives them a unique bond. Leslie creates an imaginary kingdom called Terabithia for them to rule over, accessible only be a rope swing over a local creek. The imaginary adventures they share there and a series of incidents at school bring the two closer and closer together. But then an ugly reality intrudes upon their idyllic world and the various characters are forced to deal with a tragic death. To say more might ruin the story, so let's leave it at that.

I understand that the use of this book in classrooms is frequently challenged by parents. If the reason for this is that they feel that the central crisis of the book may be too intense for children, I can sympathize with their feeling. But it seems like an intensity that is well worth their children's while. Ms Paterson handles the situation quite beautifully and affords a real opportunity for parents to discuss the matter of death with their kids, a topic which most families hopefully haven't much had to cope with. Reading the book is a difficult emotional experience, but better to first confront these emotions in a controlled fictional setting and begin to learn how to deal with them, than to remain totally sheltered and have to deal with them, completely unprepared, when the tragedy is real.

(Reviewed:12-Aug-01)

Grade: (A)

Websites:

FILM :
-INFO : Bridge to Terabithia (1985) (Imdb.com)
-INFO : Bridge to Terabithia (1986) (Rotten Tomatoes)

GENERAL :
    -Banned Books Week (ALA)
    -The 100 Most Frequently Challenged Books of 1990-1999 (ALA)
    -ARTICLE : Banned Books Week : Book challenges drop, but librarians, writers remain wary (Thurston Hatcher, September 26, 2000, CNN.com)
    -Censorship (National Council of Teachers of English)
    -ESSAY : Censorship in the cyber age (Reading Today, Feb, 2001)
    -ESSAY : Backward, Christian soldiers : The Christian right may be hurting at the top, but at the grass roots, it's still a force to be reckoned with (Harry Jaffe, Salon)

Comments:

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i think that this book should not be challenged or banned...

- gustavia prejean

- Mar-16-2006, 09:02

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Bridge to Terabithia (1977)

Newbery Award Winners (1978)

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