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3.96 AVERAGE
3.96 AVERAGE
I enjoyed rereading this classic with my 9 year old daughter. She loved this book so much and just kept turning the pages. All I can say is, once a classic, always a classic.
I sat down and read Bridge to Terabithia in one sitting; I didn't want to put it down. Primarily, I thought that I would not find the book engaging because of the age I gap I now have between myself and the protagonist, but I think that perhaps that opened me opened me up more to Jess's character than I would have been were I read this book for the first time at a younger age. (Be warned, spoilers ahoy!)
Now that I myself have experienced the trials and tribulations that come with having a best friend who is more a part of me than anyone else, I can appreciate the blossoming friendship between Jess and Leslie as the story progressed. Paterson did a wonderful job of introducing and explaining the bond that is shared between best friends. Jess went from holding a mild distain for Leslie after she beats him in his race on the first day of school to counting her as his closest friend. Jess had a wonderfully defining moment where he mulled over his and Leslie's relationship when he was thinking about his sisters teasing him about his relationship with Leslie, calling her his girlfriend among various other things, and he thought about how she had become so much a part of him that the thought of kissing her was off-putting because he simply did not see her that way.
The book tackled some rather dark concepts as well, ranging from coping in the aftermath of death, familial economic issues, to bullying, but Paterson presented them all in a manner that is understandable across a variety of age groups. The language used in a simple enough fashion that a younger reader would understand the events but it is still capable of holding an adult's intrigue with moments of foreshadowing that may go unnoticed by younger audiences (such as the three chapters leading up to Leslie's death). Over all I found it to be a fabulous read, and it tugged good and hard at my heart strings! Definitely interesting in seeing the film now as well.
Now that I myself have experienced the trials and tribulations that come with having a best friend who is more a part of me than anyone else, I can appreciate the blossoming friendship between Jess and Leslie as the story progressed. Paterson did a wonderful job of introducing and explaining the bond that is shared between best friends. Jess went from holding a mild distain for Leslie after she beats him in his race on the first day of school to counting her as his closest friend. Jess had a wonderfully defining moment where he mulled over his and Leslie's relationship when he was thinking about his sisters teasing him about his relationship with Leslie, calling her his girlfriend among various other things, and he thought about how she had become so much a part of him that the thought of kissing her was off-putting because he simply did not see her that way.
The book tackled some rather dark concepts as well, ranging from coping in the aftermath of death, familial economic issues, to bullying, but Paterson presented them all in a manner that is understandable across a variety of age groups. The language used in a simple enough fashion that a younger reader would understand the events but it is still capable of holding an adult's intrigue with moments of foreshadowing that may go unnoticed by younger audiences (such as the three chapters leading up to Leslie's death). Over all I found it to be a fabulous read, and it tugged good and hard at my heart strings! Definitely interesting in seeing the film now as well.
Every book I've read by Katherine Paterson has been fabulous. This was no exception.
"It would be better to be born without an arm than to go through life with no guts."
emotional
sad
hopeful
reflective
sad
fast-paced
I love the overall takeaways from this story and felt already a bit attached from the movie, but honestly the storytelling itself was not my favorite in style. Some of the things that the kids said felt dated and I know they are just kids but I feel like writing down the cruelty in spoken words from characters we are supposed to like does more harm than good and was not necessary. I love though what this story stands for. Carrying on for those we love and how we can lead with love for others through the ways that others touch our lives.
Bridge to Terabithia (Summer Reading Edition) by Katherine Paterson (2005)