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Bridge to Terabithia
Bridge to Terabithia
Author: Katherine Paterson
A secret world of their ownJess 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 ever...  more »
Info icon
ISBN-13: 9780064401845
ISBN-10: 0064401847
Publication Date: 6/17/1987
Pages: 144
Reading Level: Ages 9-12
Rating:
  • Currently 4/5 Stars.
 691

4 stars, based on 691 ratings
Publisher: HarperTrophy
Book Type: Paperback
Other Versions: Hardcover, Audio Cassette
Reviews: Member | Amazon | Write a Review

Top Member Book Reviews

reviewed Bridge to Terabithia on + 18 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 6
I read this book the first time as a grade-schooler. I loved it, I loved how it didn't lie to me and how it didn't pretty things up. I loved the purity of it. I searched for it for years and finally found it again (I was incredibly surprised that so few book-store employees had never heard of it!) in my twenties. It took me back to the first time I read it and I enjoyed it just as much as an adult as I did when I was younger. I highly recommend this book and have even gone so far as to buy and send copies of it to friends and relatives since finding it again.
reviewed Bridge to Terabithia on + 16 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 5
A classic, must read. Only passing on because I have another copy.
It's a book you'll read over and over at any age.
shanna71 avatar reviewed Bridge to Terabithia on + 145 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 4
One day while bored near the holidays, I, at 37 years old (adult kids with no grandkids), watched this movie. I loved it. Being a member of PBS , I decided to read this children's book. I am so glad I did. Don't ever think you are to old to read a child/young adult/pre teen book! I almost missed out on one of the best books I have ever read!
midwinter avatar reviewed Bridge to Terabithia on + 75 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 4
This is one of the best children's books I have ever read. It's a powerful, yet simple, story about friendship, life, and finding your place in the world. Despite being an award winner, this book is frequently banned - do yourself a favor and fight censorship by reading this wonderful tale!
Spuddie avatar reviewed Bridge to Terabithia on + 412 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 4
An older Newberry-award winning children's novel published in 1960, I think, about a fifth-grade boy named Jesse who wants nothing more than to be the fastest runner in his class, and his new neighbor Leslie, who (even though she's a girl) beats him handily in a race. They become fast friends in spite of it, and spend hours in the fields and forests across the creek near their houses, in a make-believe world Leslie has named Terabithia. Fifth grade leaves some hard lessons to be learned for Jesse. I loved this book--very heartwarming, gut-wrenching story of growing up and learning to deal with the curve balls life throws at you.
Read All 108 Book Reviews of "Bridge to Terabithia"

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reviewed Bridge to Terabithia on + 9 more book reviews
Very good book, although not as good as all the hype suggests. I don't believe the ending unhappy, it is just closer to real life where not everyone lives happily ever after, but no matter what we learn from it.
reviewed Bridge to Terabithia on
I suppose that, as a literary work, this book is well-written, and it was interesting up to a point, but I was greatly disappointed in the ending. Probably there will be many readers who feel differently, but I happen to dislike the modern tendency to think that just because real kids have painful experiences, it is good for children's fiction to have sad or even grim endings. I would rather they have a pleasant experience. The real world is bad enough.
nccorthu avatar reviewed Bridge to Terabithia on + 569 more book reviews
Not what I expected but an interesting book for teens
reviewed Bridge to Terabithia on + 71 more book reviews
An excellent young adult book with insights into: being an outsider, boys *can* play with girls (and vice versa!), and death.
Rev avatar reviewed Bridge to Terabithia on + 95 more book reviews
I remember reading this back in elementary school (or middle school, I'm not sure which), and it is a book that sticks with me to this day. If you are looking for book that will help a young person cope with death and loss in a sincere and non-placating way, than this is the book for you. Plus, this book continues to show up on lists of books people try to get banned from school and public libraries, so you know it has to be worth reading. A must for any child's growth reading.
buzzby avatar reviewed Bridge to Terabithia on + 6062 more book reviews
It's worth its designation as a classic. It's about 2 10 year olds in West Virginia told from the boy's perspective, definitely for the thinking youth.
grammyteach avatar reviewed Bridge to Terabithia on + 192 more book reviews
great classic story
bookworm01 avatar reviewed Bridge to Terabithia on + 138 more book reviews
A truly extraordinary book! A little sad as well but still truly inspiring!
booksloveme avatar reviewed Bridge to Terabithia on + 10 more book reviews
I read this book back in middle school and the story has stuck with me ever since. It tells a story of a beautifully developed friendship and the magical world they have created across the bridge. Anybody who had a big imagination as a kid will be able to appraciate this story.
slothmold avatar reviewed Bridge to Terabithia on + 38 more book reviews
This book fascinated me as a kid. I hadn't read many books where the characters' lives were so different from my own, but had the same fantasies (of a faraway land abiding by their rules) and activities (poking around in creeks, as opposed to being sucked through time for a magical adventure) as I did. And in the end, it still makes me cry.
knittymama avatar reviewed Bridge to Terabithia on + 424 more book reviews
This was such a good book. I could not put it down.
reviewed Bridge to Terabithia on + 94 more book reviews
A great classic novel for Young Adults (or Adults!).
awifeindestiny avatar reviewed Bridge to Terabithia on + 42 more book reviews
This book is not one that ordinarily I would choose for my own reading. I had to read this book for a Children's Literature class, and it turned out to be a very easy read.

It's interesting how many children there are that actually could be the protagonist for this story. As an educator, I see children that could potentially fit this profile everyday.

Noteworthy excerpts:
"It made Jess ache inside to watch his dad grab the little ones to his shoulder, or lean down and hug them". (page 23)

"For the first time in his life he got up every morning with something to look forward to."

Both painful one-liners, but they are the realities that some of us as adults and especially children, must deal with every day.
reviewed Bridge to Terabithia on + 5 more book reviews
Bridge To Terabithia is a good book for children and young adults. While being based around a child's experiences and troubles, it still maintains a good plot and semi-sophisticated dialogue that makes it good for everyone. It was more sad than I had originally expected, but it makes for an excellent story. This book also includes the original sketches for some characters and places.
reviewed Bridge to Terabithia on + 31 more book reviews
Very well written story about a fifth grade boy and girl who become best friends and create an imaginary world as their sacred place. The story does take a sad turn, but it also depicts a real picture of what it is like to experience friendship love and loss. The loss is expressed very well, particularly the symbolism at the end as the main character discovers his way of integrating his two worlds and coming to peace with his grief.
reviewed Bridge to Terabithia on
This is a great read!!! No matter who you are!!
k-9lover avatar reviewed Bridge to Terabithia on + 9 more book reviews
This a great book. A must read for someone who wants friendship, adventures, comedy, and most importantly imagination.
reviewed Bridge to Terabithia on + 5 more book reviews
A classic must read, what more can I say.
reviewed Bridge to Terabithia on + 2 more book reviews
This book is not just for kids! This is a great book for adults and older kids!
reviewed Bridge to Terabithia on + 58 more book reviews
I read this book in elementary school for the first time, and many times since. It is a fantastic book, and I highly recommend you read it, or give it to your children if they experience the death of a friend. The movie was good, but it didn't quite do justice to the book itself.
reviewed Bridge to Terabithia on + 3 more book reviews
I first read this book about 12 years ago and absolutely fell in love with it. It has remained etched in my memory all these years. I am so glad that they have made it into a movie. Enjoy!
reviewed Bridge to Terabithia on + 23 more book reviews
This is a good book. Jess and Leslie create the magical land Terabithia with their imagination-- then tragedy strikes. I could not put this book down.


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