Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson

Title: Bridge to Terabithia

Author: Katherine Paterson (American, 1932- )
Originally published: 1977
Page count: 163

Dates read: 3/19/23-3/20/23

2023 book goal progress: 6 out of 23

March Mindful Readers' Family Bookclub 

Read my other book reviews for my 2023 goals HERE.



Description on back of the book:
Jess Aarons' 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 girl boldly crosses over to the boys' side of the playground and outruns everyone.

That's not a very promising beginning for a friendship, but Jess and Leslie Burke become inseparable. Together, she and Jess create Terabithia, a magical kingdom in the woods where the two of them reign as king and queen, and their imaginations set the only limits. Then one morning a terrible tragedy occurs. Only when Jess is able to come to grips with this tragedy does, he finally understand the strength and courage Leslie has given him.

First sentences:
"Ba-room, ba-room, ba-room, baripity, baripity, baripity, baripity - Good. 

His dad had the pickup going."

Favorite quotes:
"Momma would be mad as flies in a fruit jar if they woke her up this time of day."

"This was where he would choose to be - here where the dogwood and redbud played hide and seek between the oaks and evergreens, and the sun flung itself in golden streams through the trees to splash warmly at their feet."

"Everybody gets scared sometimes."

CAWPILE Rating: Overall - 6.7/10 - ⭐⭐⭐/5
Characters      - 7
Atmosphere   - 8
Writing Style - 6
Plot                - 6
Intrigue          - 6
Logic             - 7
Enjoyment     - 7
What is a CAWPILE Rating?

Review:

Overall, this is an OK book. It's very much a children's story (the main characters are in 5th grade) and a different type of read than usual for me, which is why I probably feel that way. It's a cute coming-of-age story with a lot of fun, imaginative play. I enjoyed the Narnia references. It shows a strong female character who's willing to break gender roles/expectations, which I appreciated. There's a chapter where a female teacher takes a male student to a museum just the two of them and that felt super weird and inappropriate. (Maybe that's just something they did in the '70s?) 

Then... wham! Out of nowhere, an unexpected tragedy hits. Did I cry? yes. Strangely, I wish it happened about halfway through, instead of about 3 quarters. I would have liked to see the growth after the tragedy as a bigger part of the story. The ending felt a bit rushed, but it was good overall. I would highly suggest this for elementary and middle school students, but it could probably be passed over by adults for a more 'mature' novel that touches on the same themes, such as overcoming fear.

Book to movie review:

The 2007 movie was WAY better than the book. It was set in the late '90s or early '00s, instead of the '70s. It brought to life the creative imagination that went into making Terabithia, which was great. It still had the odd scene where the teacher took him on a field trip, on a Saturday, by himself - which should've just been left out of the movie. Even though the movie was better then the book, as a movie by itself, it was still pretty meh.

Now I'm off to read another book... but since a review should be more about the author of the book than about the writer of the blog, I will let Katherine Paterson have the last words:

A little reminder of 'the power of YET.' (Google it if you haven't heard of it.)

" 'I just can't get it right,' he said.

She nodded. 'Don't worry,' she said. 'You will someday.'

He believed her because there in the shadowy light of the stronghold, everything seemed possible. Between the two of them, they owned the world, and no enemy, bully at school, his own fears and insufficiencies, nor any of the foes whom Leslie imagined attacking Terabithia, could ever really defeat them."