Spring 2019, Wild Readers 5 discussion

Bridge to Terabithia is a young adult book that fits into many genres. I chose to read this book because 8 years ago my then teenage daughter thought I would enjoy it. She was 14 when she gave it to me. She is now 22. This book sat on my bookcase for 8 years before I finally picked it up. The plot is realistic, even if it is fiction. Many of the events written in the book could happen on any playground, elementary school, or home anywhere in America, at any time of the year. This is what makes it realistic.
The two main characters, Jess Aarons and Leslie Burke became the best of friends and created an imaginary world in the woods. The name of this imaginary world is called Terabithia. It was difficult to contemplate these two fifth graders could come up with a more elaborate detailed magical land than Terabithia, much like the magical land of Narnia. Jess learned that a creative imagination is nothing to be wasted. They both learned how to value good friends, determination is a close cousin to perseverance, and that it is easy to care for someone who is like us. Leslie died in this book, trying to cross a very swollen creek to get to her Terabithia. In the Disney movie Leslie's death was very hard for Jess to deal with. He lost a best friend. Death of any person is hard to accept, but for a fifth grade boy who lost his best friend death is an unaccepted blow. Leslie " Tried to push back the walls of his ( Jess's) mind and make him (Jess) see beyond to the shining world." (160). Jess Aarons became a king in Terabithia. What could be better than having a great friend and being a king in a magical land?
I loved this book because it was realistic enough for anyone to believe, fiction enough to foster a creative imagination, and it discusses topics that EVERY child in America has had to deal with, hear about, or have seen in their daily life. Paterson is a unique writer of childrens and young adult books who gets in the mind of our youth to understand and write about topics that will interest them. I can see why this book was chosen as a Newbery Honor book.