Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson

Title/Series:   Bridge to Terabithia

Author: Katherine Paterson

Pages: 128 pages

Copyright  Date: 1977

Reading Level: 6^th grade

Interest Level: 4^th – 7^th grade

Summary:  This classic children’s book begins with a fifth grade boy who dreams of winning the school yard races.  He practices so that he will win, but the unexpected life twist of a new girl in the school changes his victory.  As the boy Jess becomes friends with Leslie, the new girl in school, he discovers an imaginary world.  Together Jess and Leslie create a magic world of their own, Terabithia.  Through their friendship they conquer bullies, family issues, and even loss.

Educational: Average– an essay written by Leslie shows the power of words

Content: Good – this book covers the topics of bullying successfully (shows why someone may bully and what a victim can do), the other strong idea in the book is loss (the topic of a child dying could be hard for younger readers – this would be a good discussion starter on death),  imaginary world makes the story exciting for readers

                Caution- This book contains language which may be inappropriate for young readers.  The word hell is used repeatedly throughout the book.  In the beginning of the book, it is used as a swear word.  As the book continues the word hell is used to describe the afterlife.  A discussion on the use of this word may help the child understand why the word is being used so frequently. 

Other words that are inappropriate for younger children such as teats , pervert, and bosomy also appear throughout Bridge to Terabithia.

Message: Good – deals with how to move past a great loss at a young age.