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Bridge to Terabithia

Bridge to Terabithia

List Price: $22.00
Your Price: $14.96
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Destined to be a children's classic!
Review: BRIDGE TO TERABITHIA opens after Jess has spent his summer preparing himself for the races he and his classmates run during recess at their rural school. More than anything in the world, Jess wants to win, and he intends to do so. What he doesn't expect is to be outdistanced by a girl, especially one who has just moved in down the road. Yet Leslie doesn't care that she has beaten all the boys in fifth grade, she just wants a friend. Jess realizes that he wants this,also. The two ten year olds become inseparable and create a wonderful fantasy world across the creek called Terabithia. They get there by swinging across the creek on a vine. Here, they can forget the trying real world they leave temporarily behind. This exquisite, lyrical story was written by the author in tribute to a loved one. The story is timeless and endearing, as is demonstrated by its longevity. A book to be loved. A story to be remembered. Once you have read this book, whenever you see the title, it will tug at your heart. If you are an adult who doesn't read children's books, try this one.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Tragic story, 1978 Newbery Medal-winner, will make you cry.
Review: CHARACTERS: Jesse Oliver Aarons, Jr., a ten-year-old boy, middle child in a family of four sisters, whose parents are desperately poor; and Leslie Burke, new girl from the city whose arrival forever changes Jesse's life and the attitudes of the students at Lark Creek Elementary School.

SUMMARY: Young Jesse, who lives in poverty in the countryside in Virgnia, has big plans for the first week of school: he's run hard all summer and is sure he's now the fastest boy in fifth grade. Despite the fact that his dream is shattered by the arrival of a lean, lanky girl named Leslie Burke who moves to his school district from Arlington, Jesse and the newcomer become best friends. She never gloats over the fact that SHE is the fastest kid in the class, and the fact that the two are outcasts at school draws them into friendship.

Together the two find, name, and create a magical kingdom in the woods that they reach by swinging across a creek on a rope tied to a tree limb. Jesse and Leslie keep Terabithia their secret, telling neither family nor schoolmates about the hours of make-believe fun they spend there. They name themselves king and queen of Terabithia and play elaborate games almost every day.

Leslie's parents are attractive, educated professional writers who left their busy lives in the city for the simplicity and quiet of the country. The Burkes begin fixing up an old house close to Jesse's, and Jesse proves himself quite handy with carpentry and electrical repairs. When the weather is unfit for playing in the woods, Jesse and Leslie help Mr. Burke at home.

Jesse has a crush on the beautiful music teacher who was new to the school district the previous year. Fearing ridicule from his family (particulary his father) and classmates, Jesse has shown his artwork only to Miss Edmunds. One rainy day she invites Jesse to accompany her to Washington DC to see the National Gallery. Jesse is awed by the fabulous works of art, and regrets only that he didn't think to ask his teacher if Leslie could come with them.

When he returns from Washington, Jesse learns at a tender age how irrevocably one's life can change in the course of one short day.

IMPRESSIONS: This was required reading for a children's literature course that I took; otherwise, I probably wouldn't have chosen it on my own, judging solely by the title. However, "Bridge to Terabithia" is an excellent book. It's a quick read, but one that will leave you crying for hours--which is exactly what you want from a book sometimes!

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Disappointing
Review: Just a quick review here folks, since there are 546 other people who reviewed it before me... what is the big deal about this book? Why has it endured, why have teachers been assigning it since I was a little kid? There are SO many better written books about friendship and loss, or whatever the "lesson" is supposed to be here. I got to the end of the book and said "that's IT?" You know what it reminded me of was that movie with Macauley Culkin, "My Girl" ... he and Anna Chlumsky have this budding friendship and then, before they've even had a chance to delve into the relationship, he's dead. I expected more from that movie, and much more from this book.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Not the depressing novella I had anticipated
Review: I'm going to record the summary of this book as I read it in the front of the original 1977 original. "The life of a ten-year-old boy in rural Virginia expands when he becomes friends with a newcomer who subsequently meets an untimely death trying to reach their hideaway, Terabithia, during a storm". I was surprised, on reading it, at how an accurate summary of a book's plot can make it seem entirely different than the story itself. I'm also quite glad I didn't read it prior to actually reading the book. Not that I didn't know that the character Leslie (the tomboy that befriends the book's protagonist) was going to die. This book was fairly well known when I was a child of the 1980s and everybody knew, without even reading it, that in it a girl dies. In fact, for years I lay under the mistaken impression that Jesse (the story's hero) carries the body of Leslie back to Terabithia for one last time. There's even an illustration in the book that makes it look as if this scene is taking place. When I read the book for myself, I was shocked to find that this little piece of commonly known lore was, in fact, patently untrue. More importantly, I found that my early perceptions of this novel as a boring and depressing novel were far off the mark.

The book is a good hard slog, but it has its enjoyable moments as well. There are sweet but not overly sentimental points in the story that give the book more meaning than it might otherwise have. I was touched by Jesse's affection for his younger sisters. His older sisters were displayed as demons, but you can't help but notice that when Jesse isn't thinking directly about them, they show some compassion for others. For example, they pool their money with Jesse to buy their younger sister a Barbie for Christmas.

Quite frankly, I liked the book almost against my will. I can't imagine that all kids would enjoy it, but they should at least give it a chance. The late 70s feel of it is particularly interesting, though kids probably won't get some of the older references. This book would pair best with another tale in which a strange kid comes to town and befriends the narrator such as Kate DiCamillo's "The Tiger Rising" or, better yet, David Almond's "Skellig".

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A very moving story on the value of friendship.
Review: Katherine Paterson's BRIDGE TO TERABITHIA won the Newbery Award when I was in grade school. Yet I never read it during my childhood. Recently, I re-read some of my old childhood favorites with more than a few being Newbery Award or Honor winners. These books reminded me how fantastic some children's literature can be. Looking for further reading, I checked Amazon.com's list of Newbery books and I came upon BRIDGE TO TERABITHIA. I was just amazed at the overwhelming number of positive reviews for this book. Needless to say, I had to read it for myself.

The reviews were right. BRIDGE TO TERABITHIA is a terrific and truly moving reading experience. Of course, since so many reviews contained spoilers, the emotional climax wasn't the big surprise it is supposed to be. However, it still packs a powerful, emotional whallop. Through the character of "Jess," the reader experiences joy, sadness, and the realization of how wonderful, however brief, the gift of friendship can truly be. BRIDGE TO TERABITHIA is a fantastic story on the value and joy of life.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: :)
Review: The book was about the relationships characters. There were two main characters. Leslie was a nice girl who moved into the town. She was different that the others students. At first jess didn't even like her. However, later they become good friends. They were going almost everywhere together. They become really good friends.
Leslie and Jess wanted to create a secret place. She found the place in the forest, but to go in that place you have to Cross- River, it was little bit hard. But they went there and call that place Terabithia. They were going almost every day there; they were playing or just sitting. I really liked this book, because it's about secrets, it's interesting to know someone's secret, and keep that in our heart. I feel sorry for Jess, if I be in his situation I would cry and cry ...some part I didn't like in the book, because some words were hard to translate or understand. I would give this book a 6 of 10, because I didn't like the ending.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: good book!
Review: This story begins with Jess trying to become the fastest runner in school. Then life changes when Lesley Burke moves in next door. Lesley is the fastest runner, not Jesse. They become friends anyway. Jesse and Leslie have fun,exciting and scary moments together. This is a good book full of friendship, a little adventure and sadness. The book ends with a horrible tragedy..... I recommend this book because it has many different themes and the characters are interesting. D.E.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Crapfully Crap
Review: Dear Viewer,
If you would like to read a tragic tale on the value of friendship with hateful characters and teachers who should be fired and you also have no need for money and feel like wasting it, no to mention your time (even though the book is really short) this is the book for you. Personally, I ate the paper for fiber.

Sincerely yours,
Me

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A Great Read For All Ages
Review: This story begins at the end of eleven-year-old Jesse Aarons'summer. Jesse had just spent the whole summer preparing for the races at school. Because of his family's financial status, Jesse desperately tries to be better than the rest of his classmates. He strives to be the fasted runner in his class. He then meets Leslie Burke when she moves to their town. However, he didn't expect to be beat by a girl. Leslie did not care about the fact that she was faster than all the boys. Jesse becomes one of the few people who talk to Leslie. Leslie looks different from many of the rest of the girls at school. And for that reason she is constantly teased. Once Jesse and Leslie become friends they face many adversities. Together they build a secret palace in the woods outside their house. They utilize a vine to access their secret palace. Upon returing from a trip, Jesse is confronted with some terrible news. This story is a timeless story of the importance of friendship. It is great for all ages.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: MY TIME WAS WASTED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Review: I was reading this book for a book report, and would have stopped in the middle, but it was for school. One reason I didn't enjoy it was because I felt the characters weren't developed enough. If everyone mentioned in the book jumped of a cliff on the last page, I wouldn't have cared. Also I felt the book didn't have a good plot summary.

If you are looking for a great book to read, I wouldn't recommend this book.I didn't like the book because I didn't like the country type speech that was used through out the book. Another reason I didn't enjoy it was, it was a story of tragedy in people's lives, and with all the real tragedy in the world today I would have rather read something non fiction. I felt the characters didn't connect with me. I thought this book was a huge waste of my time. Although one reason I may not have enjoyed this book was it was under me. I think this book may have been for younger children. All in all I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone.


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