Bridge to Terabithia

Rating:
Summary: This book was GREAT, but it was very sad, too.
Review: There was a boy named Jesse Oliver Aarons, Jr., who was 10, whose greatest wish was to be the fastest runner in the 5th grade. He ran every morning for training. Then, a 10 year old girl named Leslie Burke moved next door to Jesse. On the first day she went to Jesse's school, Leslie beat ALL the boys in 5th grade, including Jesse. The two became best friends and made up a secret place named Terabithia. The only way to get to Terabithia was swinging on a rope over a gorge. One day, Leslie was on her way to Terabithia without Jess, and something horrible happened! I think the book is great, and you should read it.

Rating:
Summary: A fan from "Crazy in Alabama"
Review: I read this book for school and it was so magical amd funny but at the same time it was sad. I think it was so sweet how Leslie and Jess become friends. And it was funny when Jess And Leslie teach that girl a lesson. I thought it was sweet when Jess had a crush on his music teacher. It was so sad when leslie dies at the end I even cried!I saw the movie and read the book but the book was a whole lot better!:)

Rating:
Summary: A story of remarkable richness and depth
Review: Katherine, Paterson's Bridges to Terabithia, is about an odd situation that brings two young people together as inseperable friends. With both of their good imaginations, they create their own magical kingdom. This book is a good book for any type of reader. In particular, I would recommend this to young teens because it's a very heart-warming story, about friendship.

Rating:
Summary: Very realistic and beautiful
Review: I loved this book from the first sentence. I could already tell it wouldn't be just another upper-middle-class, white-bread kid's story. Jess Aarons is a very believable character, especially for anyone who grew up under less than ideal conditions. His parents had their problems, but did the best they could. Leslie's magical kingdom reminds me of the kingdoms I used to create with my father. The ideas are beautiful and real. It's true that the sudden ending is jolting, but Jess learns a lesson and reaches out to his sister, May Belle, which is important. The first time I read it I was 10 and fascinated by the swearing, but never offended. Most fifth graders know MUCH worse words than that, whether they use them or not. I'm 20 now and this is still one of my very favorite books.

Rating:
Summary: It was wonderful.
Review: Please don't throw anything, but I love that Paterson is such a fine observer of class and social distinctions. She captured very well the pretensions, the strengths, the fears of both families. I think that this book shows the most realistic picture of grief (a child's grief) that I have ever read. I was stunned by how good this book is.

Rating:
Summary: "A great book for anyone 10 and above!"
Review: I thought the book was good because it actually showed what young people like to do. It didn't simmer away from the fact that kids like to get back at mean people. And the harsh fact that some people don't die from natural causes.

Rating:
Summary: It was a good story and had a realistic plot .
Review: I hope to read a story agin by Kathrerine Paterson.It hasrealistic things that would be devestating in real life.

Rating:
Summary: Moving, wonderful!
Review: I first read this book when I was 8 years old. Then and there I decided it was my favorite book. I still believe that. I reccomend it to readers of all ages. It is wonderful in describing the pain and rage of saddness when someone dies. It is a very realistic book with well-developed characters. I love it!

Rating:
Summary: The story of my life?
Review: I was introduced to this book by a friend of mine when we were 11. We read it out loud to one another. Then, the next summer, a male friend of mine died suddenly. I read the book again that fall and I can honestly say it was the only help I had in grieving my friend. I was surrounded by adults who were grieving themselves and had no way to explain the death of an 11-year-old to his 12-year-old friend. Jessie's reactions, his pain, and his rage mirrored mine. At a time when I felt most abandoned, BtoT was there for me and helped me feel normal again. Fifteen years (the last one in therapy) later, I have come to realize how important this book was and is to me. I think it is the most accurate portrayal of childhood grief that I have ever encountered. I was reminded of it again when I went to a "Banned Books" website. It ranks in the top five for being one of the books most often banned. I was completely caught off guard by this. I cannot believe that people would let "cuss" words get in the way of enjoying an important work. I couldn't remember any (until I read the review that actually COUNTED the "bad" words). I think BtoT is the one thing that kept me from teetering off the edge, not the one pushing me into a foul-mouthed adulthood. Get over it.

Rating:
Summary: Unforgettable, touching and life-changing for an adolescent
Review: I initially read this book about 20 years ago at the age of 10. It was the first story that I had ever come across someone that died. It was the first story that I had ever come across that made me cry. It was the first story that I had ever come across that let me know that boys and girls could be friends, best friends. I am now buying it for my daughters.