Bridge to Terabithia
Katherine Paterson (1977)
“A book about magic and childhood that becomes something else entirely — and never lets you go.”
At a Glance
Fifth-grader Jess Aarons lives on a rural Virginia farm, desperate to become the fastest runner in his grade. His plans are upended by a new neighbor, Leslie Burke — a girl who beats every boy in the race, drags Jess into an imaginary kingdom in the woods called Terabithia, and transforms his world entirely. When Leslie dies in a sudden accident, Jess is left to mourn, survive, and eventually carry the kingdom forward.
Read full summary →Why This Book Matters
Won the Newbery Medal in 1978 and has never gone out of print. One of the best-selling children's novels in American publishing history — over 10 million copies. Regularly lands on both 'best children's books ever written' and 'most banned books' lists, sometimes in the same year. Paterson wrote the book in 1977 because her son's friend died; she had no idea she was writing an American classic.
Diction Profile
Deliberately plain and colloquial — rural Virginia vernacular in dialogue, close-third narration that stays level with a ten-year-old's consciousness
Low to moderate