“Terabithia is our kingdom, and we are the rulers,” said Leslie Burke, referring to her and her best friend, Jesse Aarons.
This book is called “Bridge to Terabithia” by Katherine Paterson. The book is about fifth grader Jesse Aarons and his messy, but empowering, friendship with Leslie Burke. They had become best friends after a grudge that Jesse held when Leslie, who just moved to the town, had beaten him in the “Fastest Kid in the fifth Grade” race.
Upon reading the book, we were impressed and engaged in its intricate plot. We enjoyed reading the book because it really immerses you in the writing after just a few words. The characters are all very in-depth and go through many changes and developments throughout the story. For example, take Jesse. The book describes his everyday life, how he feels about different people, and his emotions and experiences in general. And then we can read and see how his emotions change throughout the book; for example, how he begins to like Leslie Burke, and sees the potential friend in her.
The flow of each chapter always seems to connect together and show just how important each character is to the story. For example, Leslie’s parents didn’t seem very important in the story, but at the end her dad was more of a symbolic figure, reminding Jesse of his days roaming the imaginary land of Terabithia with Leslie.
This story explores several different themes like friendship, a sense of belonging, discovering yourself, and dealing with grief. Jesse has to overcome many trials and tragedies within the book that affects him, and even the reader.
Overall, we would give this book 4.6/5 stars for the unpredictable plot, plot hooks, and the unique personalities and memorable characters. We think that the .4 stars were deducted because of the way the book was written, in a dialect of old-english, which could make readers uninterested when reading the book, while others may personally appreciate how the book was written. We would definitely recommend the book, despite the style of writing, because “Bridge to Terabithia” is a pleasant read for all ages.
