Bridge to Terabithia

Author: Katherine Paterson

Title: Bridge to Terabithia

Illustrator: Donna Diamond

Genre: Classic, Realistic Fiction, Chapter Book

Subgenre: Friendship, Imagination, Grief

Theme: Friendship, Imagination

Primary and Secondary Characters: Jesse Aaron, Leslie Burke, Jesse’s four sisters: Joyce Ann, May Belle, Ellie, and Brenda Aarons, Janice Avery, Miss Edmunds, Prince Terrien, Mrs. Myers, Leslie’s Parents, Jesse’s Parents

Awards: Janusz Korczak Medal (Poland), Silver Pencil Award (Netherlands), Newbery Medal, ALA Notable Children's Books,School Library Journal Best Book, Lewis Carroll Shelf Award,Le Grand Prix des Jeunes Lecturs (France), Colorado Blue Spruce Young Adult Book Award

Publishing Company: Harper Collins

Date of Publication: 1977

Brief Summary and How to Use With Students:

            This classic story is set in the rural countryside of Virginia. Every morning Jesse Aarons wakes and quietly creeps outside. The cool morning air feels his lungs and the cool dew of the grass feels good to his callused feet. Once he is across the yard and near the cow pasture he takes off. Jesse Aarons has trained all summer to be the fastest kid in his grade and this year he knows he has what it takes.

His confidence, along with all the other boys in school, is shot when the new girl Leslie Burke moves to town. She lives next door to Jesse and they soon develop a friendship that leaves them inseparable. Jesse and Leslie create a magical kingdom known as Terabithia that together they rule.  One day, while Jesse accompanies his music teacher Miss Edmund on a trip, Leslie decides to travel into Terabithia alone. Jesse returns to hear that the unthinkable has happened, Leslie has passed away. Jesse must now learn to overcome his grief by finding the strength and courage that Leslie’s friendship had given him.

This book is directed towards an older audience of students of fifth grade. Language Arts teachers can make this literary classic a fun class read by bringing in snacks like the ones Jesse and Leslie ate at their secret spot. This can include dried fruit, crackers, and peanut butter.

Ask discussion questions such as: Why is running so important to Jess? Jess’s mother appears to treat him differently than she treats his four sisters. How does that make Jess feel about himself? About his sisters? How does Miss Edmunds respond to Jess’s art? Why is that important to him? What did Leslie’s friendship teach Jess? Student's can also learn how to identify the plot of a story and how to do a proper character analysis.

Sample worksheet to use with students to help them understand how word choice is important. They can also learn how to use strong verbs in their writing to help make writing more interesting!

Bridge to Terabithia

Chapter Four

Name: ______________________________________ 
Date: _________________

Word Choice

Author’s choices of words work to enhance style, tone, or clarity in writing.

Katherine Paterson uses many strong verbs to paint a picture in the mind of the reader. Through the use of strong, vivid verbs, the reader is able to gain a better understanding of a character or a situation. Read the following sentences from chapter four and underline the strong verbs. Then on the line below the sentence, tell what the verb allows you to understand / see better.

1. Jess shoved his hair off his red forehead.

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2. Now as he sat on the rug in the teachers’ room the same warm feeling swept through him at

the sound of her voice.

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3. Even her ordinary speaking voice bubbled from inside her, rich and melodic.

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4. She plunked herself down beside him on the bus and squeezed over closer to him to make

room for May Belle on the same seat.

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5. But she had wheeled around again, and was zooming down the hall.

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6. Jess slunk out of the building.

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Find another sentence containing a strong verb in this chapter.

Page number: __________

Sentence: __________________________________________________________________

How does this verb make the sentence more vivid?

__________________________________________________________________

Now, you try it. Rewrite the following sentence and choose a verb that adds more detail for

the reader.

She went down the sidewalk.
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