Bridge to Terabithia

By: Katherine Paterson

Narrated by: Robert Sean Leonard

This beloved Newbery Medal-winning novel by best-selling author Katherine Paterson is a modern classic of friendship and loss. This middle grade novel is an excellent choice for tween listeners in grades five to six, especially during homeschooling. It's a fun way to keep your child entertained and engaged while not in the classroom.

Jess Aarons has been practicing all summer so he can be the fastest runner in the fifth grade. And he almost is, until the new girl in school, Leslie Burke, outpaces him. The two become fast friends and spend most days in the woods behind Leslie's house, where they invent an enchanted land called Terabithia. One morning, Leslie goes to Terabithia without Jess and a tragedy occurs. It will take the love of his family and the strength that Leslie has given him for Jess to be able to deal with his grief. Bridge to Terabithia was also named an ALA Notable Children's Book and has become a touchstone of children's literature, as have many of Katherine Paterson's other novels, including The Great Gilly Hopkins and Jacob Have I Loved.

©1974 Katherine Paterson (P)2005 HarperCollins Publishers

Critic reviews

• Newbery Medal, 1978

"Paterson's Newbery-winning novel becomes an entertaining and dramatic audiobook via Leonard's accomplished reading." ( Publishers Weekly)
"This children's classic has been recorded several times, but Robert Sean Leonard has crafted a recording that earns its place among the best." ( AudioFile)

Touching wonderful story for children of all ages,

The narration was very good and the story is wonderful. This story is for you if you have ever lost a friend regardless of you age. the interview with the author at the end of the book is very enlightening.

Love

I love terabithia t is so good but not where the point Leslie died that made me sad but I still like this book more people should read it they would love it to like me

Family, Friendship, & Fantasy

A new girl, Leslie, moves in to the old house down the road. Jesse, a bit of a loner, finds himself weirdly drawn to her. The 2 become the best of friends, building a fantastic world of imagination, Terabithia, in the woods just beyond their homes. Jesse is invited to visit the nearby capitol, Washington, DC, with one of their teachers, <spoiler> only to return home to the terrible news that his best & only friend, Leslie, had an accident on her way to Terabithia, & has died. To deal with the loss, he returns to Terabithia to construct a memorial wreath. In the absence of his best friend, he strikes a new kind of relationship with his younger sister, May Belle, & she seeks to do justice to Leslie's role as queen of Terabithia. </spoiler>
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The book is indeed wonderful, but this is one of the rare instances where I actually prefer the movie. The actors that play Jesse & Leslie, Josh Hutcherson & AnnaSophia Robb respectively, do such a wonderful job at bringing their characters to life. The movie also concentrates a bit more on the wonder & beauty of Terabithia. The book really doesn't dwell much on descibing Terabithia, more on Jesse's & Leslie's lives at home & at school. The movie also gives a bit more insight into why Jesse & Leslie are so drawn to Ms Edmunds, also wonderfully portrayed on screen by Zooey Deschanel. Usually watching a movie makes me want to read the book again, but in this case, reading the book makes me want to watch the movie again.
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Age recommendation: 8 & up (death)
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On a scale of 1-10 stars, I give it 8.

A classic for kids

Amazing, the only drawback would be that I may have grown too old for how it was written. Such a great story with a great message.

Classic story

This was a nice classic story. I did watch the film many years ago before I read the book and from what I remember the film was pretty close to the book. I really liked the friendship between Jesse and Leslie. The writing was pretty amazing too. #Tagsgiving #Sweepstakes #Friendship #tearjerker #Heartwarming #feelgood

A Classic for all Ages

A thoughtful and compassionate account of growing up in a challenging environment, finding an unusual and fulfilling friendship, and struggles of both children and adults to deal with sudden death of a child.

Timeless enjoyment

Read this in my childhood and still enjoyed it as an adult. I am glad I was able to hear it again.

Still a classic

I have enjoyed reading this book at many points in my life, still breaks my heart.

Powerful for young readers

I wish I read this book growing up. Prepares and teaches kids about life. 😭

I loved this book. My rating is five stars ✨.

This book is absolutely great I loved it so much I’m glad I bought it. I cried so much.And I have no words it’s was so good and sad. Also I can not wait to see the movie. I hope it’s almost as good and as detailed as the book. My overall rating is 5stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️