Bridge to Terabithia

Bridge to Terabithia is a book about two fifth-graders who pretend to live in a magical forest kingdom called Terabithia in order to combat how ostracized they both feel. It was written by Katherine Paterson and published in 1977.

The first time I knew anything about this book was a sentence example from an elementary school textbook. I recognized the example about 15 years later when I first read the book. My desire to read the book came after seeing that it was being made into a movie, and wanting to know what it was about first. I bought the book, read the book, and adored it, Then, I watched the 2-hour long special effect movie, and was thoroughly disappointed. Why did they make Leslie, a tomboy, into a manic pixie dream girl? I have since found out that the book was first made into a movie in 1985, but I have yet to see it.

Review

Good

• The book is well-written, exciting, and interesting through the whole story.
• I love the friendship that grows between Jess and Leslie.
• I like how it explains that bullies are often made that way due to things outside their control and should be helped rather than hurt.
• The book hits you hard right in the feels.

Bad

• Leslie's atheism is seen as a punishment worthy of hell by the townsfolk, and in the end, while there is some acquiescence from Jess's father, they don't really change. While this is pretty accurate toward reality, I would have preferred a more happy outcome.

Ugly

• Nothing.

Cover Art

• 

  Hardcover, USA, Crowell. This is the first art used on the book. It's pretty awful. The background looks like a petri dish and Jess (or is it Leslie) looks like an albino.

• 

  Paperback, USA, Avon Camelot. Same god-awful art from the original, only, this time, the kids are caught in a forest fire!

• 

  Hardcover, USA, New Windmills. Kind of terrible. The kids are creepy looking, and it makes the book look like it's about two kids who get a puppy.

• 

  Paperback, Unknown, Puffin. Hideous kids perform a Satanic ritual in the black forest. Nice.

• 

  Unknown, USA, Unknown. Looks like an 1980s release. Art is really good, kids just look bored.

• 

  Hardcover, USA, Unknown. It just looks like Jess is trying to yank down the tree. The art is technically good, it's just a boring scene.

• 

  Mass market, USA, Harper. The strange lighting around the ramshackle fort and gnarled old tree give an air of mystery. A pretty good cover.

• 

  Hardcover, USA, Harper. The soft lines and silhouettes give this art a nice dreamy quality. I like it.

• 

  Paperback, Unknown, Puffin. Looks like two kids playing on a rope swing while the forest burns.

• 

  Paperback, USA, Harper. The 40th anniversary art is wonderful. The watercolor gives it a dreamy feel, and the castle in the background is nice. I like that both kids and the prince are included. My only problem is that the rope is clearly not long enough to cross the ravine.

• 

  Paperback, USA, Puffin. Wonderful ink art, great use of color, illustrates the feel of the story.

• 

  Paperback, USA, Puffin. This release uses a promo picture from the 2007 movie. The blue and orange palette is overused, but it certainly looks interesting. However, Leslie is not supposed to be a manic pixie dream girl.

• 

  Unknown, UK, Puffin. Another Puffin cover with a still from the film. It just looks like a summer camp photo.

• 

  Paperback, UK, Puffin. A crotch-shot of a ten-year-old. Great work Puffin!

Links

• en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bridge_to_Terabithia_(novel) - Wikipedia.