20. Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson

 

20. Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson



Patterson, K. (1972). Bridge to Terabithia. NY: Crown.

This is the story of Jess Aarons.  He is the only boy in the family, with two older sisters and two younger sisters.  They live a simple life on a farm in a rural area near Washington DC.  One day he discovers they have new neighbors. He meets Leslie Burke and his whole life is turned upside down.  Leslie and her family are intellectuals that move from the city.  She and Jess become friends.  She opens up a world of imagination when she has the idea to create Terabithia, their secret kingdom in the woods near their homes.  Jess has a secret love for art.  He loves to draw and paint; but is afraid to admit it to his family or classmates for fear of being made fun of.  One Saturday he is invited by his teacher to visit a real art museum in Washington DC.  His gone before his parents realize he left.  He enjoys a wonderful day with his teacher but comes home to sadness.  It had been raining and the creek they swing over to Terabithia was swift.  He is devastated to find that Leslie fell into the swollen creek and drown. In the end, he decides to build a bridge, over the creek, to Terabithia.

This is a good example of realistic fiction.  Loss is a common issue that young people face.  The loss could be death, or someone close to them leaves.  This story shows you can make it through the loss and become a stronger person.  You could use this book to teach plot conflicts: character vs character and character vs self.  Jess has conflict with almost everyone-his parents, his sisters, the kids at school.  He has inner conflict as well.  He sees art all around and wants to put it on paper, but he is afraid to tell anyone for fear of rejection.  He deals with that conflict all through the story until Leslie’s death helps him evolve and not care what others think. 

I found a website that has a whole unit on the book.  It teaches about realistic fiction, predictions, plot conflict, analyzing relationships, themes, and character evolution.  It’s a highly informative and detailed lesson plan.

https://www.readworks.org/lessons/grade5/bridge-terabithia

 


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