Katherine Paterson is the author of the children's classics Jacob Have I Loved and The

Bridge to Terabithia, released this year as a Disney film.

Award-winning children's author Katherine Paterson was inspired to write The Bridge to
Terabithia after her son's childhood friend was struck and killed by lightning. The book
has since become a classic and was ust released as a Disney film.
The no!el tells the story of "ess Aarons, a fifth-grade boy who befriends the new girl in
his rural #irginia town. They create a make-belie!e world of their own and forge a fast
friendship before a tragic end.
Paterson's son, David, gave her permission to publish the book more than 30 years ago.
He was 8 years old. Now a sreenwriter, he adapted his mother's !amed novel !or the big
sreen, a pro"et he says has taken the better part o! #$ years to get right.
%riting the book brought Paterson emotional understanding about terrible events, but
over the years, ritis have wondered whether its themes are too heavy !or hildren.
Paterson says that the books we read in hildhood are a rehearsal !or e&perienes later in
li!e.
'(t's been absolutely miraulous to me over the years that people have not only read the
book but they have loved it,' she says. 'People bring their own lives to the book, their
own images ) that reates it.'
Her hope is that the book allows hildren to use their imaginations not only to esape
reality, but to solve their problems and make sense o! the world.
Excerpt: 'Bridge to Terabithia'
by *atherine Paterson
+hapter ,ne
-esse ,liver .arons, /r.
0a1room, ba1room, ba1room, baripity, baripity, baripity, baripity23ood. His dad had the
pikup going. He ould get up now. -ess slid out o! bed and into his overalls. He didn't
worry about a shirt beause one he began running he would be hot as popping grease
even i! the morning air was hill, or shoes beause the, bottoms o! his !eet were by now
as tough as his worn1out sneakers.
ere you going, -ess4' 5ay 0elle li!ted hersel! up sleepily !rom the double bed where she
and -oye .nn slept.
'6h.' He warned. 7he walls were thin. 5omma would be mad as !lies in a !ruit "ar i! they
woke her up this time o! day.
He patted 5ay 0elle's hair and yanked the twisted sheet up to her small hin. '-ust over
the ow !ield,' he whispered. 5ay 0elle smiled and snuggled down under the1 sheet.
'3onna run4'
'5aybe.'
,! ourse he was going to run. He had gotten up early every day all summer to run. He
!igured i! he worked at itand 8ord, had he worked1he ould be1 the !astest runner in the
!i!th grade when shool opened up. He had to be the !astest1not one o! the !astest or ne&t
to the !astest, but the !astest. 7he very best.
He tiptoed out o! the house. 7he plae was so rattly that it sreehed whenever you put
your !oot down, but -ess had !ound that i! you tiptoed, it gave only a low moan, and he
ould usually get outdoors without waking 5omma or 9llie or 0renda or -oye .nn.
5ay 0elle was another matter. 6he was going on seven, and she worshiped him, whih
was ,* sometimes. %hen you were the only boy smashed between !our sisters, and the
older two had despised you ever sine you stopped letting them dress you up and wheel
you around in their rusty old doll arriage, and the littlest one ried i! you looked at ther
ross1eyed, it was nie to have somebody who worshiped you. 9ven i! it got unhandy
sometimes.
He began to trot aross the yard. His breath, was oming out in little pu!!s2old !or
.ugust. 0ut it was early yet. 0y noontime when his mom would have him out working, it
would be hot enough.
5iss 0essie stared at him sleepily as he limbed aross the srap heap, over the !ene,
and into the ow !ield. '5oo2oo,' she said, looking !or all the world like another 5ay
0elle with her big, brown droopy eyes.
'Hey, 5iss 0essie,' -ess said soothingly. '-ust go on bak to sleep.'
5iss 0essie strolled over to a greenish path1most o! the !ield was brown and dry1and
yanked up a mouth!ul.
'7hat'a girl. -ust eat your break!ast. Don't pay me no mind.'
He always started at the northwest omer o! the !ield, rouhed over like the runners he
had seen on %ide %orld o! 6ports.
'0ang,' he said, and took o!! !lying around the ow !ield. 5iss 0essie strolled toward the
enter, still !ollowing him with her droopy eyes, hewing slowly. 6he didn't look very
smart, even !or a ow, but she was plenty bright enough to get out o! -ess's way.
His straw1olored hair !lapped hard against his !orehead, and his arms and legs !lew out
every whih way. He had never learned to run properly, but he was long1legged !or a ten1
year1old, and no one had more grit than he.
8ark +reek 9lementary was short on everything, espeially athleti e:uipment, so all the
balls went to the upper grades at reess time a!ter lunh. 9ven i! a !i!th grader started out
the period with a ball, it was sure to be in the hands o! a si&th or seventh grader be!ore
the hour was hal! over. 7he older boys always took the dry enter o! the upper !ield !or
their ball games, while the girls laimed the small top setion !or hopsoth and "ump
rope and hanging around talking. 6o the lower1grade boys had started this running thing.
7hey would all line up on the !ar side o! the lower !ield, where it was either muddy or
deep rusty ruts. 9arle %atson who was no good at running, but had, a big mouth, would
yell '0ang;' and they'd rae to a line they'd1 toed aross at the other end.
,ne time last year -esse had won. Not "ust ( the !irst heat but the whole shebang. ,nly
one. 0ut it had put into his mouth a taste !or winning. 9ver sine he'd been in !irst grade
he'd been that 'ra<y little kid that draws all the time.' 0ut one day2.pril the twenty1
seond, a dri<<ly 5onday, it had been1he ran ahead o! them all, the red mud sloohing up
through the holes in the bottom o! his sneakers.
=or the rest o! that day, and until a!ter lunh on the ne&t, he had been 'the !astest kid in1
the third, !ourth, and !i!th grades,' and he only a !ourth grader. ,n 7uesday, %ayne Pettis
had won again as usual. 0ut this year %ayne Pettis would be in the si&th grade. He'd play
!ootball until +hristmas and baseball until -une with the rest o! the big guys. .nybody
had a hane to be the !astest runner and by, 5iss 0essie, this year it was going to be
-esse ,liver .arons, -r.
-ess pumped his arms harder and bent his head !or the distant !ene. He ould hear the
third1grade boys sreaming him on. 7hey would !ollow him around like a ountry1musi
star. .nd 5ay 0elle would pop her buttons. Her brother was the !astest, the best. 7hat
ought to give the rest o! the !irst grade de something to hew their uds on.
9ven his dad would be proud. -ess rounded the orner. He ouldn't keep going :uite so
!ast, but he ontinued running !or a while2it would, build him up.
Excerpt: 'Bridge to Terabithia'
by *atherine Paterson
*atherine Paterson
+hapter ,ne
-esse ,liver .arons, /r.
0a1room, ba1room, ba1room, baripity, baripity, baripity, baripity23ood. His dad had the
pikup going. He ould get up now. -ess slid out o! bed and into his overalls. He didn't
worry about a shirt beause one he began running he would be hot as popping grease
even i! the morning air was hill, or shoes beause the, bottoms o! his !eet were by now
as tough as his worn1out sneakers.
ere you going, -ess4' 5ay 0elle li!ted hersel! up sleepily !rom the double bed where she
and -oye .nn slept.
'6h.' He warned. 7he walls were thin. 5omma would be mad as !lies in a !ruit "ar i! they
woke her up this time o! day.
He patted 5ay 0elle's hair and yanked the twisted sheet up to her small hin. '-ust over
the ow !ield,' he whispered. 5ay 0elle smiled and snuggled down under the1 sheet.
'3onna run4'
'5aybe.'
,! ourse he was going to run. He had gotten up early every day all summer to run. He
!igured i! he worked at itand 8ord, had he worked1he ould be1 the !astest runner in the
!i!th grade when shool opened up. He had to be the !astest1not one o! the !astest or ne&t
to the !astest, but the !astest. 7he very best.
He tiptoed out o! the house. 7he plae was so rattly that it sreehed whenever you put
your !oot down, but -ess had !ound that i! you tiptoed, it gave only a low moan, and he
ould usually get outdoors without waking 5omma or 9llie or 0renda or -oye .nn.
5ay 0elle was another matter. 6he was going on seven, and she worshiped him, whih
was ,* sometimes. %hen you were the only boy smashed between !our sisters, and the
older two had despised you ever sine you stopped letting them dress you up and wheel
you around in their rusty old doll arriage, and the littlest one ried i! you looked at ther
ross1eyed, it was nie to have somebody who worshiped you. 9ven i! it got unhandy
sometimes.
He began to trot aross the yard. His breath, was oming out in little pu!!s2old !or
.ugust. 0ut it was early yet. 0y noontime when his mom would have him out working, it
would be hot enough.
5iss 0essie stared at him sleepily as he limbed aross the srap heap, over the !ene,
and into the ow !ield. '5oo2oo,' she said, looking !or all the world like another 5ay
0elle with her big, brown droopy eyes.
'Hey, 5iss 0essie,' -ess said soothingly. '-ust go on bak to sleep.'
5iss 0essie strolled over to a greenish path1most o! the !ield was brown and dry1and
yanked up a mouth!ul.
'7hat'a girl. -ust eat your break!ast. Don't pay me no mind.'
He always started at the northwest omer o! the !ield, rouhed over like the runners he
had seen on %ide %orld o! 6ports.
'0ang,' he said, and took o!! !lying around the ow !ield. 5iss 0essie strolled toward the
enter, still !ollowing him with her droopy eyes, hewing slowly. 6he didn't look very
smart, even !or a ow, but she was plenty bright enough to get out o! -ess's way.
His straw1olored hair !lapped hard against his !orehead, and his arms and legs !lew out
every whih way. He had never learned to run properly, but he was long1legged !or a ten1
year1old, and no one had more grit than he.
8ark +reek 9lementary was short on everything, espeially athleti e:uipment, so all the
balls went to the upper grades at reess time a!ter lunh. 9ven i! a !i!th grader started out
the period with a ball, it was sure to be in the hands o! a si&th or seventh grader be!ore
the hour was hal! over. 7he older boys always took the dry enter o! the upper !ield !or
their ball games, while the girls laimed the small top setion !or hopsoth and "ump
rope and hanging around talking. 6o the lower1grade boys had started this running thing.
7hey would all line up on the !ar side o! the lower !ield, where it was either muddy or
deep rusty ruts. 9arle %atson who was no good at running, but had, a big mouth, would
yell '0ang;' and they'd rae to a line they'd1 toed aross at the other end.
,ne time last year -esse had won. Not "ust ( the !irst heat but the whole shebang. ,nly
one. 0ut it had put into his mouth a taste !or winning. 9ver sine he'd been in !irst grade
he'd been that 'ra<y little kid that draws all the time.' 0ut one day2.pril the twenty1
seond, a dri<<ly 5onday, it had been1he ran ahead o! them all, the red mud sloohing up
through the holes in the bottom o! his sneakers.
=or the rest o! that day, and until a!ter lunh on the ne&t, he had been 'the !astest kid in1
the third, !ourth, and !i!th grades,' and he only a !ourth grader. ,n 7uesday, %ayne Pettis
had won again as usual. 0ut this year %ayne Pettis would be in the si&th grade. He'd play
!ootball until +hristmas and baseball until -une with the rest o! the big guys. .nybody
had a hane to be the !astest runner and by, 5iss 0essie, this year it was going to be
-esse ,liver .arons, -r.
-ess pumped his arms harder and bent his head !or the distant !ene. He ould hear the
third1grade boys sreaming him on. 7hey would !ollow him around like a ountry1musi
star. .nd 5ay 0elle would pop her buttons. Her brother was the !astest, the best. 7hat
ought to give the rest o! the !irst grade de something to hew their uds on.
9ven his dad would be proud. -ess rounded the orner. He ouldn't keep going :uite so
!ast, but he ontinued running !or a while2it would, build him up.
Bridge to Terabithia copyright 1977 by Katherine Patterson. Used by permission of
HarperCollins Pblishers. !ll rights reser"ed.
Plot Summary for
Bridge to Terabithia (2007) ore at
!"bPro #
advertisement
-esse .arons trained all summer to beome the !astest runner in shool, so he's very upset
when newomer 8eslie 0urke outruns him and everyone else. Despite this and other
di!!erenes, inluding that she's rih, he's poor, and she's a ity girl, he's a ountry boy,
the two beome !ast !riends. 7ogether, they reate 7erabithia, a land o! monsters, trolls,
ogres, and giants and rule as king and :ueen. 7his !riendship helps -ess ope with the
tragedy that makes him reali<e what 8eslie taught him. #ritten by Popdi"aprincess$%%%
. little imagination an sometimes go a long way. 7he story o! young and artistially
talented -esse .arons, who is sharing onerns and money problems with his !amily. He's
having trouble at shool with the bullies and there is a bully like troll who harges the
kids a dollar to go and pee. He is !ighting !or the attention o! his !ather, against his baby
sister. 8i!e !or young -esse isn't looking up, that is until the adventurous, imaginative and
non1on!ormist 8eslie 0urke arrives in town. 7ogether they !orm a bond and -esse's li!e
shall never, again, be the same. .dventures and ama<ement in other worlds enter around
these two kindred spirits, and !or one, !or -esse, li!e isn't so bad a!ter all. (! your mind is
wide enough then let your imagination take you over the 0ridge to 7erabithia. #ritten by
Cinema&'an
-esse '-ess' .arons omes !rom a poor !armer !amily with !our annoying sisters, he !inds
no haven at shool where he's teased by everyone. 7he only thing -ess has is running>
a!ter training all summer !or the big rae on the shool athleti day, he and every other
boy raing are beat by new girl 8eslie 0urke. 8ike -ess, 8eslie is teased by her !ellow
students, but unlike -ess she doesn't let it bother her. .!ter a roky start, they !ind
ommon ground and together reate the imaginary world o! 7erabithia as a haven !rom
their struggles at shool and at home. 8eslie teahes -ess to open his mind to every
possibility and leave reality behind. 0ut, a!ter a tragedy ours, -ess must trust in what
8eslie has taught him to help over ome the horrors that reality an bring. #ritten by
(.).
7he ?th grade -esse .arons trains all summer to win the big rae at shool, only to have
newomer 8eslie 0urke beat him, along with everyone else. Despite all their di!!erenes,
the two :uikly beome !riends and disover a magial kingdom aross the reek. 7hey
name it 7erabithia, where they have many adventures together and show eah other how
to stand up to the bullies at shool. #ritten by soccerchica*$
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Bridge to Terabithia (2007) ore at
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&ar$i$g' Thi% %y$op%i% co$tai$% %poiler%
&ee plot summary for non-spoiler summari'ed description.
#isit our &ynopsis (elp to learn more
&ynopsis)dit(istoryDiscuss
Ten-year-old "ess Aarons *"osh (utcherson+ is an aspiring yet shy elementary school
boy li!ing in a financially-struggling family and ,--year-old .eslie /urke *Anna&ophia
0obb+ is the new girl at "ess' school, ust arri!ing on the school's athletics day. &he
enters a running e!ent which she wins with ease, despite her classmates calling it a
1boys only1 race. "ess is, at first, 2uite sour about this and wants nothing to do with
.eslie, but .eslie's persistence in meeting him soon pays off, and soon the two become
good friends. Their friendship starts when .eslie offers "ess a piece of gum on the bus,
and he accepts. "ess shares his secret lo!e of drawing with .eslie. Together they
!enture into the woods, where they swing across a rope and find an abandoned tree
house on the other side. (ere, the two friends in!ent a new world they call Terabithia,
and it comes to life through their eyes as they e3plore together. "ess and .eslie base the
menacing creatures of Terabithia on the people that gi!e them a hard time at school.
/ack in the 1real1 world, they both plot against bullies at their school, and "ess continues
to deal with his family going through financial problems. .eslie gi!es "ess an une3pected
birthday present, an art kit, and he gi!es .eslie a dog *Prince Terrien+ in return, much to
both of the children's happiness. 4n the ne3t trip to Terabithia later that day, it is noted
that the ri!er beneath the rope has begun to swell.
)arly one morning, "ess' music teacher, %s. )dmunds *5ooey Deschanel+, who has
noticed "ess' artistic interests, calls to in!ite him on a field trip to an art museum. (e
makes an effort to ask his mother's permission6 she is half-asleep and doesn't actually
say anything, but he is so eager to go that he assumes she agreed. (e has an unspoken
crush on the beautiful and personable teacher and does not want to share the trip with
.eslie6 he merely looks at her home as they dri!e by.
7hen he returns, his father *0obert Patrick+ and mother are worried sick, not knowing
where he has been all day. (e hears the horrific news that .eslie has died trying to
swing across the rain-swollen ri!er. The rope snapped and she fell in, drowning after
hitting her head on something, possibly a rock, which knocked her out. "ess suffers
much grief, and he and his parents !isit the /urke family home to 1pay their respects1.
"ess feels o!erwhelming guilt for .eslie's death, thinking that it would not ha!e happened
had he in!ited her along on the trip to the museum. (e is consoled by his father that
their intense friendship should be kept ali!e for her sake. &o, "ess re-imagines Terabithia
and builds a bridge across the ri!er to welcome a new ruler. (e in!ites his sister, %ay
/elle Aarons */ailee %adison+ to be that new ruler, who is delighted after being
pre!iously denied any opportunity to enter the land. &he and "ess bring back Terabithia
in e!en greater splendor6 "ess the king and his sister the princess, and they rule o!er the
free peoples of the kingdom together fore!er.
0ridge 7o 7erabithia
-ess .arons had to be the =astest runner at 8ark +reek 9lementary 6hool, the best, but
when he was hallenged by 8eslie 0urke, a girl, that was "ust the beginning o! a new
season in -ess's li!e. 8eslie and her parents were new omers to the rural ommunity
where -ess 8ived, and were thought to be a bit odd, !or they didn't even own a 7@, though
their house was !illed with books. 6ome1what to -ess's surprise, he and 8eslie beame
!riends, and the worlds o! imagination and learning that she opened to him hanged him
!or ever. (t was 8eslie's idea to reate 7erabithia, their seret *ingdom in the woods
where they reigned supreme. 7here no enemy 1 not their teaher 5onster 5outh 5eyers,
their shoolmates 3ary =ulher and -anie .very, -ess's =our sisters, or even -ess's own
!ears and 8eslie's imaginary !oes 1 ould de!eat them. 7he 8egay that 8eslie !inally
brought to -ess enabled him to ope with the une&peted tragedy that touhed them all.