I am currently reading this book with my 5th and 6th graders. It is a wonderful tale with a beautiful message about how friendship can transcend gender (which can lead to the discussion of friendship transcending age, race, etc...). However, I want parents to be aware of the use of the word hell used repeatedly as well as an occasional use of other words not used in common everyday language.
Bridge to Terabithia
(1977, Fiction - Friendship, Written by Katherine Paterson, Illustrated by Donna Diamond)Ratings at a Glance
| 100% | of parents say it has language their kids can't use |
Have you read it? 
Most Recent Reviews
Parent & Educator Reviewers Say | Kid Reviewers Say
- I rate this title on for age 10 and give itMy concerns are:
- Inappropriate language
Pefect for 5th-8th graders
- I rate this title iffy for age 10 and give it
A great book, but caution...
I listened to this book on disk with my kids, 12 and 8, which I felt was fine as I knew many of their friends had seen the movie. It is a wonderful book, with some very good themes -- it was good for the kids to hear about kids who were lucky to get one gift for Christmas, who had serious chores that needed to be done without exception (including Christmas,) and who dealt with bullying and hard times using their own smarts. It even touched on the different sides of religion and, of course, the death of a best friend. My biggest issue with this book (aside from the fact I failed to read the back and therefore didn't realize until half way through that one of the main characters was about to die) was the part about Christmas. My 8-year old was a little confused when the author talked about how the parents couldn't afford to give the kids more than one gift from Santa, and I skipped the next chapter when they started talking about how sad it was that the little girl's hope in a guy in a red suit was "sad". I did some fast talking about how odd it was that the parents were so worried about gifts when Santa brought those with him, then moved on. Most of the other issues can be worked with for any age over 8 or 9, as long as the parent is willing to go through each issue either ahead of time or at that time, but wait until they're past the Christmas issue!
- I rate this title on for age 8 and give it
A must-read book for every 8-12-year-old"
the book is so wonderful
- I rate this title on for age 8 and give it
A must-read book for every 8-12-year-old"
the book is so wounderful
- I rate this title iffy for age 11 and give it
Proceed with caution
My Son was 10 when he read this book. This is the only book he has literally flung across the room! Let me explain. At the end of the book the girl in the story dies and is creamated and they explain what that means a little. The idea of creamation was not something we had ever discussed and it really upset him. I was baffled by his responce he is normally a very strong young man but this actually brought him to tears. He did not understand why anyone would burn the body of someone they said they loved. he was distrought for days before agreeing to read the rest of this book. Please know he did like the book but that one part can be upsetting and confusing and can easily take a child and their parents off guard if they are not fully prepared. Just know the limits of your child and be there for them to talk to if they do become upset. We have to talk about this stuff with our children eventually why not over a good book. Just be prepared!
- I rate this title on for age 8 and give it
A sensitive look at a tough topic.
My 10 year-old son asked me to read this with tears in his eyes after he finished the book. When I finished, I had tears in my eyes too. This is a wonderfully written story about dealing with grief and moving past it. It also looks deeply at dealing with feelings of being an "outsider" and dealing with the social pressures of the pre-teen world, which, though it was written about 30 years ago, have not changed too much. I also liked the way the book handled religious issues, showing a child from a non-religious family in a positive light, while demonstrating the lack of understanding of the younger children about other's differing beliefs. I would like to know what it would have felt like to read the book without knowing about the storyline before hand, but that is not a world that I can visit, since I had checked reviews of the movie to see if my kids could go see it. At the time, the answer was no. Now that my son has read the book, we will probably rent it and watch it together.
- I rate this title on for age 17 and give it
- I rate this title on for age 5 and give it
- I rate this title on for age 11 and give it
This is a book that I will require my nine year old son to read in the next year or two. I want him to understand that not every kid lives the easy life that he does. Being a teacher, I know that many of his classmates deal with much heavier issues on a daily basis than the main characters in the book face. I will use it as a starting point for conversations with him about death, religious tolerance, and family issues. I have taught the book to sixth graders, almost all of whom have appreciated its value and had great empathy for the main characters.
- I rate this title on for age 11 and give it
- I rate this title on for age 11 and give it
- I rate this title on for age 11 and give it
- I rate this title off for age 17 and give it
- I rate this title on for age 11 and give it
- I rate this title off for age 2 and give it
- I rate this title on for age 17 and give it
touching story
This is a wonderful book. The main characters are well developed and sympathetic. Jess is a likable boy with an admirable sense of morality and courage. He and Leslie's friendship and their ability to bring out the best in one another is also admirable. The plot is believable and clips right along. Jess's introspections throughout, but especially at the end, are inspirational. Jess and Leslie are 10-year-olds, so one would assume this book is appropriate for the average 5th grader. It is not. There are several mature themes (an abusive father, implied drug use and an emotionally wrenching death) and much about Jess's life is difficult and unhappy. Jess's insightful coping with the death of his friend and the realizations that accompany it about the adults in his life are hardly the stuff of your typical pre-adolescent and won't be appreciated by most children under the age of 15 or 16. A great book, but not before high school unless it's accompanied with perspective-supplying adult discussion throughout.
- I rate this title on for age 8 and give it
- I rate this title iffy for age 13 and give it
- I rate this title on for age 17 and give it
Parent & Educator Reviewers Say | Kid Reviewers Say
- I rate this title iffy for age 7 and give itMy concerns are:
- Excessive violence
- Inappropriate language
- My highlights are:
- Educational
- Good role models
I love this book i read this last year as my report but there were few bad language's but i think a 4th grade can read it but careful not to use it. I got after school detention at middle for saying a bad word.. so it fun also :)
- I rate this title on for age 11 and give it
i love the book
- I rate this title iffy for age 7 and give it
Quite Boring
dont men to be mean to the author or anything but i read this for a class novel and my whole class and my teacher thought that it was a really boring book that just went on and on.
- I rate this title off for age 11 and give it
ok the book seemed like BLAH-BLAH-BLAH the movie was soooooooooooo much better
- I rate this title on for age 14 and give it
Keep your mind wide open.
- I rate this title on for age 10 and give it
I LOVED the book and movie!!!
OMG!! This is a MUST!! You HAVE to buy this!!! (I don't really recommend this for children under the age 10. It's sort of sad.) :(
- I rate this title on for age 11 and give it
Adverage.
Having seen the film first and knowing whats going to happen. I ruined it for myself. But i still think its a bit basic and the film goes into more depth about it, when really it should be the other way around. But still a good read :)
- I rate this title on for age 2 and give it
- I rate this title on for age 9 and give it
I cried and I laughed!
This was the most best book EVER. I had to read it for school this year and I laughed so hard. But then I cried. This is a MUST read!
- I rate this title on for age 2 and give it
A heart warming book...
This was one of the best books I have ever read. It teaches you about true friendship and how to accept someone for who they are. I was very sad at the end of the book however, it came as a total shock that Leslie had died. I cried, but I am an emotional person when it comes to sad books and movies. Overall, I loved this book, it was so sweet.
- I rate this title iffy for age 2 and give it
Very Boring.
I read this book as required reading in 5th grade. I thought it was pretty boring. The language was bad. Jess is not very normal and imagines him in a very close relationship with his teacher. Not very enjoyable.
- I rate this title on for age 2 and give it
I have not read the whole book, but I like it.
- I rate this title on for age 2 and give it
I really liked it.
I read this book in 5th grade for Battle of the Books.I didn't cry but then I'm not a very emotional person so....
- I rate this title on for age 2 and give it
- I rate this title on for age 2 and give it
This is a sad but funny movie
I love this book and aspecially the movie. After I wached this movie, I became a huge fan of annasophia Robb and Josh Hutcherson. GO Terabithia!!
- I rate this title on for age 2 and give it
This is a story some one like me would enjoy as a 11 yaer old
- I rate this title on for age 2 and give it
best book ever
it deseves 10987089867323453125235 stars
- I rate this title on for age 2 and give it
its a good book i liked it alot sad ending
- I rate this title iffy for age 2 and give it
Very intresting must read book for about ages 9 and up
a young boy named jessies wants to be the fastest runner and practiced running every morning. One day he gets a new neighbor and thinks nothing of it, Until they beat him in the heats the runners a girl! They slowly come together as friends but one day after going with his teacher to an art mueseum, his parents tell him something happened to leslie READ THE BOOK TO FIND WHAT!:) Not good for some one with many emotions! jessie leslie
- I rate this title on for age 2 and give it
A must read book for adventure and sadness
Jess meets someone who he doesn't really like in the beggining. But he is wrong. Jess gets a great friend
- I rate this title off for age 2 and give it
I cried a river at the beggining of the end.
Jesie's little sister being the Qeeun at the end was actaully heart-warming.I was crying tears of joy at the very end ,but Leslie drowning in the stream near Terabithia was to much.So,remembering Leslie's freindship with Jesie made me realize............Leslie will live on forever in the heart's of creative people.As an all the time reader I really think this was the BESTTTTTT book ever written!!!!!!!!!!!
- I rate this title on for age 2 and give it
i cried and laughed
I recomend this book for onely 10+ because it had alot of cursing in it. it was very sad when Leslie died but laughed when jess's lil sis cursed.
- I rate this title on for age 2 and give it
A must read for kids of any age!
This book is a sweet book about friendship as it is tragic. I couldn't put the book down once I got into it. Leslie has many good qualities as she is confident, hard-working and sweet. All of this goes away when she drowns from falling in the river. It is very sad, but very good.
- I rate this title on for age 2 and give it
Good books have good twists. A must read!
A story about a boy and his new friend that make up an imaginay world called Terabithia.
- I rate this title on for age 2 and give it
A FANTASTIC BOOK!!!!!!!!
this book is highly recommended for 10 year olds! Truly touching!
