Bridge to Terabithia
By Katherine Paterson
Newberry Medal
I never read Bridge to Terabithia as a child. So, reading it for the first time as an adult was an adventure - I laughed, and I cried. I found the beginning of the novel a slow start. But, once I was introduced to Leslie, I found myself staying up late, dying to turn the pages and discover Leslie's character. I laughed when Leslie became the fastest runner in 5th grade. Boy, how I would have enjoyed being a teacher on the playground that day watching her run circles around those "tough" boys. However, I was most impressed with Leslie's imagination! She truly created a new world for her and Jess to "rule." Although my imagination was not as powerful as Leslie's, I have a very vivid childhood memory of playing "archeologist" in my backyard. For hours, my brother and I would dig in the dirt under our swingset searching for dinosaur bones. We believed that we would one day discover dinosaur fossils, our house would become famous, and our lives rich from our discoveries. I am sure we all have similiar imaginative stories that helped us connect to Leslie. Knowing that Leslie's character was based on a true story only added power to the development of her character, and inevitably the tradegy.
Towards the end of the novel, I shared with my students that I was reading the book and preparing to go to the movies to watch Bridge to Terabithia. All of my students were really excited to hear that their teacher was reading a children's book, and going to watch the movie. Furthermore, my students continued to ask throughout last week if I completed the novel. (Perhaps I need to share the reading I will continue to do for our class so that my students so they can continue to see their teacher as a reader.) In sharing my reading of Bridge with my students, also discovered that one of my Math students had actually read the book herself. I was shocked, but also elated. As I read the final chapters, I began to wonder if the book was something I should have my 3rd graders read. I checked the Literacy room, and found several copies of the book, so I have the resources to use the book in a literature circle. We as educators read aloud and share literature with our students to promote a love of reading, right? I definitely think the book is quality literature and would motivate my students to read....but what about the last two chapters?
The chapter entitled "Stranded" really pulled at my heart strings. My heart went out to Jess for he felt guilt, worry, and alone that Leslie had created a world for him, but then left him in this world, stranded. Paterson did a wonderful job of creating the emotions someone goes through as they grieve over the death of a loved one. Since Bridge is based on a true story, I can't imagine how Paterson or her son dealt with the tradgey. I wondered if Paterson's son had a similiar experience as Jess did in the last chapter- did his younger sister join him as the queen of Terabithia? Did he come to realize as Jess did "how before Leslie came, he had been a nothing?" To look back at an experience, or at a person, and be thankful for the impact it, or he/ she provided on you, is a part of growing up. My mother has always told me "all good things come to an end, just like all bad things." Unfortunately, learning that life is not always fair, and is not always good is a tough lesson, but I think a lesson worthy of teaching our students. Perhaps a lesson that can safely be taught in the forum of literature.
I am anxious to see the movie, compare my mental images I created during the story, and then "report" back to my students about my thoughts on the movie versus the book. In the meantime, I am continuing to ponder about using the novel Bridge to Terabithia as a literature circle book in my classroom.
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4 comments:
This book must have been such a different read for you than it was for me. I spent the whole time thinking back to when I read it as a child. I'm a little jealous!
As a third grade teacher, I started to use this book with some of my above level students. Honestly though, I abandoned it after a few chapters. I was nervous about the language and the content, namely death. Perhaps if I had guided them more carefully, it would have been successful. But, for me it was not a book I completed with my students. I'll be interested to hear how it goes if you do use it.
I wonder if you would need to get parental approval?
I hope that if you do decide to use Bridge in literature circles, you'll write about your student's responses to the story! I read the book when I was in fifth grade, but I can't remember the true experience of reading this as a 10-yr-old. Of course as adults we have our opinions of this book, but all of a sudden I'm very curious about how kids would respond to the end. Would they understand its depth? What would they learn? I just want to know!
Interesting.I also did not get into the book until I got to know Leslie. What a girl! She was everything I wish I was at her age; fearless, confident, out- going. I wonder what it was that drew her to Jesse. Their friendship seems unlikely, it reminded me of Forest Gump's Jenny and Forest (except that Leslie was not a lost soul with the emotional baggage like Jenny).
Kathy,
If you do you bridge in a literature circle with your third grades, I would like to know how it goes. My school district has restricted the reading of Bridge to Terabithia to sixth grade or higher.
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