Bridge to Terebithia by Katharine Paterson

Bridge to Terebithia, by Katharine Paterson is one of my all-time favorite books. I first checked it out of my school library in the second grade and have probably read it a dozen times since. So, you can imagine my excitement when I heard that my beloved story was being made into a movie! When the previews came out, however, I was initially extremely disappointed.

From the previews, it looked as though the story had been turned into a Narnia-like fantasy that bore little resemblance to the original. Reluctantly, I went to see the movie anyway. I was pleasantly surprised to find that the previews had been extremely misleading. The movie follows the book very well indeed.

This is the story of ten-year-old Jess Aarons, the only boy and middle child in a family of five children. Jess lives in a poor but loving family, and is something of a misfit at school. The entire school is terrorized by eighth-grader Janice Avery, who bullies anyone who gets in her way. A new girl, Leslie Burke, starts school and is in Jess's class. Leslie immediately becomes a target of ridicule because of her funky clothing and outspoken manner.

The fact that she beats everyone, including all the boys, in a footrace on her first day of school certainly doesn't help either. Jess has mixed emotions when on the bus ride home he realizes that Leslie is his new next door neighbor.

Despite his misgivings and their differing backgrounds, Jess and Leslie quickly become inseparable best friends. They decide they need a place to call their own, away from the likes of Janice Avery and Jess's pesky little sister Maybelle, so they create their own "kingdom" accessed by swinging across the creek on a rope. This is where the fantasy elements from the movie previews come into play. They are all the imaginations of Jess and Leslie come to life.

The movie does follow the story line of the book very closely, possibly because Katharine Paterson's own son helped with writing the screenplay. The actors who portray Jess and Leslie, Josh Hutcherson and Anna Sophia Robb respectively, do a wonderful job. They are the definite screen-stealers and stars of the movie even alongside strong performances by many of the adult veteran actors.

Those who have read the book will appreciate the screenplay's close following of the book. Scenes such as Janice Avery's stealing Maybelle's Twinkies at school are nearly word for word taken straight from the novel. For those of you who have never read the book prepare for a touching, memorable story but be forewarned. Bring Kleenex.