Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson - 128 pages
Jess Aarons' greatest ambition is to be the fastest runner in his grade. He's been practicing all summer and can't wait to see his classmates' faces when he beats them all. But on the first day of school, a new girl boldly crosses over to the boys' side and outruns everyone.
That's not a very promising beginning for a friendship, but Jess and Leslie Burke become inseparable. Together they create Terabithia, a magical kingdom in the woods where the two of them reign as king and queen, and their imaginations set the only limits.
Opinion: This was a good--but sad--short read. I saw the movie when I was younger, but it's been so long I didn't remember any details beyond that Leslie died. The book is comforting--Paterson does a great job of capturing the magic kids create with play pretend.
