Book Review: Bridge to Terabithia

Synopsis

The life of a ten-year-old boy in rural Virginia expands when he becomes friends with a newcomer, who subsequently meets an untimely death trying to reach their hideaway, Terabithia, during a storm.

Comments

There is some stereotyping and other content that makes this a bit mature for 9 and 10 year-olds.  A lovely book, however, about friendship and growing up.  Good to read aloud.

Language

Level 1, 2 [?]

Sexual Content

Jess doesn’t want to get caught hanging around the girls bathroom like “some kind of pervert or something”. 7th grade girls described as “huge, bossy, bosomy”.   Jessie gives girls a “look-over”.

Drugs/Alcohol

ALCHOL_DRUG_CONTENT_OR_None

Violence/Disturbing

Terabithia not haunted by ‘Leslie dies when a rope breaks and she falls into a creek.  No first hand account or details of it.  A few lines about laying out her body and reference to her death.

Social/Family

Word use: hippie, peacenik, “dumb cow” (in reference to a girl who is overweight).  “Did you know her father beats her?” “Lots of kids’ father’s beat ‘um.”  Jessie’s father worries that his son only plays with girls, some bullying, including teasing of an overweight girl.

Religion/Spiritual

“You gotta believe in the Bible ’cause if you don’t, God’ll damn you to hell when you die.”