Summary

Bridge to Terabithia is a story about friendship and loss. It takes place primarily in a small rural town called Lark Creek in Virginia, not far from Washington D.C. and its neighboring suburbs. Lark Creek, Virginia is located in the geographical region known as Appalachia which includes the Appalachian Mountains starting from south central New York State and extends to central Alabama. States in this region include parts of New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Alabama. (Paterson, K. Study Guide.)

Bridge to Terabithia takes place approximately in the mid-late 1970s. The 1970s, known as the Decade of Disillusionment, was a result of setbacks from the Vietnam War, The Cold War, Watergate, and the Energy Crisis. At the start of the story, the author, Katherine Paterson, mentions that the Vietnam War was over, but according to the local townspeople, hippies like Miss Edmunds, the elementary/junior high school's music teacher, were still acting like "peaceniks". (Paterson, K. Bridge to Terabithia, 1977).

Jesse Oliver Aarons, the protagonist, is a quiet 10 yr. old boy who likes to draw and run and has been self-training all summer to become the fastest runner in the fifth grade. He is the only boy between two older and two younger sisters and feels overlooked and undervalued by his family with the exception of his younger and six-year old sister, May Belle who looks up to him and supports him in everything he does. Despite this mild annoyance of her worshiping and tagging along after him, Jesse feels closest to May Belle than with his two antagonistic, whiny, and indifferent older sisters, Ellie and Brenda, and his youngest sister, Joyce Ann.

His parents, while loving him deep down as their only son, are too stressed to provide encouragement and affection due to working and keeping their farming business up. Jesse's father, Mr. Aarons commutes to work every day from Lark Creek to Washington D.C. He is more concerned about Jesse excelling at male pursuits such as sports and meeting responsibilities than he is concerned or supportive of Jesse's artistic talent and passion that he considers a feminine trait. His mother, Mrs. Aarons, is also less than encouraging with his artistic pursuits and more concerned with his schoolwork and chores. Although she is aware of Jesse's difficulties in having male friends, she doesn't push the issue.

When school resumes in the fall, his fifth grade teacher, Mrs. Myers sharply recites the class rules. Even though Jesse is basically quiet, she tends to admonish him for minor infractions that the other boys get away with. As a result, he nicknames her, "Monster Mouth Myers." When Leslie Burke moves to town and is brought into Jesse's class by the principal, the rest of the class is stunned by Leslie's unconventional appearance; at least for Lark Creek. Although girls and women during the 1970s and in other parts of the country have started wearing dress slacks or pantsuits to school and work, Lark Creek is a little slow to adopt new trends. "Leslie, on her first day is wearing faded cutoffs, a blue undershirt, and sneakers, but no socks" while Mrs. Myers and her classmates are dressed up more formally. However, in spite of her unconventional attire, Mrs. Myers develops a liking for Leslie, her intelligence, imagination, and confidence. Even after Leslie's death, Mrs. Myers tells Jesse how amazed she was with Leslie as a student and how she will always be grateful for having her as a student.

When it comes time for the footrace at recess, Leslie joins Jesse and the other boys for the run/heat. While Gary Fulcher, Jesse's classmate and rival tells her that no girls are allowed, Jesse, although initially awkward about Leslie's presence and wanting to run with boys, retorts to Gary, "You ain't scared to let a girl race are you, Fulcher?" Gary Fulcher pouts at Jesse and starts the race. Jesse starts to gain speed until Leslie starts to catch up, gain more speed and ultimately wins the race. Although all of the boys are shocked that a girl beat them, Jesse feels resentful since he had practiced all though summer.

After the disappointing race, Jesse happily anticipates his music teacher arriving for music that Friday. Like Leslie, Miss Edmunds has an unconventional air about her. She wears jeans with cutoffs and dangling bracelets on her wrists. She has "black swishy hair", blue eyes and Jesse has a "crush" on her; not only physically, but emotionally as well. She is the only teacher he knows that likes his drawings and thinks he is talented. After their first music class together with Miss Edmunds singing "Free to be ... you and me", Jesse starts to develop a liking for Leslie.

The kids laughing and making fun of her for not having a T.V., feeling flustered and humiliated, Leslie gets on the school bus and walks directly to the back of the bus not knowing that it is the junior high kids' territory. Jesse knowing how territorial Janice Avery is (the eighth grade school bully), walks back to the bus, pulls and practically drags Leslie away to the elementary school section of the bus before Janice could see Leslie sitting in her spot.

As Jesse, May Belle, and Leslie get off the bus at their stop, they are heading for home when Leslie asked Jesse if he wants to do something that afternoon. May Belle also wants to join in, but Jesse and Leslie want to go off on their own. After seeing May Belle disappointed, Leslie offers to give May Belle her paper dolls. Seeing that May Belle is satisfied with the offer, Leslie and Jesse take off behind the old Perkins house where she and her parents are living. They run across the field that separates the farmland from the forest. They come upon a crab apple tree and discover an old rope hanging from it. Leslie gets excited and wants to swing from it. Jesse, while trying to hide his fear, expresses reluctance by telling Leslie that the rope has been there forever and he doesn't trust its durability. Leslie, however, does not let the old rope stop her. With a long stick, she brings the rope towards her, and takes a swing over the creek feeling exhilarated while looking at the sky. When she lands, she hands the rope to Jesse who surprisingly experiences the same exhilaration. When they reach the other side of the creek, they walk further into the woods. At this point, Leslie suggests that they find a place just for themselves that no one would ever have to know about. It would be like a secret country or a magic kingdom that she and Jesse could be the rulers of and where people like Gary Fulcher and Janice Avery could not find or invade. When Jesse asks Leslie what they could call it, she names their kingdom, "Terabithia" which she likens to the land of Narnia in the book series, Chronicles of Narnia that she enjoys reading and also shares with Jesse. They rummage around the woods to find lumber where they could build their fortress. Leslie later brings snack foods and fruit from home that they could store and eat when they hang out together and talk. When "Terabithia" starts to get cold in November. Jesse and Leslie light a fire outside of their "castle" and lay on sleeping bags until Leslie's father notices them missing.

When it becomes too cold to visit "Terabithia", Jesse hangs out with Leslie and her parents, Bill and Judy Burke at their house. They are both writers who have moved with Leslie (their only child), from a wealthy suburb of Washington D.C. to "reassess their value structure" according to Leslie. Bill Burke is a political writer and often commutes to Washington D.C. to work on his book. Leslie's mother, Judy Burke, is a fiction writer who writes from home. While deep down they love their daughter, Leslie, they have a more hands off parenting philosophy when it comes to raising her. In comparison to Jesse's father, Bill is less authoritarian and more liberal thinking in spite of the fact he doesn't like having a television in the house. However, he talks to Leslie like she is his equal than simply his daughter. He is also carefree and accepting towards Jesse and comes to appreciate his artistic talent as much as he appreciates Jesse being a good friend to Leslie. Leslie's mother, Judy also has a carefree attitude toward life. However, many people who have seen the Burkes, become suspicious and think of them as "hippies" than practical hardworking farmers.

While Janice Avery doesn't bother kids from the upper elementary grades as often, Janice and her friends torture children in the primary grades. The last straw for Janice comes when she steals May Belle's Twinkies after, and in spite of Jesse warning Maybelle not to brag about having them around Janice. While they are sitting in Terabithia that afternoon, Leslie expresses her anger to Jesse about the Twinkie incident and wants to get back at Janice for being such a bully.

Since Jesse has been in Lark Creek Elementary School longer, he knows a little more about Janice and the fact that she has a "crush" on an eighth grade boy, Willard Hughes. They brainstorm a plot to humiliate Janice with Jesse writing a fake love letter from Willard Hughes to Janice and sneak it into her classroom desk. On the following day after school, while waiting on the bus, Jesse, Leslie, and May Belle hear the other kids joking around on the bus about Janice and Willard. When they get back to "Terabithia" that afternoon, they discuss their "triumph" over Janice.

As Christmas approaches, Jesse wants to get something nice for Leslie. However, since things are financially tight at his home, he doesn't know how he can get her anything since his father only gives each older child one dollar to spend on each member of the family. Furthermore, his two older sisters, Ellie and especially Brenda, are taunting him about what he wants to buy for his "girl-friend" Leslie. While riding home from school the next day, Jesse is looking out the bus's window when he sees a sign advertising "Free puppies." He asks the bus driver to let him off right there and rushes to get the puppy on display as Leslie's Christmas present. When he presents the puppy to Leslie on Christmas Eve at the castle's stronghold in "Terabithia", Leslie is so delighted that she hugs Jesse. They both agree to name him Prince Terrien and anoint him the "Guardian of Terabithia." Leslie's Christmas gift to Jesse is an exquisite art set including "watercolors with twenty-four tubes of color and three brushes and a pad of heavy art paper."

As spring slowly approaches, Jesse and Leslie continue their frequent travels to Terabithia in spite of the frequent rains in March which start to make the creek between the rural side and the woods of "Terabithia" swell. On one day when the rains are continuously falling, Jesse suggests to Leslie that they leave earlier that day for home. When Leslie asks about coming back for the next two days, Jesse replies (without showing uneasy fear of the rising creek), that he has chores on Saturday and Easter service on Sunday. Although he doesn't disuade Leslie from coming to church for the Easter service when she expresses interest in going, Jesse tells her that she has to wear a dress and that she would not enjoy it anyway since he doesn't enjoy it. As they are returning home from the Easter service, Jesse, May Belle, and Leslie are discussing the service. Although Leslie claims to not believe in Jesus Christ's resurrection, she says that it is beautiful and that she is glad she came. May Belle, who, although only six years old and troubled that Leslie doesn't believe in the resurrection, tells Leslie, "You gotta believe the Bible, Leslie." When Leslie asks Maybelle, "Why?", Maybelle bluntly responds,"Cause if you don't believe the Bible"--God'll damn you to hell when you die."

On the following day, Leslie persuades Jesse with confidence that they can swing across the creek in spite of the rising water. Jesse still feels a sense of uneasiness about it, but doesn't want Leslie to know his fear. They make it over and back safely, but Jess still has a bad feeling about it. Presumably, on the next morning during their Easter break, Jesse's music teacher, Miss Edmunds calls Jesse and invites him on a trip to see the Smithsonian or the National Gallery in Washington D.C. Jesse, excited at the prospect of going to a museum with his favorite teacher, runs in to his parents' bedroom and asks his mother for permission. His mother, half-awake, responds with a "hummm" quietly and Jess tells Miss Edmunds he can go. She picks him up and as they're driving, Jess regrets not asking Miss Edmunds if he could invite Leslie to come along although part of him wants Miss Edmunds to himself for the day. In spite of his mixed feelings, he has a great day at the museum with her.

When Jesse arrives home, his mother runs into his arms with relief that he is home safe, but with grief at Leslie's sudden death. His antagonizing sister, Brenda noticing Jesse's confusion at his family's behavior on seeing him alive, tells him, "Your girl friend's dead, and Momma thought you was dead, too". Jesse, knowing how his family feels about Leslie, becomes angry with disbelief and accuses them of lying about Leslie falling and dying in the creek. He suddenly runs down to the old Perkins house to verify the truth about Leslie. He starts running toward the forest and possibly "Terabithia" unaware that his father is following him. He keeps running through the forest thinking that it will keep Leslie from being dead. His father eventually catches up with him, hugs Jesse close to him, and tries to comfort him in his grief and guilt.

On the following day, along with his parents, Jesse goes over to the Burkes and pays his respects to Bill and Judy. Bill hugs Jesse and tells him how much Leslie loved him and how he believed Jess was a great friend to his daughter. Several days later, Jesse goes back to Terabithia with the lumber that Bill leaves behind before leaving Lark Creek. Jesse realizes that he really wants and needs to keep Leslie alive in his heart and keep the magic of "Terabithia" alive for himself and possibly Maybelle in spite of not initially wanting her to know his and Leslie's secret place. Over the next several days, Jesse puts all his heart and strength into fixing up "Terabithia" and builds a bridge to connect the "real world" to the Kingdom of "Terabithia" on the other side of the creek. Jesse ultimately apologizes to Maybelle for hitting her and invites her to be the new queen of "Terabithia" and where he would remain the king of "Terabithia".