Banned Book Summary In the story, Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson, two children navigate gracefully through the burdens of being the fifth grade outcasts. Jesse Aarons (Jess) has a difficult time fitting in both at school and home. He takes a particular interest in activities which are labeled as “sissy” by his acquaintances at school. In order to prove them wrong, Jess decides to practice running so he can be the fastest boy in the entire school. Once his new neighbor, Leslie Burke, shows up in her faded jeans and sockless shoes, everything changes. Not only do the two become each other’s best friend, they create a mythical kingdom beyond the creek known as Terabithia. With each and every visit to their land, Jess and Leslie’s bond grows stronger. Leslie is able to open Jess’s mind to creativity and imagination by exploring the stories of classic literature. After the best…show more content… Leslie is an impeccable character in novel who demonstrates the value of imagination and creativity to the readers. Jess and Leslie were able to use their imagination to build a world of their own. In this fantasy, they were the rulers and nobody could hurt them. This book also showed the importance of being yourself. Jess finds it is much easier for him to be his true self, rather than being someone who he is not. Resiliency is another significant theme displayed in the novel. When Jess hears that Leslie has died, he feels as if he must revert back to his old self when he was plagued by fear and insecurity. He soon then realizes in order to keep his dear friend’s spirit alive, he must use the tools he gave her. With Leslie’s quirky and whimsical words of wisdom, Jess is able to keep the legacy of Terabithia alive. The Bridge to Terabithia is a harmless children’s fantasy that displays many important values and lessons everybody should learn in
