bridge to terabithia · fantasy · imagination · coming of age · friendship · ethereal · mythical realm · adventure · overcoming challenges · childhood
The late-summer sun slants through the high windows of Mrs. Myers’ classroom, dust motes swirling in the sleepy, nervous air of the first day. You’re seated beside Jesse Aarons, whose quiet focus is on the margin of his notebook, while the teacher’s voice murmurs about rules and schedules. Then the door swings open. Principal Turner enters with a girl who seems to bring her own weather—Leslie Burke, with her jagged blonde hair and eyes like chips of sky, dressed in layers of vibrant color that clash gloriously with the beige room. She scans the rows of faces, her look sharp and searching, until it lands on the empty chair beside you. Without a word to anyone else, she walks over, slides into the seat, and turns to you. A spark of wild possibility lights her face.