Bridge to Terabithia (novel)

When you first see me, I might just look like a quiet book sitting on a shelf. But if you listen closely, you can hear the rustle of my pages whispering secrets. I smell like paper and fresh ink, and I hold a whole world inside me. It’s a world with a forest, a sparkling creek, and a creaky rope swing that leads to a secret kingdom. This kingdom was built by two special friends, a boy who loves to draw everything he sees and a girl who loves to run faster than the wind. Before you even learn their names, you can feel their amazing friendship growing with every page you turn. I am a place for their adventures and their dreams. I am the book, 'Bridge to Terabithia'.

My story came from a place of great love and sadness. My creator is a wonderful author named Katherine Paterson. In the mid-1970s, her own son had a very dear friend he played with all the time. But one day, a very sad accident happened, and his friend was gone forever. Katherine saw how much her son was hurting, and his big feelings of sadness were hard for him to understand. She wanted to help him, so she decided to write a story. She created me, filling my pages with the adventures of two friends named Jess and Leslie. Together, they build an imaginary kingdom in the woods called Terabithia, where they can be king and queen. My story was finished and shared with the whole world on October 21st, 1977. Katherine hoped I could be a friend to other children who had big, sad feelings, too.

After I was shared with the world, many children read my story and felt less alone with their feelings. They understood that it's okay to be sad when you lose someone you love. In 1978, I was given a very special award called the Newbery Medal for being such an important book for kids. Even though parts of my story are sad, I show that imagination is a powerful and magical tool that can help you feel strong. I teach that the love we have for our friends builds a special kind of bridge, one that stays in our hearts forever, even when we can't see them anymore. I am here to remind you that in tough times, you can always create your own Terabithia—a place of courage and wonder right inside your own heart.