"We need a place," she said, "just for us. It would be so secret that we would never tell anyone in the whole world about it." Jess came swinging back and dragged his feet to a stop. She lowered her voice almost to a whisper. "It might be a whole secret country," she continued, "and you and I would be the rulers of it."
Even after rereading Bridge to Terabithia, these lines still warm my heart. It shows the imagination and the child that still exists within Leslie and Jess have. Kids today lack the imagination that Leslie and Jess have. They would rather be inside playing some sort of video game and/or watching television, but Leslie and Jess would rather be in Terabithia, using their imagination and being a kid. This is what I appreciate about Bridge to Terabithia.
I discovered the book when I was eight, almost the same age as Leslie and Jess, who are ten. It wasn't the cover that caught my eye though, it was the big letters on the back. "A SECRET WORLD OF THEIR OWN," was what it read. The next thing I remember doing was signing the book out on my log and being sucked into it. While reading, I remember imagining that I was with Leslie and Jess. Whenever they would fight giants, ogres, or any other creature who wanted to destroy the peace in Terabithia, I was with them fighting. When I was younger, using my imagination was something I used almost always. Pretending to be the princess of my own secret world was something I remember doing very often. It wasn't much of a surprise to find myself being a character in Bridge to Terabithia.
Rereading the book at the age of 13, changed the way I thought about parts of the book. While reading it for the first, I did not look for symbols, think about themes, or use any other techniques that made you think about what the text was really saying, but I have learned since then that you should always think deeply about a book. While rereading I constantly reminded myself to ask questions and to read between the lines. On its surface, the book is about two children, who together create Terabithia. After learning that everything is made up of multiple layers, I began to dig deeper and found something almost as valuable as gold! Terabithia wasn't just the world made up by two best friends, it was the only place where Leslie and Jess could escape the "real world." Both Leslie and Jess, had problems and pressure putting them down. Leslie was the new girl in a school, and was the odd one out just because she was herself, and expressed herself differently. She did not wear "girly" clothes and she hanged out with the guys. The other girls in the school acted like if this was a crime and the result was that Leslie became an outcast. Jess had a similar, but different situation. His father expected him to be this "tough guy," but Jess couldn't fulfill that expectation. He had a passion for art, and didn't dare to tell anyone. His dad had made him believe drawing was not a manly thing to do.
Although much hasn't changed since I was little, I tend not to use my imagination as much. Many people have noticed that while getting older, they lost their power of imagination. They stopped imagining, because they were told to grow up or that they should start being more realistic. After rereading Bridge to Terabithia, I learned that imagining is okay, even if you're 13 like me. You actually strengthen your creativity and it contributes to your success in life. Young or old, Jess and Leslie prove that you are never to old to imagine.
Don't be afraid to enter the magical kingdom of Terabithia. Be free, enjoy the magic, and remember that your imagination sets the limits.
Rereading the book at the age of 13, changed the way I thought about parts of the book. While reading it for the first, I did not look for symbols, think about themes, or use any other techniques that made you think about what the text was really saying, but I have learned since then that you should always think deeply about a book. While rereading I constantly reminded myself to ask questions and to read between the lines. On its surface, the book is about two children, who together create Terabithia. After learning that everything is made up of multiple layers, I began to dig deeper and found something almost as valuable as gold! Terabithia wasn't just the world made up by two best friends, it was the only place where Leslie and Jess could escape the "real world." Both Leslie and Jess, had problems and pressure putting them down. Leslie was the new girl in a school, and was the odd one out just because she was herself, and expressed herself differently. She did not wear "girly" clothes and she hanged out with the guys. The other girls in the school acted like if this was a crime and the result was that Leslie became an outcast. Jess had a similar, but different situation. His father expected him to be this "tough guy," but Jess couldn't fulfill that expectation. He had a passion for art, and didn't dare to tell anyone. His dad had made him believe drawing was not a manly thing to do.
Although much hasn't changed since I was little, I tend not to use my imagination as much. Many people have noticed that while getting older, they lost their power of imagination. They stopped imagining, because they were told to grow up or that they should start being more realistic. After rereading Bridge to Terabithia, I learned that imagining is okay, even if you're 13 like me. You actually strengthen your creativity and it contributes to your success in life. Young or old, Jess and Leslie prove that you are never to old to imagine.
Don't be afraid to enter the magical kingdom of Terabithia. Be free, enjoy the magic, and remember that your imagination sets the limits.
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