When you ask most people my age to list their favorite books of childhood, Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson almost always makes that list.  It is a heartwarming and heartbreaking tale of childhood friendship, of loss, and of moving on.  I remember sobbing through it the first time I read it (early elementary sometime?), stoically fighting my tears as I reread it in high school, and then embracing them as I’ve reread it each time since, especially as a mother.

“Bridge to Terabithia takes us by the hand and leads us into a room that we have never entered before. After we read this story, we cannot unknow what we now know. We are devastated, emotionally rent. But still: we feel held, loved, seen. Someone trusted us enough to tell us the truth; and because of that, the room is golden, brimful of light.” – Katherine Paterson

Although the primary theme of the book is friendship, the subthemes of conformity vs individuality, gender roles, family, and education are as relevant in my life now as they were when Katherine Paterson wrote the book back in 1977.  

Growing up, I was a tomboy and was fearless in the face of any physical challenge but I was also insecure and always afraid of making mistakes. Because of this, Leslie Burke was my hero.  Faster than every boy in the school, unconcerned about social mores, strong, brave, and a great friend to boot- who wouldn’t want to be Leslie Burke? 

“Leslie was still dressed in the faded cutoffs and the blue undershirt.  She had sneakers on her feet but no socks.  Surprise swooshed up from the class like steam from a release radiator cap.  They were all sitting there primly dressed in their spring Sunday best.  Even Jess wore his one pair of corduroys and an ironed shirt.

The reaction didn’t seem to bother her.  She stood there in front, her eyes saying, “OK, friends, here I am,” in answer to their openmouthed stares while Mrs. Myers fluttered about trying to figure where to put the extra desk.”

And Leslie was brave.  She stood up to the bossy boys and the bully girls.  She knew who she was and she wasn’t afraid to tell people what was what.

“It is the principle of the things, Jess. That is what you have got to understand. You have to stop people like that. Otherwise they run into tyrants and dictators.” – Leslie Burke

As I watch my daughter navigate her freshman year of high school, I try to offer advice without hovering, try to support her without smothering her, and try to let her live her life without living mine in a constant state of panic thanks to the news and social media.  Parenting my boys is definitely different than parenting her, not better or worse, but that’s not something people warned me about. 

“You never know ahead of time what something’s really going to be like.” – Leslie Burke

This is true about parenting and so many other things in life.

I know that I feel an extraordinary attachment to Leslie because I connected with her so fully the first time I read the book.  I absolutely understand why Jess felt like it was Leslie that created the magic in Terabithia, and that she is what made him special.  She was smart and funny and wasn’t worried about fitting into roles that people created for her.  She taught Jesse that he didn’t necessarily have to conform perfectly to those roles, and she taught him that he could be brave and strong, too. 

“It was Leslie who had taken him from the cow pasture into Terabithia and turned him into a king. He had thought that was it. Wasn’t king the best you could be? Now it occurred to him that perhaps Terabithia was like a castle where you came to be knighted. After you stayed for a while and grew strong you had to move on. For hadn’t Leslie, even in Terabithia, tried to push back the walls of his mind and make him see beyond to the shining world—huge and terrible and beautiful and very fragile? (Handle with care—everything—even the predators.) 

Now it was time for him to move out. She wasn’t there, so he must go for both of them. It was up to him to pay back to the world in beauty and caring what Leslie had loaned him in vision and strength.

As for the terrors ahead—for he did not fool himself that they were all behind him—well, you just have to stand up to your fear and not let it squeeze you white. Right, Leslie?

Right.” – Jesse Aarons

Although I’ve never actually asked myself, “What Would Leslie Do?” when faced with a tough situation, I know that you can’t love a character as much as I love Leslie and not gain some of their strength and wisdom.

Bridge to Terabithia is a book that people love because the story is absolutely wonderful.  The themes are as relevant now as they were when the book was written 40 years ago.  But I love Bridge to Terabithia because it gave me a character that I loved and connected with as a young, timid girl.  She helped me feel brave and made me believe in magic.

“Shh,” he said.  “Look.”

“Where?”

“Can’t you see ‘um?” he whispered. “All the Terabithians standing on tiptoe to see you.”

“Me?”

“Shh, yes.  There’s a rumor going around that the beautiful girl arriving today might be the queen they’ve been waiting for.”