Bridge to Terabithia

Content Ratings

No Romance

There is no romantic content; the relationship between Jess and Leslie is a deep and tender friendship rather than a romance.

Moderate Themes

The sudden accidental death of a beloved best friend is the emotional core of the novel; Jess's grief, guilt, and devastation are portrayed with remarkable depth for the intended age group, and the story does not soften the reality of loss.

No Violence

There is no violent content; the death that occurs is accidental and happens offstage, revealed only through Jess learning of it secondhand.

Synopsis

Ten-year-old Jess Aarons befriends his new neighbor Leslie Burke, and together they create an imaginary kingdom in the woods called Terabithia, where they reign as king and queen and find refuge from difficult home lives and school challenges. When a sudden tragedy occurs, Jess is left to process the most devastating loss of his young life. A luminous, beloved novel about friendship, imagination, and grief.