Chapter 1 and 2

1. What do you think the author telling us about Jess’ relationship with his dad?

2. What do you think is the author’s intention when she provides the reader with Jess’ thoughts on his older sisters, Ellie and Brenda?

3. What is Jess’ big ambition?

4. Explain what happens at the end of chapter one. How do you think it will change Jess’ life? Explain.

5. The author mentions five songs in chapter two. What are they? What do they tell us about the era this novel was written in?

Chapter 3, 4 and 5

1. When Leslie explains that her parents have moved to the country to reassess their value structure, Jess observes. “But you’re the one that’s gotta pay”. What do you think Jess means? Do you aggress with him? Why or why not? In our group, discuss these questions. Can you think of situations from real life that are similar to the one Leslie faces?

2. Leslie says that her parents have moved to the area because they are “reassessing their value structure”. What things in life do you value? Explain why some of your values may change as you get older. Can you think of any values you have now that may never change?

Chapter 6, 7 and 8

1. What were the girls obsessed with at Jess’ house?

2. Explain the sentence, “That night the glow of the afternoon stayed within him”.

3. Describe the scene at Jess’ house on Christmas Day and compare it with the “gift exchange” at Terabithia.

4. Compare the relationship between Leslie and her father and Jess and his father.

Chapter 9, 10 and 11

1. Most people have experienced fear in their lives. Make a list of ten things that you are afraid of placing the things you fear the most at the top of the list. Compare your fears with those of your group mates. Discuss the potential of fear to both help you and hinder you.

2. What thoughts did you have at the end of chapter 9 when Jess is unable to sleep? What experiences of your own did this incident bring to mind. What personal qualities can help overcome a difficult situation? Have you had a time when you had to deal with a difficult problem? What challenges did you have to overcome? What strengths did you call on?

3. Summarize what happens on the “perfect day” described in chapter 10. What makes the day so perfect for Jess? What news does Jess learn when he gets home?

Chapter 12 and 13

1. What is the significance of the phrase “I am now the fastest runner in the fifth grade”?

2. Jess remarks that Leslie took him from the cow pasture to Terabithia and turned him into a king. What does Jess mean by this statement?

3. There are a number of steps involved when grieving a loved one. The first step is denial, the second is anger, and the final is acceptance allowing the individual to move on with their life yet feeling “richer” for having known that person. Identify when these steps occurred with Jess and include evidence and page numbers.

4. By the end of the novel, Jess has changed in important ways and has learned a great deal about himself and others. Write a few paragraphs tracing Jess’s growth and development over the course of the novel. As you write, consider these questions: What lessons does Jess learn? From whom? What strengths does he discover in himself and in others? What new beliefs and values does he develop? Which experiences are especially valuable to him?

5. Terabithia is a place where Jess and Leslie can escape from everyday cared and pressures and indulge in the life of the imagination. Write about the importance of the imagination as a means of escape from the problems and stresses of everyday life. Can dreaming and imagining be productive activities, or are they just a waste of time? Think about Leslie and Jess’s experiences as you write.

Welcome to the Bridge to Terabithia blog!

Bridge to Terabithia – Katherine Paterson

Your mission is to complete the reading of you assigned novel according to an outlined reading schedule. As you read, you may wish to make some notes to help you remember key people and events. You will have a set of assigned questions to respond to on a weekly basis. You are also expected to respond to the answers posted by your group members. It is your responsibility to make sure that you are up to date with your questions and comments.

When you begin your journey you will find several postings to help you get started. They include a summary, information about the author, a short character list, and an excerpt from your novel. Included with each section you will find some “starter questions.” These questions may be answered at any point during your reading. They are designed to help you shape your thinking as you progress through your book. Upon completion of the project all of the questions must have been answered by you. Feel free to respond to your group members answers here as well.

Hopefully, this project will give you a chance to:
- Read and discuss books
- Connect with books
- Take responsibility as readers and construct meaning together
- Debate and challenge one another
- Make drawings and notes that reflect your ideas
- Ask open-ended questions
- Read aloud your favorite passages
- Revisit the text constantly
- Prove points and settle differences by using specific passages
- Think critically!



I will be grading you according to the following criteria:

Student Assignments / Outcomes:
Students will:

i) Independently read a novel that has been selected based on their interest and ability.
ii) Respond to a series of questions about the novel from both their teacher as well as their group mates.
iii) Comment on other students’ understandings / contributions.
iv) Submit original student illustrations or other graphic reactions for the blog community to enjoy.
v) Other responses (e.g. videos, plays, rewrites, etc.).

Summary:

Jess Aarons is an eleven-year-old boy living in a rural area of the South who loves to run. He dreams of being the fastest boy in the fifth grade when school starts up in the fall, feeling that this will for once give him a chance to stand in the spotlight among his five sisters, and might win him the attention of his preoccupied father.

Jess is quite insecure in his identity. He loves to paint and draw, but he knows very well that this labels him a "sissy" in the eyes of most of the world, particularly his father. In addition, his family is very poor and he has little chance to really explore his own identity during this crucial period of adolescence. He has therefore built up the importance of winning in his mind, feeling that here, at least, is something that he is good at which won't win him an undesired label of "sissy" or "girl" in the eyes of his father or schoolmates. He practices each morning, always dreaming of his upcoming victory. However, when the races come around at recess, a new girl, Leslie Burke, crosses to the boys' side of the playground and beats everyone.

A rather unpromising beginning, but Jess and Leslie become fast friends. They build a secret fantasyland across the creek in the woods, called Terabithia. There they forget the rest of the world, such as the kids at school or Jess's less-than-satisfactory family. The time they spend in Terabithia, in fact, seems to strengthen them for these trials of everyday life.

Questions:

1. What is the setting for this novel?
2. Why is the setting important to this story?
3. Whose point of view is the story being told from?
4. What conflicts arise throughout this story? Are the conflicts resolved? Why or why not?
5. If you could change one thing about this novel, what would it be?

Click on the comment link to answer these questions!

About the Author:

Katherine Paterson was born in China in 1932. She was the daughter of Christian missionaries dedicated to educating others about the faith rather than forcing others to believe. This philosophy was doubtless imprinted on Katherine as well, and it is demonstrated in her treatment of faith in Bridge to Terabithia.

The Paterson family left China during World War II, when the Japanese invaded Manchuria, and returned to the U.S. The Paterson family didn't stay in one place for very long throughout this World War II period; instead, they moved to various towns in North Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia, finally settling in Winchester, Virginia—a rural area quite similar to the setting of Bridge to Terabithia. It was in Virginia that Paterson learned English. Although she had always been a voracious reader, this transition to a new language was difficult for her, but the benefits were great.

Questions:
1. Why do you think Paterson would chose to write stories about young people?
2. It is often said that it is easier to write what you know. Do you think that Paterson's life events could have shaped her writing? If so, in what ways?
3. If you were to write a book based on your life experiences so far, what might it be called? Why?

Click on the comment link to answer these questions!

Some Important Characters:

As you read there are some important characters that you should pay close attention to. You may wish to jot down some notes about these characters as you go. These characters include:
· Jess Aarons
· Leslie Burke
· May Belle
· Jess’ Parents
· Leslie’s Parents
· Joyce Ann
· Miss Edmunds
· Janice Avery

Questions:
1. Who is you favorite character? Why?
2. Can you relate to any of the characters? If so, in what way(s)?
3. Who is your least favorite character? Why?
4. We learned earlier in the year that “good” characters experience some sort of change. Name one character and discuss the changes that they undergo throughout the novel.5. In your opinion, who is the protagonist? Who or what is the antagonist?

Click on the comment link to answer these questions!

Excerpt from Bridge to Terabithia:

He screamed something without words and flung the papers and paints into the dirty brown water. He watched them all disappear. Gradually his breath quieted, and his heart slowed from its wild pace. The ground was still muddy from the rains, but he sat down anyway. There was nowhere to go. Nowhere. Ever again. He put his head down on one knee. “That was a damn fool thing to do.” His father sat down on the dirt beside him. “I don't care. I don't care.” He was crying now, crying so hard he could barely breathe. His father pulled Jess over on his lap as if he were Joyce Ann. “There, there,” he said, patting his head. “Shhh…shhh.”

Questions:
1. Explain why you think that this excerpt may be important.
2. Choose another short excerpt that you enjoyed and explain why you enjoyed it. Why do you think it might be important to the overall story?

Click on the comment link to answer these questions!