Katherine Paterson - Bridge To Terabithia

Pros: Beautiful story; memorable characters; rich in life lessons

Cons: Final chapters emotionally heavy (though cathartic); you'll want to assess child's readiness for topic

The Bottom Line: ...hadn't Leslie, even in Terabithia, tried to... make him see beyond to a shining world -- huge and terrible and beautiful and very fragile?

Review: Oh how I wish that I had found Katherine Paterson's Bridge to Terabithia in my childhood. The Newbery Award winning book was published in 1977, the summer I was nine. And I really needed this book then. I suppose on the face of it, my ninth ...

Pros: Exposes children to strong emotions. Yes, that's a pro.

Cons: The missteps are minor.

The Bottom Line: A mimetic approach to serious issues, accessible for children.

Review: Katherine Paterson may well be the best living author of realistic children's fiction, but I wouldn't know. I don't often read children's fiction, unless you count the picture books I read with my kids. In fact, I'm the guy who's unimpressed with Harry ...

Pros: Incredibly moving story that is replete in lessons without preaching.

Cons: It is emotionally wrenching.

The Bottom Line: This is a young adult novel that is worth treasuring for an entire lifetime. It is a monument to creativity, tolerance, and growing up.

Review: Dear Saralinda*,

Books written by Katherine Paterson tend to make me a bit nervous. I’ll buy the book, knowing that it will be good, but a little apprehensive about the experience of reading it.

You see, Paterson doesn’t shy away...

Pros: Sensitively deals with hard subject

Cons: Might upset some in the target audience

The Bottom Line: A good book for a family to read and discuss together.

Review: I got this book when I was in Jr. High but never considered reading it because I'd heard it was a sad story. I only read it now to know if I wanted to join friends in seeing the movie version that comes out next month. While I had heard correctly that ...

Pros: gut wrenching good writing

Cons: none

The Bottom Line: If you only read one book this year, make it this one

Review: The books that mean the most to me are always the hardest to write about.

This is one such book.

It's hard to look beyond the intense visceral connection so that I can tell you why this book is so worthwhile, why everyone...

Pros: wonderful story

Cons: very sad

Review: When ten-year-old Jess meets Leslie, the girl who has moved in next door, he isn't exactly thrilled. After all, he's been practicing all summer to be the fastest runner in the fifth grade, and she shows up and immediately beats him in a race. But she...

Pros: Moving story, excellent writing, characters you can relate to

Cons: It's on the top 10 most-often-banned books list?!?!

Review: I feel it only fair to warn you right now that this review is going to give away the ending to this book. If you don't want to know the ending, please do not continue reading. This has been a public service announcement brought to you courtesy of...

Pros: Beautifully written book about acceptance of self and others

Cons: Maybe too emotional for some readers

The Bottom Line: I definitely recommend this book.

Review: Jess Aaron is the middle child of the Aaron family, and its only boy. His two oldest sisters are concerned only with themselves, their make-up, their clothes and their boyfriends. His youngest sister is still a toddler and is a cry baby. Everything sets...

Pros: a great read, will open the floor for many discussions

Cons: none

Review: This story by Katherine Paterson should become a classic. It is a Newbury Award winning story and if you read it you will understand why.

This story is wholesome and pure and truly exemplifies how children classify themselves within school...

Pros: Good lessons in life

Cons: Too short

Review: This is a story of a boy- a boy who is a "diamond in the rough." A heart of an artist trapped in a squalid world. And, a glimpse of a moment in his life, when he sees what it is like to be with like minded people.

Jess lives in a...