A New Season: Meeting Jess, Leslie, and Terabithia

We're kicking off our summer mini season with Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson, and these first four chapters are all about discovery. We meet Jess Aarons, a boy who gets up before dawn to run because he's decided he'll be the fastest kid in school, and who keeps his love of drawing quietly to himself. Then a new girl named Leslie moves in next door and changes everything. We talk about who Jess is before anyone really sees him, why he makes the deliberate choice to let Leslie in, and how the two of them build a secret kingdom in the woods called Terabithia. (There's even a Narnia connection that meant a lot to us.)This week's question: What's your first impression of Jess? Is he someone you'd want to be friends with, and why? Email us at [email protected] or find us on Instagram @ourbookbench.New episodes every week — find the full reading schedule at ourbookbench.com.📚 Join the adventure at ourbookbench.com💌 Email us at [email protected]📷 Follow along on Instagram: @ourbookbench