First published 1996
Jess Aarons spends his entire summer preparing for one moment. He runs every morning, building speed and endurance, dreaming of the day he'll finally beat every boy in his grade. When school starts, he's ready to claim his title as the fastest runner. Then Leslie Burke arrives. She's new, she's a girl, and she crosses into the boys' section to race. Worse yet, she wins. Jess feels humiliated and angry. But Leslie doesn't gloat or tease him. Instead, something unexpected happens between them. They become friends, then best friends. Together, they discover an abandoned area in the woods behind their homes. They transform this wild space into Terabithia, a secret kingdom where they rule as monarchs. In Terabithia, they battle enemies, solve problems, and escape the difficulties of their real lives. Their friendship deepens as they share adventures that exist only in their minds. But the magic they create together makes everything feel possible.
Genres: fiction, adventure, coming-of-age, contemporary
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking, whimsical
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, found-family
Setting: Terabithia, Woods
Period: 20th-century
128 pages · Hardcover · New Windmills