Bridge to Terabithia Study Questions
1. Leslie and Jess seem to balance one another out perfectly, blending seamlessly into one
harmonious friendship. What is it that makes these two so compatible?
2. What does their friendship say about each of them, and what does their friendship
specifically say about friendship in general?
3. What is the treatment of gender roles in Bridge to Terabithia?
4. Discuss the portrayal of religion in Bridge to Terabithia. Is it presented in a positive,
negative, or indifferent light? In particular, what does Paterson's take seem to be on
organized religion?
Bridge to Terabithia Essay Topics (Choose one essay topic to write. You can do more than
one for extra credit.)
Discuss the difference between the Burke family and the rest of the families in Lark Creek—
specifically, the Aaronses. Can all the differences between them be traced back to education and
economic comfort, or is there something more? Is there an essential difference between the
Burkes and the Aaronses, or are the differences merely external?
Discuss the theme of fear in the novel. Is Leslie's relative fearlessness a virtue or is it a reckless
lack of caution that ultimately gets her killed? Or is it both? Do you think that utter fearlessness
should be honored as a virtue, or should it be tempered with a healthy sense of danger? Which
character is more admirable in this regard, Jess or Leslie?
What is the role of the family in Bridge to Terabithia? Does Jess and Leslie's friendship suggest
that ties of blood are not as important as those forged by choice between friends? Is there
something in the bonds that a family shares that can't be replicated in a friendship, or does all
affection work the same way on its recipients? Cite examples from the text to support your
answer.
Discuss the figure of Miss Edmunds. What is it about her that appeals to Jess so strongly? Is her
unique appeal tied in to her liberal, "hippie" leanings, or is that simply peripheral? Is what Jess
feels simply knee-jerk infatuation, or does it run deeper than that?
Trace the evolution of Jess's character throughout the novel. Are all the changes in him
attributable to Leslie, or are some of them the inevitable effects of growing up? Is the Jess of the
last chapter noticeably different from the Jess of the first chapter, or are the changes subtler than
that?
The novel's use of profanity has been the ostensible reason for most of the censorship requests.
What does this colloquial feel add to the novel? How would the novel be different if Paterson
had censored her own language, or changed the writing style entirely to something more
descriptive and academic? Do you feel the complaints of those who call for censorship are
justified?
Bridge to Terabithia Quiz
1. What grade is Jess in when the story begins?
(A) Fourth
(B) Fifth
(C) Sixth
(D) Seventh
2. How many siblings does Jess have?
(A) Three; Three sisters
(B) Four; four sisters
(C) Four; three sisters and a brother
(D) Five; three sisters and two brothers
3. When Jess first sees Leslie Burke, what is his initial confusion?
(A) He does not know who she is or where she lives
(B) He does not know if she is addressing him or May Belle
(C) He cannot tell if she is a boy or a girl
(D) He worries that she is a spy hired by Gary Fulcher to scout out Jess's
improvement in running
4. Why does Jess initially react badly to Leslie?
(A) She is a new and therefore strange girl, and she beats him in the races
(B) She does not have a television
(C) She does not dress properly for the first day of school
(D) She tries to kiss him
5. What subject does Miss Edmunds teach?
(A) Science
(B) Art
(C) Music
(D) Arithmetic
6. Who is Janice Avery?
(A) A friend of Leslie's from her old school
(B) A teaching assistant at the school
(C) Jess's girlfriend
(D) The school bully
7. What is the name of Jess and Leslie's teacher at school?
(A) Mrs. Campbell
(B) Mrs. Myers
(C) Mrs. Pierce
(D) Mrs. Flynn
8. Which of the following is not one of Leslie's hobbies or interests?
(A) Running
(B) Reading
(C) Hiking
(D) Scuba Diving
9. Who names Terabithia?
(A) Jess
(B) Leslie
(C) May Belle
(D) Jess and Leslie find the word carved into the trunk of a tree
10. What are Leslie's parents' names?
(A) Bill and Judy
(B) Frank and June
(C) Frank and Judy
(D) Bill and June
11. How many siblings does Leslie have?
(A) None
(B) One
(C) One half-sister from a previous marriage of her father's
(D) Two
12. What do Leslie and Jess do to get back at Janice Avery for stealing May Belle's
Twinkies?
(A) Tease her about being overweight in front of the whole bus
(B) Arrange to have the principal catch her smoking in the girls' room
(C) Write a fake love letter to her from the most attractive boy in the seventh grade
(D) Steal her lunch on the bus
13. What does Leslie get for Jess for Christmas?
(A) A set of The Chronicles of Narnia
(B) A puppy
(C) A TV for his room
(D) A complete paint set and pad of art paper
14. What does Jess get for Leslie for Christmas?
(A) A puppy
(B) He builds a moat around the castle in Terabithia
(C) He steals Ellie's see-through blouse and gives it to her
(D) He makes her a book of his drawings
15. What color does Leslie's father paint the living room?
(A) Blue
(B) Gold
(C) They peel the wallpaper off, sand the walls, and just leave the natural wood
(D) Pink
16. Where in Terabithia is the home of the spirits?
(A) In the castle
(B) In the clearing just on the other side of the creek
(C) In the grove of pine trees, deeper in the woods
(D) In the branches of the trees that arch above the castle
17. How often does Jess's family go to church?
(A) Once a year, at Easter
(B) On Christmas, Ash Wednesday, Palm Sunday, and Easter
(C) Never
(D) Every week
18. What are Jess's sisters' names?
(A) Eileen, Brenda, May Belle, and Joy Anne
(B) Ellie, Brenda, Amy, Mary, and Joyce
(C) Ellie, Brenda, May Belle, and Joyce Ann
(D) Ellie, Brianne, and Jessica
19. How often does Leslie's family go to church?
(A) Occasionally, though infrequently
(B) The Burkes are Jewish, so they attend temple instead
(C) Never
(D) Every week
20. What is the name of Leslie's puppy?
(A) Jester Jerry
(B) Prince William
(C) Jess
(D) Prince Terrien
21. What happens to the Aarons family just before Easter?
(A) Their cow, Miss Bessie, dies
(B) Mr. Aarons loses his job
(C) They lose the mortgage on their house
(D) Ellie gets pregnant
22. Where does Miss Edmunds take Jess on their trip to Washington?
(A) The National Gallery
(B) The Smithsonian
(C) On a tour of the White House
(D) The Vietnam Memorial
23. How does Leslie die?
(A) She runs through her foot with a rusty nail she and Jess had been using to
renovate Terabithia and dies of tetanus
(B) She is attacked by a bobcat in the woods
(C) She drowns in the creek
(D) She falls into an old well on their property
24. What does Jess do after Leslie dies?
(A) He runs away from home and takes Prince Terrien
(B) He burns the castle at Terabithia
(C) He throws the paint set Leslie gave him into the creek
(D) He beats up Gary Fulcher for being mean to Leslie at school
25. After Jess builds the bridge to Terabithia, whom does he establish as his new queen?
(A) May Belle
(B) Janice Avery
(C) Joyce Ann
(D) Miss Edmunds