Part 1
Ten-year-old Jess Aarons lives on a small, struggling farm in rural Virginia, the only boy among four sisters. All summer he has trained in secret, determined to become the fastest runner in the fifth grade. Jess loves to draw, but his hard-working father and tired mother rarely seem to notice him. Then a new family moves into the old Perkins place next door, and Jess meets Leslie Burke — a clever, fearless girl who wears whatever she likes, has no television, and is about to change Jess’s lonely life completely.
| Focus | What It Means |
|---|---|
| Character | Jess Aarons, his family, and the new girl Leslie |
| Setting | A poor farm in rural Virginia |
| Theme | Loneliness and the wish to belong |
| Chapter | Key Events |
|---|---|
| Ch.1 | Jess trains all summer to be the fastest runner in fifth grade; we meet his family and his love of drawing |
| Ch.2 | A new neighbor, Leslie Burke, moves in next door — clever, confident, and unlike anyone Jess knows |
There are no wrong answers here — just think, guess, and talk:
- Have you ever practiced something in secret — a sport, a song, a skill? Why in secret?
- A new student arrives who is different from everyone. Honestly: what do kids notice first, and how do they react?
- The title promises a bridge. Predict: what two things might this bridge connect?
This is an independent study guide created by Garden Heights Academy to support reading comprehension and literary analysis. It contains original analysis questions and does not reproduce any text from the novel. Bridge to Terabithia is a work by Katherine Paterson. This guide is not affiliated with, authorized by, or endorsed by the author or any associated rights holders. Students should read the original book, available from libraries and booksellers.
Jess loves to draw fantastical animals, but he hides it because his father thinks drawing is ‘not for boys.’ For many people, art is a way to express feelings they cannot put into words and to escape a hard life for a while. Jess’s secret talent is a key part of who he is — and a gift Leslie will help him finally believe in. Jess runs to be noticed and draws because he cannot help it. Art educators find that drawing lets children work through feelings they have no words for yet — exactly what Jess’s secret sketchbook does for a boy who feels unseen in a crowded, struggling family. Character study centers on Jess Aarons, his family, and the new girl Leslie. Notice that nobody in that house ever asks to see the sketchbook; Jess guards it because it holds the one part of himself the family has no room for, which is what makes showing it to Leslie an act of trust.
ⓘ The vocabulary words in this list are selected to help you understand and complete this workbook. Some may not appear verbatim in the original novel.
These chapters set up the friendship at the heart of the book. The narrative reveals how Jess longs to be noticed and how Leslie does not fit the mold of Lark Creek. The episode emphasizes the small details — Jess’s secret running and drawing, Leslie’s lack of a TV — that show why these two outsiders might find each other. Chapter 1 covers Jess trains all summer to be the fastest runner in fifth grade; we meet his family and his love of drawing. Chapter 2 covers A new neighbor, Leslie Burke, moves in next door — clever, confident, and unlike anyone Jess knows. Ten-year-old Jess Aarons lives on a small, struggling farm in rural Virginia, the only boy among four sisters. All summer he has trained in secret, determined to become the fastest runner in the fifth grade.
- Jess meets Leslie Burke, the new girl next door.
- A new family moves into the old Perkins place.
- He notices how different and confident Leslie is.
- Jess trains all summer to become the fastest runner.
- He does farm chores and secretly loves to draw.
Paterson rarely just tells us ‘Jess is sensitive’ or ‘Leslie is brave.’ Instead she shows us through their actions and choices — Jess running in secret, Leslie arriving with no television and her own style. This is called indirect characterization, and it lets readers get to know people the way we do in real life. Geography — 1970s rural Virginia: the Aarons scrape by on a small Virginia farm where money is short and chores come before dreams. Sport — running for respect: Jess trains all summer to be the fastest boy in fifth grade, hoping a win might finally earn him notice — play and sport really are how many children seek status. Jess loves to draw, but his hard-working father and tired mother rarely seem to notice him. Paterson never states that Jess is lonely. She shows a boy running at dawn for a title nobody at home will mention, and leaves the reader to draw the conclusion, which is the whole difference between telling and showing.
Both Jess (a sensitive boy who loves to draw) and Leslie (a girl who does not act like the others) are outsiders who do not quite fit in. The central issue is what makes a person an outsider, and how it feels to be different. Understanding this will show you why their friendship matters so much. Jess’s family scrape a living from a small farm in rural Virginia in the 1970s. Money is tight, so the children do daily chores like milking the cow before school, and new clothes or treats are rare. As the only boy among sisters, Jess is expected to work hard and ‘act like a man.’ Knowing this hard, plain world helps us see why Jess feels lonely — and why Leslie seems so wonderfully different. Poverty here is never a moral lesson, only the weather Jess happens to live inside.
- TOEFLFactual Information — a fact stated directly in the passage
- SATInference — a conclusion the passage supports without ever stating it outright
- SATWords in Context — what a word means the way this passage uses it
- SATRhetorical Purpose — why the author put a particular sentence or paragraph there
- SATCentral Ideas — the main point of the passage as a whole
No animal on Earth can beat a cheetah in a sprint — least of all a human. But stretch the race to many kilometers, and something surprising happens: the human catches up. Our species is built for endurance: long legs, springy tendons, and — our secret weapon — sweat. Most animals cool themselves by panting, and they must stop running to do it. Humans sweat as they move, shedding heat at a run. So the four-legged sprinter overheats and slows, while the two-legged runner keeps a steady pace, kilometer after kilometer, long after the race was supposed to be lost.
Scientists believe our ancestors used this advantage long before bows or nets were invented: they simply followed animals through the midday heat, patiently, until the animals had to stop. The method is called persistence hunting, and it was still practiced within living memory in the Kalahari Desert. Modern runners inherit that ancient gift, and training does the rest. Every steady run teaches the heart to pump more blood and the legs to waste less energy — which is why a determined beginner, training quietly all summer, can astonish everyone by autumn.
This writing task is optional and is not part of your auto-graded score. The feedback below checks only the basics — length, spelling, and grammar — not whether your ideas are right or wrong. It is meant for classroom discussion and creative practice, so feel free to use your imagination!
Writing Task — Part 1 “The New Kid”
Jess’s life changes when a very different new kid moves in next door. Write about meeting someone new who was different from everyone you knew, or imagine a new neighbor arriving. What made them different, and how did it change things? Write at least 40 words.
No right or wrong — close the screen and tell someone nearby what happened in this part. Can’t find anyone? Tell yourself out loud. The moment you teach it, you truly understand it.
Part 1 Complete!
You finished Chapters 1–2 of Bridge to Terabithia.
Here are your auto-graded results:
The best last step is to teach it. In your own words, explain what happened — retell a favorite scene, teach a character’s big choice, or sum up the main idea for a parent, friend, or classmate. When you can teach it clearly, you truly own it.
Independent study guide by Garden Heights Academy. Not affiliated with or endorsed by the author or any rights holders. Contains original analysis only; no text from the novel is reproduced.