25 Bridge to Terabithia Quotes from the Classic Tale
Published June 24, 2023
Fans of classic children’s literature will enjoy these Bridge to Terabithia Quotes.
Bridge to Terabithia is a novel that Katherine Paterson wrote, illustrated by Donna Diamond, and published by Thomas Y. Crowell Co. in 1977.
The book won the Newbery Medal in 1978 and was inspired by the death of Paterson’s young son’s best friend, Leslie Burke.
The plot of the book follows Jesse “Jess” Aarons, who is ten years old and has trained to be the fastest runner in his school.
However, his new neighbor Leslie Burke is a tomboy that ends up being the fastest runner in their grade.
The two quickly become best friends, and behind their house, they create an imaginary land called Terabithia that they can only access by swinging across the creek behind their homes.
Take a look at these Bridge to Terabithia Quotes to learn more about the award-winning book.
The Best Bridge to Terabithia Quotes
Here are some of the best Bridge to Terabithia quotes!
1. “‘Ain’t ‘cha gonna run?’ she asked.” — Katherine Paterson
2. “You’re the proverbial diamond in the rough.” — Katherine Paterson
3. “Just close your eyes and keep your mind wide open.” — Katherine Paterson
4. “Handle with care – everything – even the predators.” — Katherine Paterson
5. “It’s like the smarter you are, the more things can scare you.” — Katherine Paterson
6. “You never know ahead of time what something’s really going to be like.” — Katherine Paterson
7. “It was a three-dimensional nightmare version of some of his own drawings.” — Katherine Paterson
8. “Drive them out utterly, so they may never return and prey upon our people.” — Katherine Paterson
9. “Parents were what they were; it was not up to you to try to puzzle them out.” — Katherine Paterson
10. “Someday, when he was good enough, he would ask her to write them in a book and let him do all the pictures.” — Katherine Paterson
Bridge to Terabithia Quotes About Jess and Leslie
Fans will enjoy these Bridge to Terabithia quotes about the two main characters.
11. “Leslie called them Judy and Bill, which bothered Jess more than he wanted it to.” — Katherine Paterson
12. “They gave Jesse all of Leslie’s books and her paint set with three pads of real watercolor paper.” — Katherine Paterson
13. “It wasn’t so much that he minded telling Leslie that he was afraid to go; it was that he minded being afraid.” — Katherine Paterson
14. “To be able to be Leslie’s one whole friend in the world as she was his – he couldn’t help being satisfied about that.” — Katherine Paterson
15. “Jess’s feelings about Leslie’s father poked up like a canker sore. You keep biting it, and it gets bigger and worse instead of better.” — Katherine Paterson
16. “Jess followed, still trying to figure out why two grown people and a smart girl like Leslie wanted to leave a comfortable life in the suburbs for a place like this.” — Katherine Paterson
17. “He had promised Leslie that after Christmas he would stay home and fix up the house and plant his garden and listen to music and read books out loud and write only in his spare time.” — Katherine Paterson
More Bridge to Terabithia Quotes
Check out more Bridge to Terabithia quotes.
18. “I’m not gonna let you fall, May Belle. I promise you. ‘” — Katherine Paterson
19. “Sometimes it seemed to him that his life was delicate as a dandelion.” — Katherine Paterson
20. “Everybody gets scared sometimes, May Belle. You don’t have to be ashamed.” — Katherine Paterson
21. “You think it’s so great to die and make everyone cry and carry on. Well, it ain’t.” — Katherine Paterson
22. “For the first time in his life, he got up every morning with something to look forward to.” — Katherine Paterson
23. “‘Thank you,’ he said a moment later. ‘Thank you for being such a wonderful friend to her. ‘“— Katherine Paterson
24. “His father sat down on the dirt beside him…He was crying now, crying so hard he could barely breathe.” — Katherine Paterson
25. “He later thought how peculiar it was that here was probably the biggest thing in his life, and he had shrugged it off as nothing.” — Katherine Paterson
What Happens in the Rest of the Story?
Jess and Leslie continue to become closer and spend most of their time together playing in Terabithia.
Jess gladly accepts an invitation to visit the Smithsonian when invited by his teacher.
However, when he returns, he learns that Leslie had tried to swing across the flooded creek while he was gone, and she had drowned.
Jess has to deal with the loss of Leslie, and he builds a bridge across the creek.
This acclaimed novel was adapted into the Disney movie Bridge to Terabithia in 2007.
Share these Bridge to Terabithia Quotes with your friends and family, and share which quotes stand out most in the comments.
