Bridge to Terabithia – Week 1

Jess has been training all summer. He wants to be the fastest runner in the fifth grade, and he has been working extremely hard to make sure that he can do it. When the first day of school finally rolls around, he is ready and biding his time until recess. But one of the first surprises that came that morning was the new girl in the class. He knows that they recently moved into the old Perkins place next to where he lives.

When recess finally rolls around, he is surprised to see the new girl wanting to run with them. For some reason, that not even he understands, he sticks up for her, insisting that she be able to run with them. After all, he could outrun a girl right!?

But of all the surprises, she outruns EVERYONE!! So much for his dream of being the fastest runner in the fifth grade, a girl beat them all out. Shock and anger register on all the faces of the boys were practiced all summer long, and it was his fault. He let her run.

This week we are reading Chapters 1-3

Questions:

1. Why has Jess gotten up early every morning during summer?

2. When Jess sees the moving truck at the Perkin’s place, he is a little curious, but he doesn’t get his hopes up. Do you think he was surprised to see a young girl living there?

3. Miss Edmond’s seems to take a special interest in Jess’s drawings. Why do you think she does that? Do you think that she sees something in him that he does not see in himself?