Bridge to Terabithia: The Official Movie Companion (Offical Movie Companion) [Paperback]

David Paterson (Author)

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Paperback: 48 pages
• Publisher: HarperFestival; 1 edition (December 26, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061215317
• ISBN-13: 978-0061215315
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 8 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,063,780 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great little book on movie, January 7, 2007

By 

Katie Lynn Powell "Book Worm and Proud of it!" - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Bridge to Terabithia: The Official Movie Companion (Offical Movie Companion) (Paperback)

You want to be on the "in" to knowing about all things Terabithia? Well, be sure to get this book. Make sure you have read the book, "Bridge to Terabithia" as talking about events which take place both in the book and in the movie will spoil what happens if one is already not familiar with the book. The pages are filled with photographs, both of filming and behind the scenes. This book is nicely done and was written by David Paterson, the person who wrote the screenplay of the new movie, who is also Katherine Paterson's (the author of "Bridge to Terabithia") son whom the Newberry winner book was partially dedicated to in addition to another person. My one complaint, if I had a complaint, would be that I wish that this book was longer though it is 47 pages long-which is long for a behind the scenes type of book. I throughly enjoyed the book and I am in my early twenties. My niece who is eight, read the book this afternoon and enjoyed it as well. The back of the book says that it is for ages eight and up which I think is appropriate given the sensitive nature of the book that the movie is based on and the fact that they reference events from the book and movie in this companion book. Excellent for those who are awaiting the movie's release!

4.0 out of 5 stars A nice companion to the movie and the novel., August 8, 2007

By 

Brian Litton - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Bridge to Terabithia: The Official Movie Companion (Offical Movie Companion) (Paperback)

This book was fun to read, and it was interesting to learn how David Paterson himself was the inspiration for Jess in the book. It's not quite as in-depth as I hoped it would be (it's not even very thick), but if you love the movie it's fun to have.

5.0 out of 5 stars short but enjoyable tribute to a very special film, May 5, 2007

By 

MollyRK (Chicago) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bridge to Terabithia: The Official Movie Companion (Offical Movie Companion) (Paperback)

If you have seen the updated version of "Bridge to Terabithia," then you probably know what a rare, landmark film it really is. Geared for children, yet easy for people of all ages to identify with, it is one of those special stories that sticks with you.

The writing of an appropriate screenplay was possibly the most important element of making this a successful transition from the popular children's book, and nobody was more qualified for the job than David Paterson, the son of the author Katharine Paterson (not to mention the inspiration for the Jess Aarons character).

Not many people know just how much anguish this man has gone through with the true-to-life events of the book and movie, but a somewhat stronger image is painted through this book. Though it is short, it is a nice companion to the film and goes behind the scenes from David's point of view. There is some information about Josh Hutcherson and AnnaSophia Robb, two gifted young actors who essentially carried the entire film with their dead-on performances in the lead roles. I truly believe that the movie could not have been made nearly as well without them--particularly Josh Hutcherson, whose obvious connection with this character is evident from beginning to end. You hear about actors who have the gift of communicating a message with their eyes and facial expressions, but this young actor really has it down cold. I give him a lot of credit for what he did with this character.

This book also talks a bit about the film's special effects, the cast and crew, and the inevitable challenges that came with putting the movie together. It was not enough to just get the cast and start filming; it was a deliberate process, and with a story as important as Katharine Paterson's, it needed to be done the right way. With David's well-written script--along with the hard work and talents of everyone involved--they managed to get it just right, and it is one of the rare book-to-film cases that does genuine justice to the original author.

All in all, this is a great book to buy if you are (like me) a huge fan of the movie and would like a little something more. It includes a lot of nice pictures, along with some brief quotes from both the book and movie. Throughout it all, though, the prominent voice is from David Paterson himself, who really is the heart and soul of the entire thing. There's one line of his from this book that says it best: "When people meet me today and learn about the connection between my life and Bridge to Terabithia, many times their response is 'Wow. You're the original Jess. That's cool.' They mean it in a positive way, but it's like seeing a scar on somebody and remarking that the scar looks cool. They don't understand the pain that caused it."

Indeed, David's story is bittersweet, and this book is one way to get a little more insight on what this man went through when he lost his own "Leslie Burke"--his best friend. Nothing hits home quite like a film that reflects a true story, and through the tragedy of it all, this memorable story was able to be written. A lot of people have come to know Terabithia and be inspired by its message, and when you think about how beautiful that is, it truly starts to make sense when David Paterson says that "some gifts come in two forms."

I highly recommend this item, as well as the book and movie that made it possible in the first place. Terrific job to Katharine and David Paterson for bringing the story to life, and may it continue to touch people's lives for years to come.