All summer, Jess strove to be the fastest kid in the fifth grade, and when the first schoolyard race of the year was held, he was going to win. But her victory was stolen by a newcomer, by a girl, who didn’t even know enough to stay on the girls’ side of the playground. Then unexpectedly, Jess finds herself defending Leslie, the girl who breaks the rules and wins races. The friendship between the two grows as Jess guides the city girl through the pitfalls of life in their small rural town, and Leslie draws him into the world of imagination, the world of magic and ceremony called Terabithia. Here, Leslie and Jess reign among the oaks and evergreens, safe from the bullies and taunts of the mundane world. Safe until an unforeseen tragedy forces Jess to rule Terabithia alone, and both worlds are changed forever. In this moving, beautifully rendered novel, Katherine Paterson weaves a powerful story of friendship and courage. Winner, 1978 Newbery Medal Notable Children’s Books 1976-1980 ALA Best Books 1977 SLJ 1978 Lewis Carroll Shelf Award Children’s Books 1977 Library of Congress Le Grand Prix des Jeunes Lecteurs 1986 France 1981 Janusz Korczak Medal Poland 1986 Colorado Blue Spruce Young Adult Book Grant