Friday Favorite: Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson

Title: Bridge to Terabithia

Author: Katherine Paterson

Publisher: Harper Collins, 1977

Source: Library

Newbery Winner, 1978

From GoodReads:

Jess Aarons' greatest ambition is to be the fastest runner in his grade. He's been practicing all summer and can't wait to see his classmates' faces when he beats them all. But on the first day of school, a new girl boldly crosses over to the boys' side and outruns everyone.

That's not a very promising beginning for a friendship, but Jess and Leslie Burke become inseparable. Together they create Terabithia, a magical kingdom in the woods where the two of them reign as king and queen, and their imaginations set the only limits.

This may be one of the first books that made me cry. I know that doesn't appear to be a glowing endorsement, but it really is. Bridge to Terabithia broke my heart when I was a little girl, and stayed with me long after I read it for the first time. This is a book about unlikely friendships, worthy struggles and dealing with life after death.

Jesse and Leslie's friendship is unique - and, had the book been written for a slightly older audience, would have definitely become a more obvious romance. Instead, their friendship is sweet and innocent and full of optimism. As the Queen and King of the their own mythical land, Jesse & Leslie use their imaginations to create a world where they can face real struggles and fights. They find a place where they can be everything they want to be, but still maintain their innocence.

It's hard to talk about this book without giving away one huge plot detail. However, since the book is older, I'm going to talk about it (SO STOP HERE IF YOU DON'T WANT TO KNOW THE SPOILER).

It is when Leslie dies in a tragic accident, Jesse must grow up quickly and come to grips with life without his friend. Paterson captures the pain and confusion that goes with losing a childhood friend in tragedy so well. I cried the first time I read Jesse's reaction to the death of his friend. When I read the book again as an adult, I cried again. And when I read it again for this review, knowing it was coming and knowing the story so well, I cried again. You just want to reach out and hold Jesse up when he's not strong. And then you want to give him everything as he builds the bridge that will carry him to Terabithia and the memory of his friend.

Final Thoughts: Beautiful and worth every accolade and award.

Friday Favorite: The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo

Title: The Tale of Despereaux: Being the Story of a Mouse, a Princess, Some Soup, and a Spool of Thread

Author: Kate DiCamillo

Publisher: Candlewick Press, 2001

Source: Own, Beach House Discovery

Newbery Winner: 2004

From GoodReads:

Welcome to the story of Despereaux Tilling, a mouse who is in love with music, stories, and a princess named Pea. It is also the story of a rat called Roscuro, who lives in the darkness and covets a world filled with light. And it is the story of Miggery Sow, a slow-witted serving girl who harbors a simple, impossible wish. These three characters are about to embark on a journey that will lead them down into a horrible dungeon, up into a glittering castle, and, ultimately, into each other's lives. What happens then? As Kate DiCamillo would say: Reader, it is your destiny to find out.

I picked this book up in a book exchange at a rental house. My family went to Costa Rica for Thanksgiving one year (I know! It was awesome!) and the house had a rule - you were welcome to take any book you didn't finish reading, but you had to leave a book in exchange. It was actually a pretty awesome rule. So, I had finished a book (I don't even remember what) and traded it for this little story. It took me all of three or four pages to be completely in love with little Despereaux!

Despereaux has a heart for adventure and more passion in his little heart than most people carry in their entire bodies. This modern-day fairy tale is for the young and the young-at-heart. Beautifully illustrated, The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo is an unexpected delight with a deeply moving message - there is power in the light - and you cannot keep that magic for yourself.

This is a book you may be tempted to read quickly, but I would encourage you to slow down and really enjoy it. Take your time and fall in love with each character and the journey that brings them all together. No matter how small you may feel sometimes, Despereaux is proof that the only size that matters is the size of your heart.

Friday Favorites: The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis

Title: The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe

Author: C. S. Lewis
Publisher: 1950
Source: Own

From GoodReads:

When Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy took their first steps into the world behind the magic wardrobe, little do they realise what adventures are about to unfold. And as the story of Narnia begins to unfold, so to does a classic tale that has enchanted readers of all ages for over half a century.

There are so many things that could be said about The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe. While it is not the first book in C.S. Lewis' epic Narnia anthology, it is probably the best known book of the series. And, for me, it is not only a favorite read, but also a Christmas favorite. As a girl, I wanted nothing more than to run into my own closet and find my way into Narnia. I wanted the mythological world. I wanted Aslan to come fighting for me and leading me into a new world. I wanted to be a part of this story.

There is something so mystical and magical about Narnia. It is a place where the infinate cold of winter has put goodness into a deep slumber. But, no matter how cold it gets, there are still those willing to fight the evil in the name of good. It's really a magical and powerful story. Narnia is a world that all children have found themselves in at one time or another. It is a world of children who can be heroes and what little girl or boy didn't dream of being a prince or princess at some point?!?!?

The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe has long been considered an allegory for Christianity. And, while there are definite religious tones to the book, it is not simply a Christian story. It is the story of all of us - and the longing deep inside us for a place, a purpose and an identity. Narnia, and especially Aslan, remind us that we are all here for a reason. And, the end of the book, where Aslan willingly makes the ultimate sacrifice, bring tears to my eyes every time. To love and be loved like that speaks deeply to my heart and, I believe, to all those looking for their place.

If you've never read this series, please start with The Magician's Nephew, but read this one next. And then read them all. And see if it doesn't change your heart just a little bit in the process.

Final thoughts: Own. Read every year at Christmas or when you're just feeling down!

Friday Favorites: Stargirl

Title: Stargirl
Author: Jerry Spinelli
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers (2000)
Source: Own

From GoodReads
In a moving and highly engaging tale about the vagaries of adolescent peer pressure, Newbery Medal winner Jerry Spinelli tells the story of Stargirl, a high school student who is startlingly different from everyone else. The need to conform -- and unabashed curiosity about those who don't -- are at the heart of this touching tale, which aptly demonstrates the peaks and pitfalls of popularity.

Sixteen-year-old high school student Leo Borlock knows how to fit in at Mica High School. He plays the game like everyone else but is more enthralled than most when a new girl comes to school. Stargirl Caraway is her name, or at least the name she is using for now. And after 15 years of homeschooling, she is decidedly different from even the oddest high school students at Mica High. First there's her unusual name, one in a long line of odd names that she has chosen to go by, ignoring her given name of Susan. Then there's the way she looks, shunning makeup and wearing long granny dresses. But all of that is small potatoes when compared to her behavior, which is as weird and bizarre as any of the students at Mica High have ever seen.

Stargirl is the girl I wish I could have been in high school. She is confident in herself, a little silly and a little unique. She knows that the world can be cruel, but she chooses to see the good in people. She refuses to settle, to play the game or to conform to the standards of her high school. She is the best in all of us.

If you can't tell, I absolutely adore this book. I have read Stargirl at least a dozen times, and find something new to love about it every time. Stargirl is a girl who chooses to live life on her own terms. She chooses to be different, and that difference is what makes her so beautiful to Leo. I love that Jerry Spinelli was able to craft such a unique female character, and give her a voice that stands out in teen literature. Stargirl is an every girl, but totally unique at the same time.

While the book isn't all happiness, there is something redemptive about Stargirl's world. I hate reading the hard parts - the parts where Stargirl is outcast and conforming, but I am so grateful that they don't last. That is the same cycle of life we all go through when we're looking at the world and our place in it. We don't want to be different, but we can't help but be different.

This is a book that girls need to read. We live in a world where conforming is considered right and individuality is so often suppressed. We want to be the good girl, the smart girl, the right girl all the time. And, in doing so, we often squash what is most beautiful about ourselves. We hide the real us for the "approved" us, and in doing so, we lose a little of ourselves.

Final thoughts: Own.

Friday Favorite: The Neverending Story

Title: The Neverending Story

Author: Michael Ende

Publisher: Dutton Juvenile (1997 Edition)

Source: Own

From GoodReads

Shy, awkward Bastian is amazed to discover that he has become a character in the mysterious book he is reading and that he has an important mission to fulfill.

First of all, I was more than a little surprised when the above was all GoodReads had to say about The Neverending Story. There is so much to this book, and that kind of description just doesn't do it justice!

I will admit, I read The Neverending Story the first time because the original movie is one of my favorite films. I so wanted to BE the child-like princess growing up, it wasn't funny (even walking around with a necklace in my hair in order to look more like her). As an adult, I wanted to read the book to see if it was as good as my childhood memories of the movie. And, not surprisingly, the book is so much better.

Bastian is still the main character, but the first movie leaves off just part of the way through the book. Once the child-like princess is named, there is still a lot of story left to tell. I think one of the reasons this book remains a favorite is because it is a story-lovers story. Who hasn't read a book and wished they could be an actual PART of the story? Who hasn't read something they found so captivating that they wanted to call out to the characters and change the course of events?

Reading, for me, has always been an escape from the normal. Reading is a chance to experience places I would never visit and meet people I would never see in real life. Reading is about falling in love and experiencing loss. It's about high adventure and high stakes. It's about finding your way and making a difference. It's about sacrifice and loss. And, The Neverending Story is all of those things and more.

If you love books, and love STORY, you need to read this one at least once in your life. This edition is pretty awesome, too. The text is in different colors depending on if you're reading Bastian's story, the book he's reading, or the ultimate combination of both.

Be a part of The Neverending Story and read it today!

Final thoughts: Worth owning, but definitely a must-read!

Friday Favorites: The Giver by Lois Lowry

Title: The Giver
Author: Lois Lowry
Publisher: Delacorte Books (March 29, 1993)
Source: My Choice

From GoodReads:

Jonas's world is perfect. Everything is under control. There is no war or fear or pain. There are no choices. Every person is assigned a role in the Community. When Jonas turns twelve, he is singled out to receive special training from The Giver. The Giver alone holds the memories of the true pain and pleasure of life. Now, it is time for Jonas to receive the truth. There is no turning back.

The Giver is the book that changed everything for me. I didn't read it until I was a junior in college, but that didn't matter. In just a few pages, Lois Lowry created a world I had never really experienced - a dystopian fantasy in which the common good isn't really all that good. And, with The Giver, Lowry changed the face of young adult literature for me forever.

The Giver showed me that there is value in everything in life. From the best moments to the worst, the experience is what matters. When we try and create a utopian society, all we do is create a world that is destined to cave in on itself. For, no matter how perfectly you think you've created the world, there will always be people like Jonas, people who are different and unwilling to settle for just being part of the world.

Jonas doesn't set out to change his world, but that is exactly what happens. When Jonas first experiences color, I remember experiencing that red in a whole new way, too. When Jonas feels joy at the falling snow, I remember being a child loving those flakes covering the barren earth. And, when Jonas feels pain, I remember losing those I love, scraping my knees and feeling sadness.

Lowry captures in the character of The Keeper the most important part of our humanity; the ability to experience and remember the things that shape our lives. And, in Jonas, she reveals to the reader that it is so important for us to be the Keeper of our own memories - as well as the collective memories of humanity.

The Giver is a book I read at least twice a year. It is a book that, although not long, affect me differently every time. If you haven't read this Newbery winner, pick up a copy today. And, experience life for the first time through Jonas' eyes. I am willing to bet it leaves you changed.

Final Thoughts: Own It. Own several copies. Share the love.

Friday Favorites: The Inheritance Cycle by Christopher Paolini

Eragon (2002), Eldest (2005), Brisingr (2008), Inheritance (2011)

Welcome to the first edition of "Friday Favorites !" Every Friday I will share with you some of my favorite books and why I love to read them over and over again. For this week, I chose not just one book, but the first three books of Christopher Paolini's epic Inheritance Cycle. The final book, Inheritance, was released just this week. If you haven't read this series, I would highly recommend you do so, especially if you love epic fantasy stories.

I first read Eragon because my little brother loved it and I loved to talk about books with him. I immediately fell in love with Eragon the character and Eragon the book. At the time, I didn't know it would be an almost decade-long love affair with Christopher Paolini's world. I latched on to each book and read them quickly, savoring my journey through the darkness and light with Eragon.

In interviews, Paolini has admitted that his epic fantasy draws on some of the greatest stories in the genre, such as The Lord of the Rings. And, you can definitely feel those elements as you read the first three books of The Inheritance Cycle. Eragon and his dragon, Saphira, go on an epic journey to find love, rescue those they love and save their world from total destruction.

It's hard for me to just talk about one of the books as I encourage you to read them. Each book tells a complete part of the story, but to truly understand Eragon's quest, you have to read the first three books together. Like many of the epic stories that have come before, Eragon, Eldest, and Brisingr have a lot to them. There is a lot of story there, and sometimes Paolini gets so lost in the details of the world he has created that, as a reader, I was tempted to skim through the middle sections of the story. Characters were added, new parts of the kingdom were explored and it gets a little hard to keep it all straight. Still, the books are well-written and so completely of Paolini's world that you can't help but love them. Despite the lengthy descriptions in the middle, I was more than a little frustrated when I realized Brisingr wasn't the last book in the series!

If you're looking for an epic story where good battles evil, fantasy rules supreme and dragons still fill the sky, pick up Eragon, the first book in The Inheritance Cycle. As for me, I'm off to buy Inheritance and finish a story years and years in the making. I already know it will live up to my imagination.

~ Emily