The Philosophy of Reads 4 Tweens, or The Bridge to Terabithia Problem
I first read The Bridge to Terabithia as an adult. I remember thoroughly enjoying the imaginary world and the complex friendship that Jess and Leslie created. And then Leslie dies—tragically, abruptly, and stupidly. I felt betrayed and angered, and I was in my 20’s. I can only imagine what it would have been like to read that as a kid. Personally, knowing my own children’s rather sensitive natures, I don’t want them to be blind-sided like that. I want to be able to prepare them for such events and to be prepared to discuss the inevitable questions. That’s the goal of this site.
I feel I must be clear that I’m not trying to ban, burn, or otherwise restrict kids’ access to books. However, as parents, it helps a lot when we can make informed decisions about what books to suggest to our children and what we should be prepared for when they’re reading a book we haven’t read. And on a practical level, we simply can’t pre-read everything they read.
To that end, this site is not intended to make judgment calls on “good” books and “bad” books. That’s a decision for you and your child to make. This site is not intended to promote or disparage any book, although all reviewers are human and opinions will often be apparent.
Also, this site will purposefully spoil plots—after all, it’s often that shocking plot twist that parents most need to be prepared for.
