What does it mean to “lose and gain”? The book Bridge to Terabithia (《仙境之桥》) may give you new answers. It is written by US author Katherine Paterson.

It tells the story of two children, Jesse Aarons and Leslie Burke. Jesse is a lonely (孤独的) boy while Leslie is an outgoing girl. They meet each other in the playground. Jesse wants to be the fastest runner in fifth grade. He keeps running all summer. But on the first day of school, Leslie runs faster than him. Later, they become best friends.

Together, they make a magical kingdom (王国) in the woods, called Terabithia. They act as king and queen there. Unluckily, a bad thing happens one day. Jesse hurts his heart. At that moment, Jesse learns how much courage (勇气) Leslie has given him.

The author Katherine has an unhappy childhood, so she often gives her characters (人物) a lonely life. Then she would give them happiness. But at the end, the characters will lose what they have. Her story is full of “ups and downs” and deep ideas. Katherine is good at showing characters’ feelings. You can feel the sadness when characters lose something beautiful.

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