Jess Aarons, a boy of 11 living on the USA country, quite shy, is training to become the school's fastest runner. But on the very first day of classes, a new girl, Leslie Burke, wins in a race against all the boys. The two children become friends, and he discovers astonished that she is the only daughter of wealthy and educated family who have decided to move, from Washington, to a simple country house, without TV or any commodities, because "they were too much worried with success and money, and wanted to devote themselves to things really important." Leslie encourages Jess to build a secret place just for them in the woods (Terabithia), that can only be reached by crossing a stream balancing on a magic rope. The references to religion could be better handled. A simple book, with an unexpected outcome. A movie was made on 2007 based on this novel.