A new girl, Leslie Burke moves into the neighboring house to the main protagonist, Jesse Aarons. Jess is a 12-year-old boy that is an artist with a turbulent family, and he doesn’t quite fit in at school. When both Leslie and Jess participate in a running event, Leslie manages to win over all the boys.
Leslie and Jess soon becomes friends as she compliments his drawings. Jess is aggravated with his parents because he believes they wish to spend more time with his little sister than him. After school, Leslie and Jess venture into the woods where they discover and invent a magical world that they call Terabithia, where they end up spending most of their time together.
Janice, the girl that bullies other children in school, is revealed to be mean because of her abusive father, and Leslie befriends her. Whenever there are problems at school or in class, Jess and Leslie venture together into Terabithia and fight of creatures that are similar to the mean people and scenarios they have gone through.
When Jess comes back from a class trip with his favorite teacher, which he went to without telling his parents, he receives news that wrecks him. Leslie drowned in the river as she tried crossing over to Terabithia. Initially he denies it, but he soon realizes it is true as all the signs are there.
Leslie’s father, Bill Burke, tells Jess that Leslie loved him, and that he is grateful that she had such a good friend. Jess feels guilty for leaving her alone and lashes out at his family. He is consoled by his parents and they help him through the pain.
Jess rebuilds Terabithia, as he knows that Leslie would want him to do so. He invites his little sister, May Belle, to join him, and he crowns himself king and his little sister princess.
