1. FRIENDSHIP “What is a friend? A single soul dwelling in two bodies.” – Aristotle BRIDGE TO TERABITHIA Katherine Paterson THE PINBALLS Betsy Byars

2. Bridge to Terabithia This book is a Newberry Award Winner about the unique friendship between two 5 th graders, Jess Aarons (a boy) and Leslie Burke (a girl). Both live in a rural community near Washington, D.C. – the Aarons because the living is inexpensive and the Burkes because they have decided to “reassess their value structure.” Jess falls in with Leslie’s idea to create Terabithia, a secret kingdom in the woods where they reign supreme. Here, the two children learn lasting lessons about friendship.Newberry Award Winner Washington, D.C. Katherine Paterson

3. The Pinballs This is the story of three children (Carlie, Harvey, and Thomas J), sufferers of violence and neglect, who come to live as foster children in the home of Mr. and Mrs. Mason. As they interact, the children develop a positive attitude toward themselves and can look ahead to a new and better life in the future. What are pinballs? What is an adopted child? –A child who lives with and is cared for by parents who are not his/her biological parents What is a foster child? –A child who lives with and is cared for by a family until he/she is adopted Betsy Byars

4. Consider this… If you had to write your own definition for the word “friend,” what would it be? Can a person be friends with his/her family? Brothers and sisters? Parents? Even pets? When you want to “escape” the stresses of school or home, where do you go? What do you think about? How do you show your parents that you love them? How do your parents show you that they love you? Can a person love another person even if they never say, “I love you?”

5. Now to You! Friendship is the major theme of both Bridge to Terabithia and The Pinballs. We’ve already brainstormed some definitions for the word “friend;” now you face the challenge of writing an acrostic poem on FRIENDSHIP! GO HERE!!!