Keeping the Magic Alive: Bridge to Terabithia

Do you think the magic of Terabithia ended with Leslie? Do you think Paterson wants to end it for you when the book ends? Did you have parts of your childhood that felt magical? Describe them.
       In the book Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson, the main character or protagonist Jess is faced with the untimely and devastating death of his best friend Leslie Burke. But the magic and luster of the fantasy land of Terabithia that they created did not end with Leslie's demise. I think that even though it seems to fade a little when she dies, Jess fights to keep the magic alive by showing the wonders of Terabithia to his little sister, May Belle. He makes her queen of Terabithia and continues the legacy. Terabithia will never be the same because of the unfortunate death because Leslie was the sole creator of this imaginary land that ultimately became Jess and Leslie's world. But because Jess continues the amazing spark that is Terabithia, the fire does not fade.
       I don't think Paterson wanted the magic to end when the book actually ends. I think this is because Bridge to Terabithia is simply one of those books that is unforgettable. It is incredibly deep and shocking for a kids book swelling with deeper meaning and metaphor that even at a time like this without the text in your hands, you begin to realize all these things you did not realize when you originally read the book. The magic most certainly did not end for me because as a naive innocent 4th grader, it became my first confrontation with death. I had have distant relatives die, forgotten wrinkled faces concealed by the shiny black wood of coffins. At the end of Bridge to Terabithia, I was so shocked and terrified, almost. So the greatness of the book did not end for me when I first read it, and I definitely don't think that Paterson intended it to end.
       I did have those childhood magical experiences where it almost feels like one of those old black and white gauzy home movies where the child is giggling about absolutely nothing. I remember one part of my childhood very specifically that seemed very magical to me. It's like a clip that plays over and over in my brain where I'm just running or toddling on my pudgy toddler legs through Prospect Park and the glass tickles my bare feet. As a child, the simplest things feel so magical and lovely, and Bridge to Terabithia definitely captures that and brings you back to your childhood, no matter how long or short away it was.