I first read this book (or had it read to me by my fourth grade teacher, maybe?) in elementary school. I then re-read it in college, and liked it just as much. My most recent reading was when I read it aloud to my own daughters when they were younger.

While it deals with a tragic loss, based on a childhood experience of author Katherine Paterson's own son, David, who is a producer of the movie...its most powerful message is the tremendous power of friendship...how finding even one person who you feel really "gets" you can make all the difference.

I also really like the messages about gender...Jess is gifted artistically which is not valued among his peers or his family...and Leslie is an outspoken and imaginative "tomboy", which reminds me a lot of me when I was her age.

This is an excellent book for anyone, boy or girl, child or adult...and I hope the movie's publicity will spark interest in the book for a whole new generation.

At the library we have the book in print form, Spanish, and on CD. We also have a previous (videocassette) movie version from the Wonderworks series, which has produced a great group of family movies.