Tuck Everlasting

Great book. I got it for school, probably wouldn't pick it out on my own, but it was an enjoyable read. Loved the deep discussions about how life works. Gets you thinking. One part was slightly problematic: Hints of romance between a 100+ year old character with the appearance of a 17-year old and a 10 year old girl.

Tuck Everlasting is the fifth book that my daughter and I have read this summer. It is a winning and thoroughly engaging story that has left both of us talking and thinking.The main thought of the book is, "would you want to live forever?" Good question! We follow the main character, Winnie, as she tackles this complicated decision.At the beginning of the story Winnie is a very sheltered and safe little girl (10 years old). She plays in her carefully groomed front yard, watching things around her (including a thirsty toad). Her world is safe, slow, and somnolent - seemingly napping in the hot, dry sun.The catalyst for change occurs when a man in a yellow suit (no, not hat, you Curious George fans). He is asking questions and seems unduly curious when they (the man and Winnie) hear a strange, almost elfin tune. The man is excited. The girl (Winnie)is motivated to make a surge forward. She runs into the forest where she discovers a young man (Jesse Tuck) drinking from a fountain hidden under stones at the base of a tree. I know, it sounds like a fairy tale. The story does come across as magical. The question is do you believe? Does Winnie believe?Winnie is taken (kidnapped) back to the Tuck home. The house is hidden deep in the country, secluded and existing in a time of its own. The Tucks move Winnie from her safe life to a different world. Their home is messy and disorganized in contrast to her own neat home. The Tucks are delighted to meet her and treat her like a treasured family member. This also is in contrast to her own more reserved family.Throughout her time at the Tucks they tell Winnie their story. Does she believe they will live forever? Will she keep their secret? Does Winnie want eternal life?Different family members present different perspectives to Winnie. Jesse (stuck at about 17) is full of life and is excited by all the world has to offer. The patriarch of the family (simply called Tuck) takes her out to the lake to explain his viewpoint. He points out to Winnie the way the tides of the pond move, all the bugs, and birds, and etc. He explains how everything is born, grows, is in a constant state of flux, and then dies. His family has stopped changing, maturing, growing.The man in the yellow suit eventually finds Winnie and the Tucks. His plan is to sell the water to "worthy" customers who can afford his hefty price. The matriarch of the family (Mae) kills the man She cannot allow the secret (to her the disaster, the epidemic) to spread to an unsuspecting public. My daughter reminds me too of what a burden this would be to the earth if no one ever died.Mae is faced with hanging - something which would surely lead to the exposure of her secret. Winnie helps Mae escape. This is a huge departure for her. It is definitely not something she would have done before the Tucks. She is part of their world,their family now. They love each other. The act is not a legal thing to do but is it a moral thing to do? The Tucks have changed her and Winnie is willing, indeed eager, to help. The consequences are grave. Her family is shamed in front of the whole town. When questioned Winnie can only answer that she did it for love. This her mom understands. Her family forms a fortress around her then, protecting her. Winnie comes to recognize their love for her as well.Before Jesse leaves Winnie for the last time, he gives her a vial of the Spring water. He asks her to think about drinking it when she turns 17 so they can explore all of eternity together. Will she or won't she?The final scene is of Tuck and Mae arriving back in the main town many years later. Everything has changed. The reader has the sense that the Tucks are getting more and more stretched - like Bilbo in LOTR. Their anchor to life is back 100 years. The longer their bodies live, the less they themselves seem to be part of the living world. The reader eventually finds out if Winnie drank the water or not. The answer makes the Tucks both sad and happy. The answer also leaves the reader questioning her decision and pondering their own reactions. Overall, a very satisfying book.

I am a 4th grade teacher and used this book for a novel study/Literature circle. The following are honest reviews from some of my students.I would give this book 5 stars and would recommend it to older grades because it may be hard for younger kids to understand the plot and it involves immortality/ death/dying. My favorite part is when the stranger tries to take Winnie away but fails.I would give this book 4.5 stars and recommend it to readers who like suspense and mystery. My favorite part was Mae's son tries to break Mae out of prison.

Summer required reading, but such a great story

The novel Tuck Everlasting written by Natalie Babbitt was a wonderful read, discussing the many prospects and outcomes to living eternally. The main character Winfred "Winnie" Foster is a curious and adventurous young girl living in the town of Treegap, with her family's high position in society enforcing rules and regulations that confine her spirited nature. The several characters featured in the book, including Winfred Foster, are extremely well developed and compel the reader to want to uncover more. Not only does the novel provide excellent vocabulary words and engaging figurative language to help grow the readers knowledge in the area of language arts, but also encourages the reader to think of many complicated questions. One of these complex questions found in the literary piece is whether living forever is a benefit to ones self and the natural cycle of life or harmful for certain reasons. The chance to be challenged by such questions allows the reader to become better at answering difficult literary questions and support their arguments with the proper evidence. Along with being a great opportunity for advancing ones knowledge in a variety of ways, the book is also extremely enthralling. The complex concepts and exciting characters offer a novel that is truly engaging and well written. Overall, I would most definitely recommend this fantastic novel due to its interesting characters and plot, as well as it's important and throughly explored topics.