Tuck Everlasting

Babbitt, Natalie
Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR) (November 1, 1985)

*Appropriate for grades 3-7*

Ten-year-old Winnie Foster is feeling smothered by her mother and grandmother when she decides to run away into the forest, owned by the Foster family. She comes across a little clearing and sees a young man, seventeen-year-old Jesse Tuck drinking from a spring. Jesse realizes that Winnie's been spying on him, and she is kidnapped in the most gentle way by Jesse and his family. Jesse's family, Pa Tuck in particular, tries to convince Winnie to never drink from the spring because it is a fountain of youth. Jesse, however, saves some of the magical water for Winnie in a bottle. He asks her to wait until she's seventeen before drinking the water so that they can be together forever. Winnie struggles with disbelief, the idea of immortality, and helping Mae Tuck escape from prison for kidnapping and murder.

• A variety of controversial topics are addressed within this novel. Students should research and debate over their chosen position.

• Should we have the death penalty?
  
• Is it better to live forever, or complete the cycle of life?
  
• Should we punish everyone who breaks the law?
  
• Human beings alter the natural environment all of the time. Should we be allowed to do this?
  
• Study the historical significance of Tuck Everlasting. Students should team up to research the years from 1750-present (the approximate lifetime of the Tucks). They might present a timeline to display in the classroom, highlighting major events in history throughout this period.
  
• Ask students to write a poem or short story that addresses immortality. Draw attention to Natalie Babbitt's use of line drawings to illustrate her novel, and encourage them to do the same.