Tuck Everlasting

Winnie Foster is tired of being cooped up and pampered. She is the only child of the Fosters who live in the "touch me not" cottage at the edge of the small woods. At ten, Winnie wants to see the world. Winnie promises the toad sitting by her gate that tomorrow she will run away to the woods. The next day, Winnie makes good on her promise. As she traverses the small wood, she wonders why she has never bothered to explore them before. Suddenly, a small movement catches her eye. Winnie peers around a large tree and sees a handsome teenager drinking from a small spring. Winnie decides she wants a drink, but Jessie Tuck insists she not drink from that spring. Suddenly, Winnie is tossed on the back of a horse and kidnapped by the Tuck family. They have an unbelievable story to tell her about that small spring. Will Winne protect their secret? What I Loved: *Tuck Everlasting is the book that took hold of me and rooted in my soul when read it. I was ten years old when I first met Winnie and the Tucks. Over thirty years later, this small little book and its wonderful characters are still speaking to me. I adore this book! It is one that will always remain on my shelf. It is the book that stirred something inside of me and made me fall in love with gorgeous writing and simple story telling. This is a timeless book that should be read and loved by everyone. *The writing is absolutely lovely. It is filled with rich descriptions, beautiful metaphors and similes. It is the book that made me fall in love with gorgeous writing. *The characters are unforgettable. Just like Winnie, I quickly fell in love with the simplistic and kind Tucks. This wonderful little family who are either blessed or cursed to live forever got inside my head. At first, you think it would be wonderful to live forever, but when you hear the melancholy story of the Tucks, you pause and reconsider. There is something so endearing about the kind, sad Angus Tuck. Mae is sweet and motherly, the salt of the earth. Miles with his heartbreak makes me sad, and I truly hope that he finds a way to do something great. Jesse is the boy who stole my heart. I fell in love with this fun,spirited boy. Winnie at ten, is a girl who is wise beyond her years, and I admired her courage. I could go on and on, but I won't. Just read the book. *The story is simple and yet complex. Beautiful story telling that makes you think and ponder. I am still mulling over the book after all these years. I catch myself often during that first week of August wondering about the Tucks. It is the type of story that gets into your head, your heart and burrows into your soul and it never lets go. In my heart, I hope the Tucks are out there and that they have found their peace. And The Not So Much: *My only complaint is that the book is sweet and short and I crave more. I want to know what happened to Winnie after the fall out. How did her life turn out? Did she ever try to find the Tucks? Why did she make the decision she did regarding the water? I wish that there had been more on her. *I also was sad that in the final pages that there wasn't any mention of Miles and Jesse. How had they fared over all those years? What were they doing? Tuck Everlasting is the book from my childhood that still speaks to me all these years later. It is a magical, beautiful and haunting story about a girl who encounters a family with a big secret, a family either blessed or cursed with immortality. Leaving you to wonder what would you do if you could live forever? I urge you if you have not read this lovely little book to pick it up and do so. I have it forever on my shelf and I look forward to the day that I can read it to my children. I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and I was not compensated for this review. Posted@Rainy Day Ramblings.

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.

Excelente

My friend chose Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt for our book club read this month. Is it strange that I've never read the book or watched the movie before? I've seen it in the Scholastic book orders over the years and have always planned to buy it someday. I read the first two chapters out loud to the kids while we were in the car. The other night when we were driving somewhere, I asked if they wanted me to read it out loud and they all emphatically said "no". So, I read it by myself this weekend. I really enjoyed the story of Winnie Foster, an eleven-year old girl, who runs away into the woods near her home only to discover a handsome young man drinking from a hidden spring. Suddenly, she is a kidnap victim and the family that has taken her shares their curious secret--one of eternal life. The story brings up several interesting points about life and living and I think it will be fun to discuss it with my book club. Here are just a few questions to think about: Would you want to live forever? If you had to live forever, which age would you want to be? (There is a part of me that would love to have my 20 month old baby to drink from that spring. She's at the cutest stage right now and growing up much too quickly.) Did the Tucks take advantage of the gift/curse? Why didn't Miles give his wife water from the spring? This well written book is delightful and the characters are charming.

This is an endearing story that presents a very age appropriate view of why humans don't live forever. When our son was in 3rd grade and two family members were terminally ill, we read this book together. It helped him understand... But this is a great book even if everyone in a child's life is healthy and well. I just sent the to my DIL who is a 5th grade teacher. She loves this book as much as I do. It is a great book to read together with your child so any questions that arise can become a valuable discussion. AND the underlying lesson aside it is just a charming story of family, friendship and life in general An aside: literary scholars may find fault with the prose and style in which this book is written. Some of the 1 star reviews even mentioned scribbles or other physical conditions of books received. I stand firm that this is an age appropriate wonderful way to introduce the concept of evaluating the pros and cons of everlasting life.

I purchased Tuck Everlasting for my son’s summer reading assignment, and I’m so glad I did. Not only is it a timeless story, but it also sparked some great conversations between us about life, growing up, and the idea of living forever. The writing is poetic and easy to follow, and the themes are deep without being overwhelming for younger readers. My son was engaged from the start and genuinely curious about what would happen next. It’s the kind of book that stays with you long after you’ve finished it. A great mix of adventure, mystery, and meaningful lessons. Highly recommend for middle-grade readers and parents who enjoy reading alongside their kids!

Such a sweet story! Winnie Foster is a young girl who escapes her restrictive mother and grandmother one day to wander into the family wood, where she sees a young man drink from a spring under a giant ash tree. Meeting Jesse Tuck will change her boring life, as she has discovered a Tuck family secret: the waters of the spring have life-long powers. The Tuck family kidnaps her in order to convince her that she MUST keep the secret of the spring. A sinister man witnesses the kidnapping; extorts Winnie's family to "sell" him their Wood in order to rescue Winnie; and then threatens the Tuck family. What will Winnie do to help her new friends, as the Tucks have become? Will she grow up to "do something important?" Or does one actually have to grow up before they can do something important? Read it and see. I assume this really-quick read (148 pages) was written for middle-schoolers, but can definitely be enjoyed by all ages, b/c it presents some really important questions, such as the above one facing Winnie in the story, and the universal question of what would YOU do if presented w/ a chance at immortality? 5 stars.

This book is by far one of the most interesting children’s/young adult books of all time. Natalie Babbitt writes with such vivid description that it is as if you can see the forest and spring that she writes about. Her words flow like a river and you, the reader are a kayaker. You race down the river, catching every current – some smooth, some choppy – with excitement, and then you drift along, until you find a bank to rest on. This truly is a breath-taking book. Tuck Everlasting is about a girl named Winnie Foster who befriends a family. The Tucks are family with a dangerous secret involving a mysterious spring. Set in the quaint town of Treegap, much of the story takes place in the Tuck’s barn-red, cluttered house near a lake. As the Tucks try explain their secret, Winnie learns that there’s more to the family than what meets the eye. This book really reminds me of The Secret Garden because the main character is a girl who has family trouble, makes friends along the way, and in the end sees the world differently and with more hope. My favorite part of the book is when the Tucks kidnap Winnie. Her thoughts come in as fragments and it’s hilarious to read. “Miles is taller than Jesse, I wonder why we’re running, and I’d better duck if I don’t want this next branch to knock me off.” So, even if you don’t love the plot, at least read to the part where Winnie is kidnapped. I would recommend this book to readers who like The Secret Garden, Walk Two Moons, and maybe Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry. I would also refer this book to bookworms who can get lost in an enthralling tale. Very young children should not read this book because there’s a scene or two that involves some mild violence. However, from a brave five-year old to an upper middle school book club, this book will dazzle and engross.

Item arrived very quick and happy with the quality.

Je ne peux pas évaluer le contenu, c'est mon fils qui utilise le livre pour au collège. Pour le reste achat livraison c'est parfait

Fantástica edición de un libro que ya es todo un clásico. La edición es sencilla (ni tapa dura ni solapas ni nada) pero muy cuidada. Y además el precio es increíble. Eso sí, no aporta demasiado a quienes ya tengan la edición normal al margen de unas palabras de Gregory Maguire y un par de detallitos más (la entrevista con la autora y los extractos de otras obras de esta ya estaban incluidos en otras ediciones previas).

Great

It was a bit literally, but too much. I very much enjoyed the story to the very end. The story somehow reminded me of a local park that has a small water fall whose water, if you drink, is supposed to enable you to have a long healthy life.