Tuck Everlasting

Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt is a book for anyone who thinks living forever might be a good idea. Death is a hard thing for most people to accept. Just think about the folks who plan to have their bodies frozen after they die. They hope that one day scientists will have the technology to thaw them out and send them on their way. Who knows—maybe right about now you're thinking, "Sounds like a plan to me!" Well, one of the main ideas in Tuck Everlasting is that there is a natural cycle to life. The story suggests that maybe people shouldn't try to interfere with this cycle by doing things to avoid death. Even if you violently disagree with this idea and are bound and determined to live forever, Tuck Everlasting is an interesting and entertaining book worth reading.

The issue in Babbitt's book is not frozen bodies but a special spring that gives everlasting life to those who drink from it. The main character in the story, ten-year-old Winnie Foster, stumbles on the spring one day while exploring her family's woods. At the spring she meets Jesse Tuck and quickly gets drawn into the unusual life he has with his brother and mother. The problem is, until Winnie came along, only the Tuck family knew about the secret spring. And they have powerful, thoughtful reasons for wanting to keep it hidden from the rest of the world. The rest of the book focuses on what the Tucks, and eventually Winnie, go through to protect their amazing secret. As you read, you will have some tough decisions to make: What would you do if you were Winnie? Do you agree with the Tucks' attitude toward the spring? Do you agree with Winnie's actions?

Tuck Everlasting asks readers to examine the idea of "forever" and think about the role of death in the cycle of life. It also looks at ideas such as loyalty, friendship, making responsible decisions, and dealing with the results of these decisions. But it's not all seriousness. You'll simply enjoy this fun fantasy story and the adventures of