Tuck Everlasting

Natalie Babbitt

Tuck Everlasting is a modern classic; there's really nothing I can add to the existing body of literature on the book. All I can say is "read it;" there are a handful of kidlit books that are often mentioned as the cream of the crop, and Tuck Everlasting belongs with them.

Winnie Foster is a ten-year-old girl who is, for all intents and purposes, a prisoner in her own home; tired of the homestead and yearning for freedom, she sneaks off into the wooded portion of the family's estate and comes upon a spring at the center of the wood. She also encounters the Tuck family, the immortal guardians of the spring, and the bulk of the book addresses the question of whether anyone would really want to live forever.

It's a fine little novel, and one well worth reading, no matter what your age. If you haven't yet discovered it, by all means, give it a shot.