Tuck Everlasting
About
Winnie Foster is faced with difficult decisions after she is kidnapped by the Tuck family, who have discovered a spring that gives eternal life. Text contains mild violence.
Read one section at a time, then discuss the questions to review understanding. These questions are a starting place for conversation, not a complete test of the chapter.
Chapter 1
Comprehension questions
Describe the setting of this story.
Page 5 — A cottage and forest owned by the Fosters; takes place in August
5
Chapter 2
Comprehension questions
What did you learn in this chapter?
Page 9 — Mae and Tuck’s sons are coming home after 10 years and their appearances haven’t changed in 87 years, they needed to be careful and not let anyone see them
9
Chapter 3
Comprehension questions
Describe what you know about Winnie.
Page 14 — Her name is Winifred; she’s an only child; wants to run away because her family’s demanding
14
Chapter 4
Comprehension questions
Predict what the man in the yellow suit wants with the family.
Listen to your child’s answer
What’s the music coming from?
Page 20 — The music box
20
Chapter 5
Comprehension questions
Do you think Jesse was serious when he said he was 104 years old?
Page 28 — Listen to your child’s answer
28
Why do you think Jesse didn’t want Winnie to drink from the spring?
Page 29 — Listen to your child’s answer
29
Chapter 6
Comprehension questions
Describe what you know about the Tuck Family.
Page 31 — Mother and father, two sons, Jesse and Miles; Miles is the oldest; Jesse is 17 years old; nice family
31
Chapter 7
Comprehension questions
Summarize the Tuck’s story and why they kidnapped Winnie.
Page 37 — 100 years ago, they were wandering to find land and came upon the spring, they and their horse drank from it; nothing could hurt them and they never grew older; the cat who never drank the water died 10 years before; they knew no one else could ever find the spring
37
Chapter 8
Comprehension questions
Why did the Tuck’s want to take Winnie home with them?
Page 43 — To make sure she understood how serious their secret was
43
Why do you think the man in the yellow suit was happy after overhearing the Tuck’s story?
Page 45 — He was looking for the spring
45
Chapter 9
Comprehension questions
How did Tuck respond to Winnie and why?
Page 48 — He was happy she knew about their secret and that she was at their home; he was happy to see and interact with a child
48
Chapter 10
Comprehension questions
What did Winnie think about the Tuck’s home?
Page 52 — Messy but comfortable
52
Describe how the Tuck’s live their lives?
Page 53 — The parents live in the home all the time and make things to sell, going to the different towns around them so they don’t bring attention to themselves; the boys stay away finding jobs to work for a while, but don’t stay in any one place too long; they come home when they want and every ten years
53
Chapter 11
Comprehension questions
Why was Tuck adamant to take Winnie for a ride in the row boat?
Page 58 — So he could convince her to keep their secret
58
Chapter 12
Comprehension questions
What did Tuck compare their lives to in this chapter?
Page 63 — A boat that is stuck and can never flow in the current of life; a rock on the side of the road
63
Chapter 13
Comprehension questions
Summarize this chapter.
Page 66 — The man in the yellow suit has stolen the Tuck’s horse and tied it to the Foster’s fence; he knocked on the door and told them he knew where Winnie was
66
Chapter 14
Comprehension questions
What proposal did Jesse give to Winnie?
Page 71 — She should drink the spring water when she turns 17 years old, they would get married, and travel the world and do what they want
71
Chapter 15
Comprehension questions
What deal did the man in the yellow suit offer the Fosters?
Page 74 — He’d show the constable where Winnie is and in return they’d sell him the woods
74
Chapter 16
Comprehension questions
Predict what the man in the yellow suit’s plan is.
Listen to your child’s answer
Chapter 17
Comprehension questions
What resolve did Winnie come to in this chapter?
Page 86 — She would keep the Tuck’s secret
86
Chapter 18
Comprehension questions
Why did Winnie feel like the Tuck’s belonged to her?
Page 91 — They were kind and treated her like family; she’d grown fond of them
91
Chapter 19
Comprehension questions
What did the man in the yellow suit intend to do with the woods?
Page 97 — Sell the spring water
97
Chapter 20
Comprehension questions
Why don’t the Tuck’s want the man in the yellow suit to die?
Page 104 — If he does, Mae will be hung
104
Chapter 21
Comprehension questions
What’s the conflict Winnie faces in this chapter? How is it resolved?
Page 108 — Mae hung at the gallows if the man in the yellow suit dies; the contract is void if he dies
108
Predict what Winnie plans to do.
Listen to your child’s answer
Chapter 22
Comprehension questions
How did Winnie’s family treat her differently?
Page 111 — They respected what she wanted to do instead of bossing her around and controlling her
111
How will Winnie make a difference?
Page 114 — When Mae crawls out of the windows of the jail, Winnie will climb in and wrap herself in a blanket to look like Mae; this will give the Tuck’s time to escape
114
Chapter 23
Comprehension questions
Why did the day seem to last so long?
Page 116 — Winnie was anxious for midnight to roll around so she could free Mae
116
Chapter 24
Comprehension questions
Describe Mae’s break out.
Page 121 — Jesse met Winnie and they ran to the back of the jail and met Miles and Tuck; Miles poured oil over the nails so they wouldn’t squeak; lightning flashed and thunder crashed which covered up the noise; the constable only checked in on Mae once and they all ducked; with a clap of thunder Miles pulled out the bars; Mae squeezed through and after hugs and kisses, Winnie slid into the jail through the window
121
Chapter 25
Comprehension questions
What helped Winnie’s family understand and support her for what she had done?
Page 130 — She told them she loved the Tuck’s and they were her friends
130
Why did Winnie use Jesse’s water on the toad?
Page 132 — She wanted to keep it safe and if the spring was truly a magic spring she could drink straight from it
132
Epilogue
Comprehension questions
What did Tuck find? How?
Page 137 — Winnie didn’t drink the water and died two years previous; he saw her gravestone in the cemetery
137
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