Tuck Everlasting

by Natalie Babbitt

Grades 4-8; Genre - Fantasy; GRL W; AR pts. 4.0

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.

Comprehension Questions

Chapter 1

1. Describe the setting of this story. A cottage and forest owned by the Fosters; takes place in August p.5

Chapter 2

1. What did you learn in this chapter? 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 p.9

Chapter 3

1. Describe what you know about Winnie. Her name is Winifred; she’s an only child; wants to run away because her family’s demanding p.14

Chapter 4

1. Predict what the man in the yellow suit wants with the family. Listen to your child’s answer
2. What’s the music coming from? The music box p.20

Chapter 5

1. Do you think Jesse was serious when he said he was 104 years old? Listen to your child’s answer p.28
2. Why do you think Jesse didn’t want Winnie to drink from the spring? Listen to your child’s answer p.29

Chapter 6

1. Describe what you know about the Tuck Family. Mother and father, two sons, Jesse and Miles; Miles is the oldest; Jesse is 17 years old; nice family p.31

Chapter 7

1. Summarize the Tuck’s story and why they kidnapped Winnie. 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 p.37

Chapter 8

1. Why did the Tuck’s want to take Winnie home with them? To make sure she understood how serious their secret was p.43
2. Why do you think the man in the yellow suit was happy after overhearing the Tuck’s story? He was looking for the spring p.45

Chapter 9

1. How did Tuck respond to Winnie and why? 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 p.48

Chapter 10

1. What did Winnie think about the Tuck’s home? Messy but comfortable p.52
2. Describe how the Tuck’s live their lives? 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 p.53

Chapter 11

1. Why was Tuck adamant to take Winnie for a ride in the row boat? So he could convince her to keep their secret p.58

Chapter 12

1. What did Tuck compare their lives to in this chapter? A boat that is stuck and can never flow in the current of life; a rock on the side of the road p.63

Chapter 13

1. Summarize this chapter. 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 p.66

Chapter 14

1. What proposal did Jesse give to Winnie? 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 p.71

Chapter 15

1. What deal did the man in the yellow suit offer the Fosters? He’d show the constable where Winnie is and in return they’d sell him the woods p.74

Chapter 16

1. Predict what the man in the yellow suit’s plan is. Listen to your child’s answer

Chapter 17

1. What resolve did Winnie come to in this chapter? She would keep the Tuck’s secret p.86

Chapter 18

1. Why did Winnie feel like the Tuck’s belonged to her? They were kind and treated her like family; she’d grown fond of them p.91

Chapter 19

1. What did the man in the yellow suit intend to do with the woods? Sell the spring water p.97

Chapter 20

1. Why don’t the Tuck’s want the man in the yellow suit to die? If he does, Mae will be hung p.104

Chapter 21

1. What’s the conflict Winnie faces in this chapter? How is it resolved? Mae hung at the gallows if the man in the yellow suit dies; the contract is void if he dies p.108
2. Predict what Winnie plans to do. Listen to your child’s answer

Chapter 22

1. How did Winnie’s family treat her differently? They respected what she wanted to do instead of bossing her around and controlling her p.111
2. How will Winnie make a difference? 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 p.114

Chapter 23

1. Why did the day seem to last so long? Winnie was anxious for midnight to roll around so she could free Mae p.116

Chapter 24

1. Describe Mae’s break out. 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 p.121

Chapter 25

1. What helped Winnie’s family understand and support her for what she had done? She told them she loved the Tuck’s and they were her friends p.130
2. Why did Winnie use Jesse’s water on the toad? She wanted to keep it safe and if the spring was truly a magic spring she could drink straight from it p.132

Epilogue 

1. What did Tuck find? How? Winnie didn’t drink the water and died two years previous; he saw her gravestone in the cemetery p.137