Flashback Friday: Tuck Everlasting

Blessed with—or cursed with—everlasting life after drinking from an enchanted spring, the Tuck family spent the last 80 years surreptitiously moving from home to home to avoid the public's notice that they never age. Once 10-year-old Winnie discovers their secret, however, they bring her home with them to help her understand why the ability to live forever isn't the blessing it might initially seem. Winnie's parents, of course, assume she's been kidnapped, and the Tucks inconspicuous life spirals out of control once the authorities are summoned to retrieve Winnie.

Winnie's story begins on a hot summer day, and much like the sluggish heat, the book moves slowly and quietly, even at its most dramatic points. It's hard not to like the Tucks despite, maybe because of, their predicament, and Winnie's character is quite relatable as the fiercely independent young girl eager to protect her new friends. A short and somewhat sad read, Tuck Everlasting will leave you rooting for Winnie while you yearn to discover her ultimate decision: join the Tucks with everlasting life, or continue in this mortal, yet beautiful, life.

Tuck Everlasting can be found in the Middle Grade Books - Classics section of The Book Children Store.