Tuck Everlasting

Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. How did your perspective on immortality shift from the beginning to the end of the novel? Did you find yourself agreeing more with Jesse’s optimistic view or Tuck’s melancholic outlook?

2. The novel presents two very different family dynamics: the structured Foster household and the chaotic Tuck home. Which resonated more with you, and why? How does this compare to the family dynamics in Babbitt’s other well-known work, Knee-Knock Rise?

3. What impact did the omniscient narrator’s foreshadowing have on your reading experience, particularly in the Prologue when we learn that “things can come together in strange ways”?

Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.

1. Like Winnie, have you ever found yourself caught between what feels safe and what feels exciting? How did you navigate that choice?

2. The Tucks each handle their immortality differently. Which character’s approach most closely mirrors how you think you would handle living forever?

3. Consider a time when you had to keep an important secret. How did that experience compare to Winnie’s burden of keeping the spring’s existence hidden?