Tuck Everlasting

Reviewed by: Jill O'Connor - North Yarmouth Academy, Yarmouth, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: June 23, 2015

Review

The 40th-anniversary edition of this classic and mesmerizing story by Natalie Babbitt. The cover is lovely, with the bottom half of a girl in older clothing holding a toad. The story still holds up today as Babbitt writes in spare prose with just enough action to keep the reader turning the pages. Does Winnie keep the Tucks' secret? Does she drink from the spring? In 139 pages, Babbitt whisks the reader along for a ride down a magical path with the most winsome people and I think that stronger middle-grade readers, readers not looking for screen-play-type books, will continue to delight in this story. Since the language is a bit old-fashioned, and since Babbitt doesn't "dumb" down her language, and due to one troubling scene in which a character has to make a difficult, split-second decision, I would not give this book to struggling readers. This edition includes an interview with the author at the end along with excerpts from her other works, "The Search for Delicious," Kneeknock Rise," Goody Hall," "The Devil's Storybooks," and "The Eyes of the Amaryllis". These are useful if your reader is intrigued by Babbitt's writing and wants to know more. This edition also includes a foreword by author Gregory Maguire. I love that he starts it by inviting the reader to read the book BEFORE reading the foreword and then returning and reading his words. That is just what I did and was all the more pleased with the story (though I don't see why they couldn't have him write a new afterword...). He explains how significant this story is to him and how it bears reading and re-reading; that the reader will always find meaning in the words contained in this story. I agree. I am sure that most library collections have a copy of this book, but if it's worn out, I recommend replacing it with attractive edition. If it puts the story into more hands, it is worth it.

Overall Book Score: excellent