I received this book at no cost from the publisher
Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt ISBN: 9781250059291
Published by Square Fish on January 20th 2015
Genres: Classics, Death & Dying, Fantasy & Magic, Social Issues, Young Adult
Pages: 192
Format: Paperback
Source: Publisher
Goodreads
Blessed with—or doomed to—eternal life after drinking from a magic spring, the Tuck family wanders about trying to live as inconspicuously and comfortably as they can. When ten-year-old Winnie Foster stumbles on their secret, the Tucks take her home and explain why living forever at one age is less of a blessing than it might seem. Complications arise when Winnie is followed by a stranger who wants to market the spring water for a fortune. A brand-new introduction from Gregory Maguire, the author of Wicked, and additional bonus materials make this special edition of Natalie Babbitt's Tuck Everlasting a must-have for lovers of the book and a great way to introduce a new generation to a classic.
Preorder:
Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt | 40th Anniversary Edition | On sale January 20, 2026
Published by Farrar Straus Giroux Books for Young Readers | Ages 10 – 14 / Grades 4 – 8 | 192 pages
Hardcover: 978-0-374-30167-5 | Paperback: 978-1-250-05929-1
Amazon * Barnes & Noble * IndieBound
2015 marks the 40th anniversary of Natalie Babbitt’s celebrated, ground-breaking title Tuck Everlasting (Anniversary edition on sale January 20). In celebration of the anniversary, Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group will publish a special anniversary edition featuring an introduction from Wicked author Gregory Maguire. Natalie will be in conversation with Gregory Maguire at Symphony Space in New York City on Sunday, January 25 at 1:00 PM. Alexis Bledel, star of the 2002 movie adaptation, will read
from the book.
Tuck Everlasting asks readers “What if you could live forever?” Doomed to, or blessed with, eternal life after drinking from a magic spring, the Tuck family wanders about trying to live as inconspicuously and comfortably as they can. When ten-year-old Winnie Foster stumbles on their secret, the Tucks take her home and explain why living forever at one age is less of a blessing than it might seem. Then complications arise when Winnie is followed by a stranger who wants to market the spring water for a fortune.
Upon the book’s publication in 1975, Natalie was greeted with concern from parents and educators who were stunned to read
a book about death written for children. She is an author who challenges her readers and thinks the best questions are the
ones without answers. This 40th anniversary will introduce a whole new generation to this timeless classic. The book has sold over 3.5 million copies in the US alone, and has never been out of print since publication.
NATALIE BABBITT is the award-winning author of Tuck Everlasting, The Eyes of the Amaryllis, Knee-Knock Rise, and many
other brilliantly original books for young people. She began her career in 1966 as the illustrator of The Forty-Ninth Magician, a
collaboration with her husband. When her husband became a college president and no longer had time to collaborate, Babbitt
tried her hand at writing. Her first novel, The Search for Delicious, established her gift for writing magical tales with profound
meaning. Knee-Knock Rise earned her a Newbery Honor, and in 2002, Tuck Everlasting was adapted into a major motion
picture. Natalie Babbitt lives in Connecticut, and is a grandmother of three.
“What if you could live forever?”
As part of this blog tour, we were asked this question. In the story, Winnie meets Mae, Angus, Miles and Jesse Tuck, who are in the woods near her house. Jesse, the youngest Tuck admits that he is one hundred and four but actually hasn’t aged since he was seventeen. His father has tried to commit suicide several times but was always uninjured no matter what he tried. He was just tired of living. Jesse tries to convince Winnie to drink the spring water in her woods when she is seventeen so they can travel the world together. She has the water, but decides in the end not to partake.
This question gave me pause. Would I want to live forever if I could recover from any illness or injury? Would I want to be stuck at my age forever? On the one hand, it would be awesome to read every book I wanted to, knowing that I wouldn’t run out of time and could visit all of the places I wanted to go. But I kept thinking, who would I share it with? All of my relatives would be dead, my friends would be dead and gone. How would I survive a lonely existence, only able to live in a place for 20 years or so before having to move on. It would be hard in this day and age to survive since everything you do it recorded somehow.
For the Tucks, it was an extreme hardship and there was no way to end it and as Mr. Tuck said, it just wasn’t natural. It was a relief that the spring had been sealed over and that no one would ever be left the choice of living forever. I don’t think I would want to go on more than my intended years. I think the years that I have are plenty and try to take advantage of every day I have left. Winnie made the right choice by not drinking from the spring.
I am giving away my copy (this is not the 40th anniversery edition) to any resident of the US.
Just click on the link and leave a simple yes or no comment to the question, would you want to live forever?
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Maria says
I probably wouldn’t want to live forever, but maybe a longer life to see history unfolding.
Esperanza Gailliard says
No, I would not want to live forever. Not unless of course all of us did and we were never recycled.
Probably not. You would outlive all those you loved.
Erin @ The Hardcover Lover says
I don’t know if I’d want to live forever. In a way, it seems cool, but it also seems like it could be very lonely knowing that everyone else has to leave.
I don’t think I’d want to live forever, just longer and still be healthy.
Yes, I would.
laurie g says
i would not want to live forever. i want to live life to the fullest before i die
anne says
I would want a good long life but not forever.
No, I would not want to live forever.
anita Yancey says
I don’t think I would want to live forever, but a nice long life would be nice.
No I wouldn’t want to live forever.
Jillyn says
I would. I’d see and learn so much.
Amber says
I think it would be extremely lonely so no.
Rabiah says
Probably not. I mean, it would be great to not, well, die… BUT to be the only one who lives forever would be a bit sad 🙁 Thanks for the great giveaway!
Natasha says
I would if my family could too.
Thanks for the chance to win!
Maria says
Looks like a great read!
I think so 🙂 I’m super curious about the future! Living forever is the only way to see it 🙂
Daniel M says
sure would but with youth and health
Rachel bohnert says
No I wouldn’t want to live forever. It sounds like it would be great, but in the end you would always be alone because all your friends and family would die. Thanks for the great giveaway!!
A longer than average life, but not forever.
Deanne Patterson says
Sure, as long as I was healthy.
Alexandria says
I don’t see what the problem with living forever is. I read the book and absolutely loved it. I would really like to win this anniversary edition. My real answer is yes, I would love to live forever. That means I can read more books in my lifetime and take a hundred years, or however many I want, to accomplish the things I want to achieve in life. It might sound kind of selfish, but it’s a question that I myself have been pondering my little head.
Trish says
No, I would not.
Melissa Golden says
It is definitely an intriguing idea. It’s not for me though. Why live forever when you won’t have any of your family or friends around.
Soo says
No way.
bn100 says
no
No way! I always think of Tessa Grey having to say goodbye to her loved ones and feel like it is awful.