Tuck Everlasting
Plot:
Winnie Foster is a ten-year-old girl who yearns to discover what’s outside the fence of her home. Exploring her family’s small forest one day, she comes across Jesse Tuck and the fresh-water spring that, after he and his family drank from it, turned them immortal. The Tucks have kept their secret from the outside world for the past eighty years by hiding the spring and living in seclusion. Winnie is the first person outside the family to hear their story. Fearful of the world discovering their secret, the Tucks kidnap Winnie and bring her to their home. Winnie grows fond of the Tuck family, particularly the youngest son, Jesse, as they tell her about their life never experiencing pain or getting older. At the same time, a mysterious man in a yellow suit follows the Tucks and learns their secret. Hoping to use the magical spring for his own personal gain, the man seeks to gain ownership of the Fosters’ forest and put the Tucks in jail for Winnie’s kidnapping.
Problems identified by students:
- Hiding the spring from people
- Breaking Mae Tuck out of jail
Solutions designed by students:
- A water absorber that comes down from a tree and soaks up water from the spring if someone tries to go near it
- A magnetic hook that would latch onto the jail key so Mae Tuck can unlock herself
- Lock picking set for Mae
- Camouflage coverings for over and around the spring
- Warning system around the Tuck’s home involving trip wires and bells
Grade:
3rd through 5th