Cynsations

In Memory: Natalie Babbitt

By Cynthia Leitich Smith

“Don’t be afraid of death; be afraid of an unlived life. You don’t have to live forever, you just have to live.”

Tuck Everlasting

‘Tuck Everlasting’ Author Natalie Babbitt, Of Hamden, Dies At Age 84 by the Associated Press from The Hartford Courant. Peek: “Babbitt’s literary career started in 1966, when she illustrated a children’s book written by her husband and was encouraged by its editor to continue writing and illustrating children’s books herself.”

Obituary: Natalie Babbitt by Shannon Maughan from Publishers Weekly. Peek: “The subject matter—is living forever a good thing? —was somewhat controversial when the book [Tuck Everlasting] was published in 1975, especially in schools, but strong word-of-mouth and support from educators and librarians helped it grow into an enduring favorite.”

Natalie Babbitt, 1932-2016 from the Horn Book. Peek: “Natalie Babbitt was also a great friend of the Horn Book; see below just a sampling of her contributions to the magazine over the years, plus a few reviews and appreciations.”

Tuck Everlasting author Natalie Babbitt dies at 84 from The Guardian. Peek: “The 1975 novel, which has sold over 3.5m copies…has been adapted into two movies and a Broadway play..she was a National Book Award finalist for The Devil’s Storybook in 1975.”

Cynsational Notes

She received many honored including a Newbery Honor for Knee-Knock Rise (FSG, 1971) and the inaugural E.B. White Award in 2013.