I'll Give You the Sun
Written by Jandy Nelson
Published by Dial Books in 2014
ISBN: 978-1-101-59384-4
Grades 9 & up
Awards: 2015 Printz award and 2015 Stonewall Honor
Book Review:
I’ll Give You the Sun by
Jandy Nelson is a story about love, loss, family, betrayal and finding your way
back to something that once was. The story is told by twins Noah and Jude, who
were inseparable at a young age. A
tragic event causes them to split apart and become estranged from each
other. Through split narratives with Noah
telling the early years, and Jude telling the later years, the story of their
relationship, falling out, and eventually coming back together is told. Art is
a central theme in the book and shapes each of the characters in different
ways. The characters are rich and well
developed, but beautifully flawed as you expect of teenagers struggling to find
themselves.
Professional Review:
Teaching Ideas:
English/Reading (VA SOL 9.4):
The student will read, comprehend, and analyze a variety of literary texts
including narratives, narrative nonfiction, poetry, and drama.
The chapters in the book are written from either
Noah or Jude’s point of view. With a
partner, choose one chapter. Discuss the
events in the chapter. Then come up with
a summary of what you think might have happened during that chapter from the
other character’s point of view. For
example, the first chapter is from Noah’s perspective. You will describe this chapter from Jude’s
point of view.
English/Writing (VA SOL 10.6):
The student will develop a variety of writing to persuade, interpret, analyze,
and evaluate with an emphasis on exposition and analysis.
The student will write a letter to the author of
the book explaining why he or she thinks the author wrote the book. The student
will include their thoughts about the book and his or her ideas about what they
think the author was trying to show through the book.
English/Communication (VA SOL 10.2a):
The student will analyze, produce, and examine similarities and differences
between visual and verbal media messages. Use media, visual literacy, and
technology skills to create products.
After reading the novel, students will prepare a
book trailer using multimedia resources to entice others to read the book. Book trailers will be shared with the
class. Students will vote on their
favorite, which will be put on the school library website.
Art (VA SOL 8.6): The
student will communicate ideas, experiences, and narratives through the
creation of original works of art, using selected media.
Noah expresses himself often through art.
Throughout the book, he describes drawings or paintings of certain events, emotions,
or thoughts. Choose one of these
occurrences and draw your own rendition of the event.
Health (VA SOL 8.1t): The
student will identify and explain essential health concepts to demonstrate an
understanding of personal health. Describe the short- and long-term health
issues related to alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use, including inhalants,
marijuana, cocaine, stimulants, methamphetamines, opiates, steroids, and
performance-enhancing drugs.
Students will research drug and alcohol
addiction. Students will create a short pamphlet or poster describing the
negative effects of drug or alcohol addiction. In addition, they will come up
with a list of resources in their community for people struggling with
addiction.
Book Pairs:
The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy
Nelson. Readers who enjoy the writing style of I’ll Give You the Sun may want
to read another novel by the author. Many similar themes are explored in this
novel. It is age appropriate grades 10 and up. It has positive reviews from
respected sources.
The Vault of Dreamers by
Caragh O’Brien. It’s about a prestigious school for artistic children, similar
to the school featured in I’ll Give You
the Sun. It is current and
appropriate for grades 9 and up.
Never Mind!: A Twin Novel by
Avi and Rachel Vail. This book explores the relationship between a set of
boy/girl twins. It’s appropriate for
grades 7-8, or struggling readers in upper grades. It is positively reviewed by
well-respected authorities.
Aristotle and Dante Discover the
Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz. This book is about two
teen boys becoming friends. Family issues and questions about sexuality are
explored. This book has won numerous awards and is appropriate for high school.
Eleanor &
Park by Rainbow Rowell. This is a story of first love between two awkward
teens. Students who like I’ll Give you the Sun are likely to
enjoy this book as well. It is emotionally appropriate for high school
students. It was a Printz award nominee
in 2014.
Further Explorations:
The author’s website has information about her books and events.
This website is from the author and has many of the art pieces
referenced in the book. As art is almost
its own character in this novel, students would enjoy seeing the actual art.
With all the art in the book, students may enjoy exploring the Museum
of Modern Art’s website.
A fan-made book trailer for I’ll
Give You the Sun.
Information about the book from the publisher.
The character Oscar suffers from drug and alcohol addiction. This
website has information about drug and alcohol addiction written for a teen
audience.
Watch the author describe her books, her favorite writers, falling in
love, and more.
References:
Avi, & Vail, R. (2004). Never mind!: A twin novel. New York, NY:
HarperCollins.
Goodreads Videos. (2014, September 16). Jandy Nelson [Video file].
Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zKA207kDqHo
Kirkus Reviews. (2014, August 12). I'll give you the sun.
Retrieved from
https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/jandy-nelson/ill-give-you-the-sun/
National Institute on Drug Abuse. (n.d.). Drugs and health blog.
Retrieved from http://teens.drugabuse.gov/
Nelson, J. (2010). The sky is
everywhere. New York, NY: Dial Books.
Nelson, J. (2014). I'll give
you the sun. New York, NY: Dial Books.
Nelson, J. (2015). I’ll give you the sun. Retrieved from
http://jandynelson.com/books/ill-give-you-the-sun/
Nelson, J. (2015). Gallery. Retrieved from
http://jandynelson.com/gallery/
O'Brien, C. M. (2014). The vault of dreamers. New York, NY: Roaring Book
Press.
Penguin Random House. (n.d.). I'll give you the sun by Jandy
Nelson. Retrieved from http://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/306095/ill-give-you-the-sun-by-jandy-nelson/
Rowell, R. (2013). Eleanor
& Park. New York, NY: St. Martin's Griffin.
Sáenz, B. A., & Foglia, C. (2012). Aristotle & Dante discover the secrets of
the universe. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster.
Studio 304. (2015, March 12). I'll give
you the sun trailer [Video file]. Retrieved from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uL44jLAR8d0
The Museum of Modern Art. (n.d.). Museum of modern art. Retrieved
from http://www.moma.org/
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