Citation: Nelson, J. (2014). I'll give you the sun. Dial Books.
Publisher: Dial Books
Year published: 2014Number of pages: 371
Interest level: Grades 11 and up
Reading level: Grades 9-12
Lexile: 740L
Genre: YA fiction/realistic fiction
Awards: Winner of the 2015 Printz Award for Excellence in Young Adult Literature; A 2015 Stonewall Honor Book; Winner of Bank Streets' 2015 Josette Frank Book Award; Winner of the NCIBA and the NCBA' YALSA Top Ten Best Fiction for Young Adults; Rainbow List Top Ten 2015; A New York Times Notable Book of the Year; A Time Magazine Top Ten YA of the Year (#3)
My Review
This book has been continually recommended on so many reading lists, and it's easy to see why once I started reading it. This is the story of a pair of inseparable twins, Noah and Jude, and how their relationship with each other, their friends, and their parents changes over a three-year period. Noah begins the story as a 13 year old narrator--artistic, confident, adored by his mother, embarrassed by his father, and confused about his growing attraction to boys. His sister Jude is fearless--admired by their father, rebuffed by their mother, a natural athlete who is a better surfer than most of the boys. Halfway through the story, the narrator changes to Jude and it's three years later. The now 16-year-old twins are hardly recognizable because of several events that fall like dominoes through their lives and are barely speaking. What caused the decay of their family? Can they ever learn to trust each other again?
Before you begin this book, get ready to dislike it for a while. The book starts out blandly and you start to wonder, "what's all the hype about?". Then--BAM! You become intertwined in their "coming of age" story. Nelson's words are almost poetic as she describes first loves, disappointment, grief, loss, and regret. I could most definitely recommend this book to students if I taught in a high school. Mature students who can handle the content will fall in love with this book. There is the occasional swear word, a budding relationship for a boy that has finally accepted he likes other boys, a vague description of a character's "first time", and some mild make out sessions. I would most definitely recommend this book's addition to a school library because of the contribution the book makes to the breadth of representative viewpoints on controversial issues, such as gay relationships, parents' reactions to their children's sexuality, alcohol and drug use.
Professional Review
On a line-by-line level, Nelson is bold, even breathtaking. You get the sense her characters are bursting through the words, breaking free of normal metaphors and constructions, jubilantly trying to rise up from the prison of language — much in the way that Jude describes Guillermo’s work, or the way Michelangelo once described making a sculpture: “I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free.” Nelson returns to this quotation several times, both commenting on and making manifest the struggle of the artist.
Art — its creation, its importance, its impact on identity and freedom — is perhaps the central theme of “I’ll Give You the Sun.” The book celebrates art’s capacity to heal, but it also shows us how we excavate meaning from the art we cherish, and how we find reflections of ourselves within it. I’ve always loved this line from Stendhal: “A novel is a mirror carried down a high road.” Done well, it shows us ourselves even as it moves us forward into new places and new understandings. “I’ll Give You the Sun” is a dazzling mirror, and many grateful teenagers are sure to find themselves reflected in and learning from its pages.
Reviewed by: Oliver, L. (2014). New York Times Book Review. 11/9/2014, p32-32. 1/2p.
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Teaching Ideas
Who Gets the Sun? Descriptive Paper. Noah and Jude have argued over and traded the elements of the universe for as long as they can remember. When Jude sees the drawing of Oscar done by Noah, she is so drawn to it that she agrees to give Noah control over the "sun, stars, ocean, trees, everything" (pg. 329). In fact, the novel's title comes from the giving and receiving of the sun between the twins. If you were in control of the elements of the universe, what aspects would give away to people and which would you keep for yourself? What is your argument for each? For example, "I would keep the ocean for myself because I love the smell of the salt air and the sound of the rolling waves as they crash against a sandy beach" and "I hereby give my father the stars because he stayed up late most nights of the summer I turned ten, showing me the different constellations and telling me how they got their names". Assist students in creating a bullet list of items in the universe on the black board, and ask each student to write a paper that describe who will receive each element and why.
SOL correlation: English 7.7 The student will write in a variety of forms with an emphasis on exposition, narration, and persuasion.
SOL correlation: English 7.5: The student will read and demonstrate comprehension of a variety of fictional texts, narrative nonfiction, and poetry.
SOL correlation: 7.9 English: The student will apply knowledge of appropriate reference materials to produce a research product (a-e); English 7.2 The student will present, listen critically, and express opinions in oral presentations.
Painting with Pollock. Jackson Pollock was a well known artist in the abstract expressionist movement. One of Jackson's paintings was mentioned in the climatic day that Noah and Jude spent at the museum with their mother. View his painting "One: Number 31" here at the MOMA (Museum of Modern Art) gallery page. Ask students to read the section titled "A Closer Look" on the website to find out the process that Jackson used to create his masterpieces. Assist students in laying out large sheets of paper (bulletin board paper or even a paper table cloth) on the floor. Students may choose their colors of paint and create "Pollock painting" by dripping paint onto the paper on the floor just like Jackson Pollock. After the students' masterpieces are finished, each student should write an explanation of how they created their piece (why they chose the colors, how they dripped the paint, etc.) to accompany their Pollock painting in the hallway gallery of the school. Invite the administrators in the building to hear each student present their painting in a "gallery opening" event.
SOL correlation: English 6.2 The student will present, listen critically, and express opinions in oral presentations; AII. 8: The student will employ elements of art, principles of design, and a variety of media to express meaning in works of art and design.
Split-Apart Poem Comparison. When Jude sees Brancusi's sculpture "The Kiss", she describes how Plato thought that people were "split aparts"--that we have a twin soul other there in the world that we are destined to be with, a one true love. If we are lucky enough, we will stumble across our split-apart and find true love's happiness. Read the poem "Split Aparts to Soulmates" found here by Nikohl Medley. Compare this poem to a key relationship in the book (Diana and Guillermo / Jude and Oscar / Brian and Noah). How does this poem describe the relationship between the characters? Site specific text from the book to prove your argument.
SOL correlation: English 7.5: The student will read and demonstrate comprehension of a variety of fictional texts, narrative nonfiction, and poetry.
Not All it's "Cracked" Up to Be. A big part of Jude's time at art school is listening to students' critiques of her work. We learn that most of Jude's art pieces are breaking or cracking, either flung from the shelves while drying or falling off the table. Her work in clay has many cracks and breaks, just like the Earth's surface. Research the theory of plate tectonics and compare the clay pieces to the Earth. What is causing the cracks in each? What do the cracks look like? What are other possible causes of cracking that we need to consider? What are repercussions of the cracks?
A comparison chart such as the one below could be used: (it can be found here)
SOL correlation: Life Science / LS. 10 The student will investigate and understand that ecosystems, communities,
populations, and organisms are dynamic, change over time, and respond to daily,
seasonal, and long-term changes in their environment.
Further Explorations
Information about the author (be to used before reading the novel to give students introductory information):
http://jandynelson.com/books/ill-give-you-the-sun/
http://penguinteen.tumblr.com/post/95918207641/ill-give-you-the-sun-jandy-nelson
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zKA207kDqHo
- video of Jandy Nelson created by GoodReads Video (interview with author)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=39YOw2DqpOA
-video of review by student Lauren Hough
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=esyQUE7Kxec
-video of Jandy Nelson at Radar Reading Series (San Francisco Public Library)
http://jandynelson.com/gallery/
-Pictures of art that inspired the author while writing the novel
Painting with Pollock activity resources:
http://www.moma.org/collection/object.php?object_id=78386 (One: Number 31 image)
http://www.biography.com/people/jackson-pollock-9443818
http://www.jackson-pollock.org/biography.jsp
http://www.theartstory.org/artist-pollock-jackson.htm
Split-Apart resources for poem activity:
http://www.experienceproject.com/stories/Believe-In-The-Split-Apart-Theory/1235837
http://thethoughtsoftracy.blogspot.com/2009/08/split-apart-theory.html
http://www.zentrader.ca/blog/?p=10673
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=skSsGQFUqX4 (video)
Resources for graphic organizer activity:
http://www.eduplace.com/graphicorganizer/
http://www.biography.com/people/frida-kahlo-9359496#synopsis
http://www.biography.com/people/marc-chagall-9243488
http://www.theartstory.org/artist-magritte-rene.htm
Artist Trading Card history and instructions
http://www.studentatc.com/id17.html
http://www.schoolartsroom.com/2011/09/elements-and-principles-artist-trading.html
file:///C:/Users/tim/Downloads/FC_Artist_Trading_Cards.pdf
Plate Tectonics/Cracked Clay activity
http://www.biologycorner.com/worksheets/graphic_compare.html
http://csmres.jmu.edu/geollab/vageol/vahist/plates.html
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aso/tryit/tectonics/intro.html
http://www.livescience.com/37706-what-is-plate-tectonics.html
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Paired Book Titles
Moskowitz, H. (2015). Not otherwise specified (Simon Pulse ed.). Simon Pulse.
Etta desperately wants to belong to a group-any group--but is continually rebuffed. She no longer sees how she fits in anywhere and must forge ahead on her own. This book was selected because of the contribution it makes to the curriculum (difficulty fitting in, like Jude) and to the interests of students (many students can relate to feeling left out by their friends at some point).
Clark, K. (2013). Freakboy. Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR).
On the outside, Brenden Chase seems to have it all--star wrestler, lots of friends, loving girlfriend, etc. So why does he feel so weird on the inside? A book that explores gender confusion and what attracts people to other people. This book was selected because of its high degree of potential user appeal (it's "shock" factor will appeal to teenagers).
Green, J. (2012). The fault in our stars. Dutton Books.
Two teenagers with cancer meet at a support group and begin an unlikely and rocky relationship. The story of Hazel and Augustus is a true love story. This book was chosen because of the contribution it makes to the curriculum (romantic connection) and to the interests of students.
Levithan, D. (2003). Boy meets boy. New York: Alfred A. Knopf.
When Paul meets Noah, he immediately feels a "once in a lifetime" connection. So when he screws up and wrecks the relationship, what will he have to do to win Noah back? A romantic comedy about finding love, losing love, and doing anything you can to win it back into your life. This book was selected because the contribution the book makes to the breadth of representative viewpoints on controversial issues, such as the struggles and triumphs of a gay relationship.
Lamb, W. (1998). I know this much is true. New York, NY: Regan Books.
A poignant story that shows the connection between twins and the love and heartbreak that follow along for the ride. This book was chosen because of the contribution it makes to the curriculum (close connections of twins) and to the interests of students and because of its high degree of potential user appeal.
References
- Books about Twins
Hopkins, E. (2008). Identical. New York: Margaret K. McElderry Books.
Setterfield, D. (2006). The thirteenth tale: A novel. New York: Atria Books.
Roy, A. (1997). The god of small things. New York: Random House.
- Books about Relationships
Levithan, D. (2003). Boy meets boy. New York: Alfred A. Knopf.
Perkins, S. (2010). Anna and the French kiss. New York: Dutton.
Perkins, S. (2011). Lola and the boy next door. New York, N.Y.: Dutton Books.
- Books about Trying to Fit In
Moskowitz, H. (2015). Not otherwise specified (Simon Pulse ed.). Simon Pulse.
Clark, K. (2013). Freakboy. Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR).
Rowell, R. (2013). Eleanor & Park. St. Martin's Griffin.
- Books by Jandy Nelson
Nelson, J. (2014). I'll give you the sun. Dial Books.
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