I'll Give You the Sun

Jandy Nelson's 'I'll Give You the Sun' is a powerful and emotionally resonant novel for middle grade readers (ages 10-14) that delves into the lives of twin siblings, Jude and Noah. Once inseparable, their bond shatters after a mysterious event, leading to years of silence and misunderstanding. The story unfolds through alternating timelines and perspectives: Noah's early years, marked by his artistic passion and first love with the boy next door, and Jude's later years, as she navigates new relationships and tries to understand their fractured family. This book masterfully explores themes of grief, identity, sexuality (including LGBTQ+ romance), sibling rivalry, and the profound impact of secrets. Parents should be prepared for discussions around loss, complex family dynamics, and the emotional intensity of first love and betrayal.

A brilliant, luminous story of first love, family, loss, and betrayal for fans of John Green, David Levithan, and Rainbow Rowell Jude and her twin brother, Noah, are incredibly close. At thirteen, isolated Noah draws constantly and is falling in love with the charismatic boy next door, while daredevil Jude cliff-dives and wears red-red lipstick and does the talking for both of them. But three years later, Jude and Noah are barely speaking. Something has happened to wreck the twins in different and dramatic ways . . until Jude meets a cocky, broken, beautiful boy, as well as someone else—an even more unpredictable new force in her life. The early years are Noah's story to tell. The later years are Jude's. What the twins don't realize is that they each have only half the story, and if they could just find their way back to one another, they’d have a chance to remake their world. This radiant novel from the acclaimed, award-winning author of The Sky Is Everywhere will leave you breathless and teary and laughing—often all at once.