Books like I'll Give You the Sun

If you liked I'll Give You the Sun, read The Poet X, Bone Gap, or Dig — the closest matches in our database, matched on shared award lists and reading level.

Looking for books like I'll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson? The 10 titles below are the closest matches in the ReadingList database — each scored on shared themes, shared award lists, genre, and reading level, and each linked to the curricula, states, and grades where it’s assigned, with primary sources.

These are reading-level matches, not just topical ones — so the picks stay grade-appropriate for a grades 9–12 reader. See how we judge text difficulty on our methodology page.

10 books similar to I'll Give You the Sun

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Why each is a match

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The Poet X800L
Both on the Michael L. Printz Award list (+1 more shared list), overlapping grades (8–12), and the same era (2010s). Amazon →
Bone Gapgrades 9–12
Both on the Michael L. Printz Award list, overlapping grades (9–12), and the same era (2010s). Amazon →
Diggrades 9–12
Both on the Michael L. Printz Award list, overlapping grades (9–12), and the same era (2010s). Amazon →
Divergentgrades 8–12
Both on the Oregon Reader's Choice Award (ORCA) list, overlapping grades (8–12), and the same era (2010s). Amazon →
In Darknessgrades 9–12
Both on the Michael L. Printz Award list, overlapping grades (9–12), and the same era (2010s). Amazon →
March Book Threegrades 9–12
Both on the Michael L. Printz Award list, overlapping grades (9–12), and the same era (2010s). Amazon →
Midwinterbloodgrades 9–12
Both on the Michael L. Printz Award list, overlapping grades (9–12), and the same era (2010s). Amazon →
Scythegrades 7–12
Both on the Oregon Reader's Choice Award (ORCA) list, overlapping grades (7–12), and the same era (2010s). Amazon →
Ship Breakergrades 9–12
Both on the Michael L. Printz Award list, overlapping grades (9–12), and the same era (2010s). Amazon →
The Fault in Our Stars850L
Both on the Oregon Reader's Choice Award (ORCA) list, overlapping grades (9–12), and the same era (2010s). Amazon →

Books like I'll Give You the Sun for elementary readers (grades 3–5)

Closest matches whose grade range overlaps 3–5— same scoring, different audience.

  • 11 Birthdays by Wendy Mass · grades 3–5 — Both on the Oregon Reader's Choice Award (ORCA) list and the same era (2010s).
  • El Deafo by Cece Bell · 420L — Both on the Oregon Reader's Choice Award (ORCA) list and the same era (2010s).
  • Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library by Chris Grabenstein · grades 4–6 — Both on the Oregon Reader's Choice Award (ORCA) list and the same era (2010s).
  • Front Desk by Kelly Yang · 640L — Both on the Oregon Reader's Choice Award (ORCA) list and the same era (2010s).
  • Ghost by Jason Reynolds · 730L — Both on the Oregon Reader's Choice Award (ORCA) list and the same era (2010s).

Books like I'll Give You the Sun for middle school (grades 6–8)

Closest matches whose grade range overlaps 6–8— same scoring, different audience.

  • El Deafo by Cece Bell · 420L — Both on the Oregon Reader's Choice Award (ORCA) list and the same era (2010s).
  • Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library by Chris Grabenstein · grades 4–6 — Both on the Oregon Reader's Choice Award (ORCA) list and the same era (2010s).
  • Front Desk by Kelly Yang · 640L — Both on the Oregon Reader's Choice Award (ORCA) list and the same era (2010s).
  • Ghost by Jason Reynolds · 730L — Both on the Oregon Reader's Choice Award (ORCA) list and the same era (2010s).
  • Ghost Boys by Jewell Parker Rhodes · 360L — Both on the Oregon Reader's Choice Award (ORCA) list and the same era (2010s).

Books like I'll Give You the Sun for high school & teens (grades 9–12)

Closest matches whose grade range overlaps 9–12— same scoring, different audience.

  • The Maze Runner by James Dashner · grades 7–12 — Both on the Oregon Reader's Choice Award (ORCA) list, overlapping grades (7–12), and the same era (2010s).
  • We Are Okay by Nina LaCour · grades 9–12 — Both on the Michael L. Printz Award list, overlapping grades (9–12), and the same era (2010s).
  • Where Things Come Back by John Corey Whaley · grades 9–12 — Both on the Michael L. Printz Award list, overlapping grades (9–12), and the same era (2010s).

Book data last updated 2026-07-07. Matches are computed from each book’s cited attributes — see the methodology.

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