Peach’s Picks Rating
Title:
The Sky is Everywhere
Author:
Jandy Nelson
Illustrator:
None
ISBN:
978-0-8037-3495-1
Publisher:
New York: Dial Books
Copyright:
2010
Length:
275 pages
Plot Summary:
Lennie, a 17-year-old girl, and her older sister, Bailey, are extremely close. They were abandoned by their mother when young. The girls live with their Gram, who has a talent for gardening, and their Uncle Big, who has a talent for smoking marijuana, in a hippie-like community in Northern California. Lennie, named after John Lennon, is a gifted musician who lives in the shadow of her talented sister, a promising actress. The book opens with the family grieving Bailey’s sudden death from an arrhythmia while rehearsing for a production of Romeo and Juliet. Hidden emotions roil to the surface in the time after Bailey’s death. Lennie realizes that the sister to whom she was so close has kept secrets from her. Also, Lennie discovers that her own emotions are buried secrets. Making life even more complicated for Lennie are two boys. Toby, Bailey’s boyfriend, and Lennie grieve together seeking solace. Joe is the handsome new boy in school who has been studying music in France. A love triangle develops involving the three teens.
Critical Evaluation:
The characters are well-developed and likeable. The reader comes to care for each one. The voices of each character feel authentic, well representing their personalities. After her death, the reader comes to know and understand Bailey through the eyes of her family and friends. All the characters grow and develop in a logical manner throughout the book. Each chapter contains an embedded, well written poem by Lennie. The book’s designer presents the poems so they appear to be reproduced on the scraps of paper, envelopes, walls, or other items on which they were written. A notation is included next to the poem telling where it was found. These poems float away from Lennie as did her mother and sister. The poems relate to the text, enhance the story, and can be read separately from the text creating a snapshot of Lennie’s emotions. There are three distinct themes in the book, some better developed than other. First there is the theme of dealing with death and grief which was very well-developed. There is also the theme of abandonment; the mother abandoning her daughters and Bailey abandoning her family through death. This theme is fairly well-developed. Finally, the story contains a romantic triangle that is not as well-developed, but will be thoroughly enjoyed by readers. References are made to the book Wuthering Heights. Teen girls will enjoy the emotional roller coaster this book provides.
Reader’s Annotation:
Seventeen-year-old Lennie falls in love for the first time while grieving her sister’s death. Unfortunately, she is in love with two boys, her sister’s boyfriend and the handsome, talented new boy in school.
Author Information:
Lives in San Francisco
Holds the following degrees: BA from Cornell, MFA in poetry from Brown, MFA in writing for children and young adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts
Works as a literary agent
Is a published poet
Her favorite book is One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Some of her favorite passages from books come from the works of ee cummings, Virginia Woolf, and William Steig
Enjoys artwork by Marc Chagall
At her website she lists favorite quotes from Ray Bradbury, John Keats, and Willa Cather
Also at her website she lists some favorite things, including: rivers, red desert mountains, rain, poetry, art, and going out to dinner among other things
Genre:
Contemporary realistic fiction – grief, death, relationships, all blended with romance
Curriculum Ties:
Use in literature classes
Booktalking Ideas:
Lennie and her sister, Bailey, are inseparable. Suddenly, Bailey dies. Lennie continually thinks of her sister, “My sister dies over and over again, all day long.”
Lennie is in love with two boys and they love her. It’s complicated. Among other problems, one of the boys is her dead sister’s boyfriend.
Reading Level/Interest Age:
High school
Additional Books by Author:
None
Challenge Issues:
Sexuality, teen use of alcohol
Deal with challenge by having a challenge policy in place, selection policy in place (ALA policies). Meet with library administration if necessary. Provide positive review(s) from professional publications.
Why this work is included in Peach’s Picks:
This book is included because a friend recommended it to me. The book received positive reviews in School Library Journal and Booklist. Five peaches are awarded for the complex story that combines self-discovery and romance while dealing with a difficult subject.
Amazon link:
http://www.amazon.com/Sky-Everywhere-Jandy-Nelson/dp/0803734956/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1273288741&sr=1-1
References:
Nelson, J. (2010). “bio.” Jandy Nelson. Retrieved May 2, 2010, from http://jandynelson.com/bio.html
The Sky is Everywhere
Author:
Jandy Nelson
Illustrator:
None
ISBN:
978-0-8037-3495-1
Publisher:
New York: Dial Books
Copyright:
2010
Length:
275 pages
Plot Summary:
Lennie, a 17-year-old girl, and her older sister, Bailey, are extremely close. They were abandoned by their mother when young. The girls live with their Gram, who has a talent for gardening, and their Uncle Big, who has a talent for smoking marijuana, in a hippie-like community in Northern California. Lennie, named after John Lennon, is a gifted musician who lives in the shadow of her talented sister, a promising actress. The book opens with the family grieving Bailey’s sudden death from an arrhythmia while rehearsing for a production of Romeo and Juliet. Hidden emotions roil to the surface in the time after Bailey’s death. Lennie realizes that the sister to whom she was so close has kept secrets from her. Also, Lennie discovers that her own emotions are buried secrets. Making life even more complicated for Lennie are two boys. Toby, Bailey’s boyfriend, and Lennie grieve together seeking solace. Joe is the handsome new boy in school who has been studying music in France. A love triangle develops involving the three teens.
Critical Evaluation:
The characters are well-developed and likeable. The reader comes to care for each one. The voices of each character feel authentic, well representing their personalities. After her death, the reader comes to know and understand Bailey through the eyes of her family and friends. All the characters grow and develop in a logical manner throughout the book. Each chapter contains an embedded, well written poem by Lennie. The book’s designer presents the poems so they appear to be reproduced on the scraps of paper, envelopes, walls, or other items on which they were written. A notation is included next to the poem telling where it was found. These poems float away from Lennie as did her mother and sister. The poems relate to the text, enhance the story, and can be read separately from the text creating a snapshot of Lennie’s emotions. There are three distinct themes in the book, some better developed than other. First there is the theme of dealing with death and grief which was very well-developed. There is also the theme of abandonment; the mother abandoning her daughters and Bailey abandoning her family through death. This theme is fairly well-developed. Finally, the story contains a romantic triangle that is not as well-developed, but will be thoroughly enjoyed by readers. References are made to the book Wuthering Heights. Teen girls will enjoy the emotional roller coaster this book provides.
Reader’s Annotation:
Seventeen-year-old Lennie falls in love for the first time while grieving her sister’s death. Unfortunately, she is in love with two boys, her sister’s boyfriend and the handsome, talented new boy in school.
Author Information:
Lives in San Francisco
Holds the following degrees: BA from Cornell, MFA in poetry from Brown, MFA in writing for children and young adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts
Works as a literary agent
Is a published poet
Her favorite book is One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Some of her favorite passages from books come from the works of ee cummings, Virginia Woolf, and William Steig
Enjoys artwork by Marc Chagall
At her website she lists favorite quotes from Ray Bradbury, John Keats, and Willa Cather
Also at her website she lists some favorite things, including: rivers, red desert mountains, rain, poetry, art, and going out to dinner among other things
Genre:
Contemporary realistic fiction – grief, death, relationships, all blended with romance
Curriculum Ties:
Use in literature classes
Booktalking Ideas:
Lennie and her sister, Bailey, are inseparable. Suddenly, Bailey dies. Lennie continually thinks of her sister, “My sister dies over and over again, all day long.”
Lennie is in love with two boys and they love her. It’s complicated. Among other problems, one of the boys is her dead sister’s boyfriend.
Reading Level/Interest Age:
High school
Additional Books by Author:
None
Challenge Issues:
Sexuality, teen use of alcohol
Deal with challenge by having a challenge policy in place, selection policy in place (ALA policies). Meet with library administration if necessary. Provide positive review(s) from professional publications.
Why this work is included in Peach’s Picks:
This book is included because a friend recommended it to me. The book received positive reviews in School Library Journal and Booklist. Five peaches are awarded for the complex story that combines self-discovery and romance while dealing with a difficult subject.
Amazon link:
http://www.amazon.com/Sky-Everywhere-Jandy-Nelson/dp/0803734956/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1273288741&sr=1-1
References:
Nelson, J. (2010). “bio.” Jandy Nelson. Retrieved May 2, 2010, from http://jandynelson.com/bio.html
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