I'll Give You the Sun: List 4: The Invisible Museum (3)-The History of Luck (4)

by Jandy Nelson
Jude and Noah are talented, artistic, impassioned teenagers—and fraternal twins. In this novel, they take turns telling the story of how their family falls apart—and comes together again.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: List 1: The Invisible Museum (1)-The History of Luck (1), List 2: The Invisible Museum (2), List 3: The History of Luck (2), List 4: The Invisible Museum (3)-The History of Luck (4)
15 words 82 learners

Learn words with Flashcards and other activities

Definition First
Print Flashcards

Other learning activities

Answer a few questions about each word. Use this to prep for your next quiz! Compete with other teams in real time to see who answers the most questions correctly! Test your spelling acumen. Read the definition, listen to the word and try spelling it!

Teaching tools

Create and assign quizzes to your students to test their vocabulary. Assign learning activities including Practice, Vocabulary Jams and Spelling Bees to your students, and monitor their progress in real-time.

Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. mantra
    a commonly repeated word or phrase
    “Who knew we needed a new roof?” Dad mumbles to himself again and again like a mantra.
  2. existential
    relating to or dealing with the state of being
    “Quite an existential dilemma that parrot has put us all in,” Mom says, smiling at him.
  3. flummox
    be a mystery or bewildering to
    I never really told either of them too much about last summer, which is reflected in both of their flummoxed faces.
  4. sacrilegious
    grossly irreverent toward what is considered holy
    Dad and I boxed up all the clothes, but neither of us could bear touching the dressing table. It felt sacrilegious. This was her altar.
  5. extricate
    release from entanglement or difficulty
    I close my eyes for a moment and then it’s as if I’ve woken from the deepest slumber, as if someone has extricated me from granite.
  6. harbinger
    something indicating the approach of something or someone
    This is how I think of him: like his namesake, the raven, a harbinger of death and doom. He’s a human hex, a tall blond column of darkness. Zephyr Ravens is an eclipse.
  7. exodus
    a journey by a large group to escape from a hostile environment
    The crowd’s in a mass exodus toward the street.
  8. muse
    the source of an artist's inspiration
    Noah was Mom’s muse. I feel certain of it, and unbelievably without jealousy, understand it.
  9. tenacity
    persistent determination
    Love does as it undoes. It goes after, with equal tenacity: joy and heartbreak.
  10. palpable
    capable of being perceived
    The excitement in the room is palpable as Noah and Dad continue chopping and dicing.
  11. rhapsodize
    say with great enthusiasm
    I can tell Noah’s painting in his head while Dad rhapsodizes about what it will be like to dive off the deck for a swim and what an inspiring place it would be to live if only anyone in the family had artistic inclinations.
  12. motley
    consisting of a haphazard assortment of different kinds
    Somehow it’s us again, with a few motley additions to our wobbly people poles, but us. The imposters have left the premises.
  13. kindred
    similar in quality or character
    “She always joked that I wasn’t to meet you until I’d been sober for three years and you were at least twenty-five because she was certain we’d fall head over heels in love and that would be that for both of us. She thought we were kindred spirits.”
  14. tutelage
    teaching pupils individually
    My hands are getting involved in the soliloquy thanks to Guillermo’s tutelage.
  15. presumptuous
    going beyond what is appropriate, permitted, or courteous
    And for the record, as you’re so fond of saying, missy, you, young lady, do not make me up. How presumptuous.
Created on Mon Jan 01 18:50:43 EST 2018 (updated Wed Jul 30 11:43:56 EDT 2025)

Sign up now (it’s free!)

Whether you’re a teacher or a learner, Vocabulary.com can put you or your class on the path to systematic vocabulary improvement.