The Sun Is Also a Star

Reading Check and Short Answer questions on key points are designed for guided reading assignments, in-class review, formative assessment, quizzes, and more.

Prologue-“Multiverses: A Quantum History”

Reading Check

1. Who is Charlie?

2. What does irie mean?

3. What’s the name of the record store in which Natasha and Daniel meet?

4. What does Natasha initially call Daniel?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. When did Charlie start hating Daniel?

2. What does Daniel’s mom ask him to take to his father at the store?

3. What does the conductor share with all the passengers on the train?

4. How does Daniel save Natasha?

Paired Resource

“Why the Children of Immigrants Are the Ones Getting Ahead in America”

• This article from Time Magazine attributes the success of children of immigrants to the work ethic they see from their parents.
• This resource connects to the theme of The Precarity of the American Dream.
• What enables the children of immigrants to advance in America? Why are Daniel’s parents so disappointed with Charlie? How does their reaction reveal their fear of The Precarity of the American Dream?

“Daniel”-“The Waitress: A History of Love”

Reading Check

1. How much time does Natasha give Daniel to make her fall in love with him?

2. What kind of fame does Natasha say she wants?

3. Why is Jeremy Fitzgerald unable to keep his appointment with Natasha?

4. What color does Natasha want to dye her hair?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. How does Daniel persuade Natasha to give him a chance?

2. How does Natasha think she is going to die?

3. What does Natasha want to do after her appointment?

4. What does Natasha realize when Daniel asks her to wait outside the store?

Paired Resource

“Mildred and Richard: The Love Story that Changed America”

• This resource from History.com recounts the history-changing relationship between Mildred Jeter, a Black woman, and Richard Loving, a white man. It also provides historical context of laws that prohibited cross-racial relationships in America.
• This resource connects to the theme of Empathy Through Cross-Cultural Connection.
• What are some of the challenges the Lovings faced as a result of their cross-racial relationship? What does Daniel’s family’s reaction to Natasha suggest about their culture?

“Natasha”-“Dae Hyun Bae: A Dad's History”

Reading Check

1. Where does Daniel take Natasha after lunch at the Korean restaurant?

2. What does Natasha say is her dad’s primary emotion?

3. What play does Natasha’s father finally get a role in?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. What does Natasha reveal to Daniel outside of the Museum of National History?

2. What do the three Fates do?

3. Why does Mr. Bae push his sons to be successful?

Paired Resource

A Raisin in the Sun on SuperSummary

• This resource provides a summary of A Raisin in the Sun, the only play that Samuel Kingsley has ever acted in.
• This resource connects to the theme of The Precarity of the American Dream.
• After reading about Walter Younger, how does this character reflect the realities of Samuel Kingsley’s life?

“Natasha”-“Irene: An Alternative History”

Reading Check

1. What does Natasha ask Rob when she calls him?

2. What does Natasha get from Charlie?

3. Who would Daniel invite to dinner?

4. What would Daniel save in a fire?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. What does Daniel discover about the location of his interview?

2. How does Daniel explain dark matter?

3. Why was Jeremy Fitzgerald unable to stop Natasha’s deportation?

4. What does Natasha say is the secret to understanding Charlie?

Paired Resource

“The 36 Questions That Lead to Love”

• This resource from MBG Relationships contains information from the study Daniel references about the 36 questions that can make any two people fall in love.
• Teacher-appropriate; potentially not student-appropriate
• This resource connects to the theme of Empathy Through Cross-Cultural Connection.

Recommended Next Reads 

Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon

• This young adult novel tells the story Madeline Whittier, an isolated 18-year-old with a rare autoimmune disorder that makes it impossible for her to fight off infections from the outside world. When a teenager named Olly Bright moves into the house next door, an unexpected relationship blossoms between them—a relationship that leads them down a path full of risks, secrets, and lies that change the trajectory of both of their lives. 
• Shared topics include young love, parent-child relationships, and coming of age.
• Everything, Everything on SuperSummary

They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera

• In this dystopian novel, a company called Death-Cast in New York City predicts the deaths of its citizens, and Mateo Torrez and Rufus Emeterio have just received the news that they will both die in 24 hours. Together, on their last day, they discover the meaning of mortality, friendship, and love.
• This novel relates to the theme of The Multiverse and Alternative Histories.
• Shared topics include the importance of one day, fate, and living without regret.
• They Both Die at the End on SuperSummary