ACCESS DIGITIZED EDITION
Guide/Reviews Database
INTERMEDIATE FICTION
McNicoll, Elle

A Kind of Spark

192 pp. | Crown | October, 2021 | Trade ISBN 978-0-593-37425-2 $16.99 | Library ISBN 978-0-593-37426-9 $19.99 | Ebook ISBN 978-0-593-37427-6 $9.99
(2) 4-6 Protagonist Addie is a girl with autism who is on a mission. Learning about her Scottish village's history of witch trials in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, Addie is moved to persuade the civic powers-that-be to create a memorial to the victims of those witch hunts. In parallel with this project Addie deals with her own challenges, from a malevolent teacher to a mean former best friend, and develops a metaphorical bond with historical characters who, like herself, were pilloried for being different. Many readers, on and off the spectrum, will relate to Addie's physical sensitivities, her pleasure in taking a deep dive into a single research subject, and her stress at trying to pass as "normal." As Addie says, "I spend every moment of my life, when I am outside our family home, second-guessing everything that I think and do." The writer (autistic herself) busts some myths about neurodivergency as she presents a flawed, loving, believable family and a convincing, nuanced, and very likable main character with a distinctive voice.
Reviewer: Sarah Ellis | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2021

RELATED 

INTERMEDIATE FICTION

The Republic of Birds
by Miller, Jessica
INTERMEDIATE FICTION

Atlantis
by Mone, Gregory
INTERMEDIATE FICTION

It Doesn't Take a Genius
by Rhuday-Perkovich, Olugbemisola
INTERMEDIATE FICTION

Cece Rios and the Desert of Souls
by Rivera, Kaela
INTERMEDIATE FICTION

Soul Lanterns
by Kuzki, Shaw
More

Get connected. Join our global community of more than 200,000 librarians and educators.

This coverage is free for all visitors. Your support makes this possible.

We are currently offering this content for free. Sign up now to activate your personal profile, where you can save articles for future viewing.

ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER?