A Kind of Spark

by Elle McNicoll (Author)

A Kind of Spark
Reading Level: 4th − 5th Grade

Perfect for readers of Song for a Whale and Counting by 7s, a neurodivergent girl campaigns for a memorial when she learns that her small Scottish town used to burn witches simply because they were different.

"A must-read for students and adults alike." -School Library Journal, Starred Review

Ever since Ms. Murphy told us about the witch trials that happened centuries ago right here in Juniper, I can't stop thinking about them. Those people weren't magic. They were like me. Different like me.

I'm autistic. I see things that others do not. I hear sounds that they can ignore. And sometimes I feel things all at once. I think about the witches, with no one to speak for them. Not everyone in our small town understands. But if I keep trying, maybe someone will. I won't let the witches be forgotten. Because there is more to their story. Just like there is more to mine.

Award-winning and neurodivergent author Elle McNicoll delivers an insightful and stirring debut about the European witch trials and a girl who refuses to relent in the fight for what she knows is right.

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Kirkus

The author, herself neurodivergent, imbues Addie's unapologetically autistic perspective with compassion and insight.

None

The writer (autistic herself) busts some myths about neuro-divergency as she presents a flawed, loving, believable family and a convincing, nuanced, and very likable main character with a distinctive voice.

School Library Journal

Starred Review

Gr 5 Up--Middle schooler Addie is autistic, and this year will be one of great change. When the teacher she had hoped for gets sick, she is stuck with Ms. Murphy, a bully who doesn't want Addie in her class just because she is different. When Addie learns that her small Scottish village used to try "suspicious" women and execute them as witches, she feels a deep and concerning connection with these outcasts. She realizes that it is up to her to ensure that this piece of history, and these women, are not forgotten. But will Addie be able to pull strength from her family and herself while facing opposition from school and the city council because of her autism? This deeply honest, at times painful story brings a much-needed look at middle school from the perspective of neurodiverse students. Addie's twin older sisters, one of whom is also autistic, provide strong examples of healthy family relationships, and her new friend Audrey loves Addie for who she is. This debut novel from neurodivergent author McNicoll will bring readers to tears and have them cheering for Addie as she learns how much she has to offer the world. Addie and her family are cued as white. VERDICT A first purchase in middle grade collections; a must-read for students and adults alike.--Emily Beasley, Omaha Public Sch., NE

Copyright 2021 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Publishers Weekly

In McNicoll's contemporary debut of advocacy and allyship, an autistic 11-year-old seeks to memorialize the women once tried as witches in her Scottish village. School is a mixed bag for Addie: while librarian Mr. Allison supports her interest in sharks, and new girl Audrey represents a promising friendship, teacher Ms. Murphy mocks Addie openly in class, and the tween can "see the stares, hear the whispers and the giggles" among her classmates. At home with her presumed-white family, older sister Keedie, who's also autistic, understands many of Addie's experiences, including the strain of masking in a largely neurotypical world, but faces her own difficulties at university. Keedie's twin Nina, meanwhile, is often irritable and jealous of her sisters' bond. During a school lesson about women who were tried, tortured, and executed for witchcraft, deeply empathic Addie draws parallels between history and her own present-day interactions, and begins to campaign for a memorial, undeterred by the town council's detractors. Though the unvarnished cruelty that Addie experiences can be painful to read, McNicoll, herself neurodivergent, portrays with clarity Addie's neurological reality, interpersonal bonds, and thoughtful reflections. Ages 8-12. (Oct.)

Copyright 2021 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

Review quotes

Whether they're facing similar neurodivergent challenges or not, readers will appreciate Addie's honesty, and they may follow her lead in reconsidering history. -The Bulletin


Elle McNicoll
Elle McNicoll is a Scottish and neurodivergent writer, happily living in London. Her first children's novel, A Kind of Spark, was a Carnegie Medal nominee and a Schneider Family Award Honor Book. Her second novel, Show Us Who You Are, is her love letter to neurodivergent friendships and her believe that disabled kids belong in genre fiction!
Classification
Fiction
ISBN-13
9780593374283
Lexile Measure
580
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Crown Books for Young Readers
Publication date
October 11, 2022
Series
-
BISAC categories
JUV039060 - Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | Friendship
JUV039150 - Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | Special Needs
JUV039230 - Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | Bullying
Library of Congress categories
Witches
Scotland
Autistic children
Witchcraft
Monuments
Witch hunting
Schneider Family Book Award
Honor Book 2022
A Peter Blue Book Award Winner for Best Story of the Year!
2022

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