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A Kind of Spark #1
A Kind Of Spark
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.
"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.
208 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 4, 2020
305 people are currently reading
11011 people want to read
About the author
Elle McNicoll
20 books743 followersHey, I'm Elle. I'm Scottish, autistic and an author/screenwriter who is really bad at logging her reading choices.
I write about autistic girls finding out who they are and what makes them happy, because I'm an autistic girl trying to find out who she is and what makes her happy.
I don't read reviews, as they are for readers, but I'm grateful to any and everyone who engages with my work, on the page or on the screen. My Young Adult Romance debut is called Some Like It Cold in it will be published on the 3rd of October. Official professional shiz below:
Elle McNicoll is a bestselling and award-winning novelist and screenwriter. Her debut, A Kind of Spark, won the Blue Peter Book Award and the Overall Waterstones Children’s Book Prize, as well as Blackwell’s Book of 2020. She is a four time Carnegie nominated author, and was shortlisted for the Books Are My Bag Awards 2020, 2021 and 2022, the Branford Boase Award 2020 and The Little Rebels Award 2020 and 2021. She was also honoured in the US with the Schneider Award, 2022.
Her second Middle Grade novel, Show Us Who You Are, was Blackwell’s Book of the Month and one of The Bookseller’s Best Books of 2021. Her first fantasy middle grade, Like a Charm, was nominated for Best Children’s Book for Older Readers in the first ever Week Junior Book Awards, and was highly praised in the New York Times.
Her debut novel, A Kind of Spark, has also been adapted for television, which debuted on UK and US screens on the 2nd of April, 2023. It is Emmy nominated and won Best Children’s Programme at the Broadcast Awards and the Royal Television Society Awards in London, 2024 and is now streaming in many territories around the globe. A second season is currently airing on CBBC.
Her debut Middle Grade was named as one of the greatest children’s books of all time, coming in at number 75, and she is twice nominated for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award.
Her YA debut, Some Like It Cold, will be published on October 1st (US) and October 3rd (UK). She is an advocate for better representation of neurodiversity in publishing, as an autistic and dyspraxic novelist, and currently lives in North London.
I write about autistic girls finding out who they are and what makes them happy, because I'm an autistic girl trying to find out who she is and what makes her happy.
I don't read reviews, as they are for readers, but I'm grateful to any and everyone who engages with my work, on the page or on the screen. My Young Adult Romance debut is called Some Like It Cold in it will be published on the 3rd of October. Official professional shiz below:
Elle McNicoll is a bestselling and award-winning novelist and screenwriter. Her debut, A Kind of Spark, won the Blue Peter Book Award and the Overall Waterstones Children’s Book Prize, as well as Blackwell’s Book of 2020. She is a four time Carnegie nominated author, and was shortlisted for the Books Are My Bag Awards 2020, 2021 and 2022, the Branford Boase Award 2020 and The Little Rebels Award 2020 and 2021. She was also honoured in the US with the Schneider Award, 2022.
Her second Middle Grade novel, Show Us Who You Are, was Blackwell’s Book of the Month and one of The Bookseller’s Best Books of 2021. Her first fantasy middle grade, Like a Charm, was nominated for Best Children’s Book for Older Readers in the first ever Week Junior Book Awards, and was highly praised in the New York Times.
Her debut novel, A Kind of Spark, has also been adapted for television, which debuted on UK and US screens on the 2nd of April, 2023. It is Emmy nominated and won Best Children’s Programme at the Broadcast Awards and the Royal Television Society Awards in London, 2024 and is now streaming in many territories around the globe. A second season is currently airing on CBBC.
Her debut Middle Grade was named as one of the greatest children’s books of all time, coming in at number 75, and she is twice nominated for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award.
Her YA debut, Some Like It Cold, will be published on October 1st (US) and October 3rd (UK). She is an advocate for better representation of neurodiversity in publishing, as an autistic and dyspraxic novelist, and currently lives in North London.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,889 reviews
January 7, 2021
"People aren't like books. A familiar book is always the same, always comforting and full of the same words and pictures. A familiar person can be new and challenging, no matter how many times you try to read them."
I want to read more OwnVoices books with disability representation so why not start this journey with a middle grade story about a girl with autism? It already had rave reviews so I knew I was in for something good. I finished this book in two hours. Didn't want it to stop. It's set in a town near Edinburgh where centuries ago, countless women were killed because they were falsely accused of being witches. Many (many) years later, Addie, a young, autistic girl, finds out about the witch trials and starts a campaign to set up a monument in their town to honour the women that were killed and tortured simply for being different. Addie feels a close bond to them, because she is picked on and bullied at school by other pupils as well as her teacher. She only ever feels understood when she's with her older sister, who is also autistic, or when she's in the library reading about her favourite animals - sharks.
A Kind of Spark is an incredibly touching and powerful book. The characters are well-drawn and while I would have liked for this book to be longer, it was shown that everyone had their own struggles and flaws. I thought it was wonderful that Addie, despite the abuse she experienced at the hand of classmates and authority figures, stayed strong and blossomed. She is caring, passionate and smart. The writing was beautiful too and there were so many quotable lines that brought tears to my eyes. And I loved being back in Edinburgh for a short while, to hear familiar names of places that I love.
Every classroom library should have this little, powerful book on their shelves. It just goes to show how important OwnVoices books are. Many students might feel seen, others will learn to show kindness and compassion and to not underestimate someone simply because they are different to you.
And simply put, it's just a very good book.
Find more of my books on Instagram
I want to read more OwnVoices books with disability representation so why not start this journey with a middle grade story about a girl with autism? It already had rave reviews so I knew I was in for something good. I finished this book in two hours. Didn't want it to stop. It's set in a town near Edinburgh where centuries ago, countless women were killed because they were falsely accused of being witches. Many (many) years later, Addie, a young, autistic girl, finds out about the witch trials and starts a campaign to set up a monument in their town to honour the women that were killed and tortured simply for being different. Addie feels a close bond to them, because she is picked on and bullied at school by other pupils as well as her teacher. She only ever feels understood when she's with her older sister, who is also autistic, or when she's in the library reading about her favourite animals - sharks.
A Kind of Spark is an incredibly touching and powerful book. The characters are well-drawn and while I would have liked for this book to be longer, it was shown that everyone had their own struggles and flaws. I thought it was wonderful that Addie, despite the abuse she experienced at the hand of classmates and authority figures, stayed strong and blossomed. She is caring, passionate and smart. The writing was beautiful too and there were so many quotable lines that brought tears to my eyes. And I loved being back in Edinburgh for a short while, to hear familiar names of places that I love.
Every classroom library should have this little, powerful book on their shelves. It just goes to show how important OwnVoices books are. Many students might feel seen, others will learn to show kindness and compassion and to not underestimate someone simply because they are different to you.
And simply put, it's just a very good book.
Find more of my books on Instagram
October 13, 2020
A stunning, moving and powerful book with a main character a lot of people - children and adults - should look up to.
Addie is a young, autistic girl living in a small village near Edinburgh. When she learns about the innocent women who lost their lives during the witch trials centuries before, she makes it her mission to honour and memorialise them. Unfortunately, in a village where prejudice against anyone who is different is rife, Addie finds her mission to be much harder than she first realised.
Middle grade books with disability representation is very hard to come by, and 'A Kind of Spark' is Own Voices and written by a Neurodivergent writer. Elle McNicoll has done a phenomenal job at portraying the trials that autistic people have to face from neurotypical people. I am neurotypical and I didn't realise just how much I had to learn from Addie. I have come away from my experience reading this with a greater understanding of what it means to be autistic, and not just the differences, but the similarities between us. And as Addie says in the book, "But... while you may be neurotypical and I'm autistic, I promise. We are more alike than we are different."
The power and strength of Addie is inspiration to anyone who reads this. She sympathises with the innocent women who lost their lives centuries before, and demonstrates empathy far more than the adults in this text. Addie does not stop, even with every obstacle that is thrown her way. This book shows the power that children have in making change if we, as adults, give them a chance. Adults don't always know better.
Speaking of the adults, I severely hate Miss Murphy with a passion. She is the kind of person who should have read a book like this as a child so she could learn to not be prejudiced against people who are different. This book should be in every school library. It should be taught in classrooms. Adults should be made to read it so they avoid doing the infuriating things Miss Murphy does in this book.
I loved this book and it taught me so much. I would highly recommend reading it.
Addie is a young, autistic girl living in a small village near Edinburgh. When she learns about the innocent women who lost their lives during the witch trials centuries before, she makes it her mission to honour and memorialise them. Unfortunately, in a village where prejudice against anyone who is different is rife, Addie finds her mission to be much harder than she first realised.
Middle grade books with disability representation is very hard to come by, and 'A Kind of Spark' is Own Voices and written by a Neurodivergent writer. Elle McNicoll has done a phenomenal job at portraying the trials that autistic people have to face from neurotypical people. I am neurotypical and I didn't realise just how much I had to learn from Addie. I have come away from my experience reading this with a greater understanding of what it means to be autistic, and not just the differences, but the similarities between us. And as Addie says in the book, "But... while you may be neurotypical and I'm autistic, I promise. We are more alike than we are different."
The power and strength of Addie is inspiration to anyone who reads this. She sympathises with the innocent women who lost their lives centuries before, and demonstrates empathy far more than the adults in this text. Addie does not stop, even with every obstacle that is thrown her way. This book shows the power that children have in making change if we, as adults, give them a chance. Adults don't always know better.
Speaking of the adults, I severely hate Miss Murphy with a passion. She is the kind of person who should have read a book like this as a child so she could learn to not be prejudiced against people who are different. This book should be in every school library. It should be taught in classrooms. Adults should be made to read it so they avoid doing the infuriating things Miss Murphy does in this book.
I loved this book and it taught me so much. I would highly recommend reading it.
June 28, 2021
Elle McNicoll’s debut book’s a sensitive exploration of what it means to be labelled as different and then treated as an outsider. It centres on 11-year-old Addie who lives in a village community close to Edinburgh, it’s a new school year and she’s suddenly confronted with a relentlessly mocking teacher and targeted by bullies intent on making life miserable. Addie’s being singled out because she’s autistic but then a classroom assignment about local women killed during the Scottish Witch Trials sparks her interest. Among her classmates only Addie fully grasps what life might have been like for women scapegoated and persecuted because they didn’t fit the rigid roles on offer. So, Addie campaigns for a memorial dedicated to them, a project that unexpectedly provides the means for Addie to assert herself and overcome her tormentors. McNicoll’s a neurodivergent author so she’s drawn on her own experiences here and her creation Addie’s an extremely convincing character. McNicoll’s a skilful writer, although there are a few heavy-handed passages here and there, and her ending’s a little rushed – not unusual in a first-time author’s work. But overall, I thought this was a really well-crafted, incredibly compelling piece, as it unfolded, I found myself completely immersed in Addie's story. McNicoll's publisher’s worth mentioning here too, it’s a small, independent “Knights Of” dedicated to diversity, inclusivity and actively supporting authors from under-represented backgrounds, if their other children's books are anywhere near as good as this one it’s definitely a list worth following.
November 24, 2020
ENGLISH The autistic community sees... so much ableism, and so many people trying to tell our stories and speak for us. So to have a book like this, for children, means so much. I've already read this book twice, because I found it somewhat hard to read at first and wanted to give myself the opportunity to really let it sink in and to form an actual opinion on it. It wasn't hard at first because I didn't like the book, but because it hit a little too close to home and I read it at a time where I couldn't handle that very well. The second time I read it, I found it such an empowering book. Addie is an extremely relatable main character, even for me at 27 years old, and it gave me so much strength to see how she stood up for herself and dealt with her teacher's and classmate's bullying. I would highly recommend this to everyone who's autistic and everyone who wants to understand autistic people better.
DUTCH De autistische gemeenschap heeft te maken met zoveel validisme en stigma, en veel mensen proberen ons verhaal te vertellen en voor ons te praten. Dus een boek als dit, voor kinderen, betekent heel veel. Ik heb dit boek al twee keer gelezen, omdat ik het de eerste keer wat lastig vond om te lezen en ik mezelf de kans wilde geven om het boek te laten bezinken en er daadwerkelijk een mening over te vormen. De eerste keer was het niet lastig omdat ik het een slecht boek vond, maar omdat het iets te dichtbij kwam allemaal en ik het las op een moment waarop ik daar niet zo goed mee om kon gaan. De tweede keer dat ik het las vond ik het zo empowering. Addie is een enorm herkenbare hoofdpersoon, zelfs voor mij als 27-jarige, en het gaf me zoveel kracht om te zien hoe ze voor zichzelf opkwam en omging met het pesten van haar docent en klasgenoten. Ik zou dit enorm aanraden aan iedereen die autistisch is en aan iedereen die autistische mensen graag beter wil begrijpen.
CW for ableism and bullying
DUTCH De autistische gemeenschap heeft te maken met zoveel validisme en stigma, en veel mensen proberen ons verhaal te vertellen en voor ons te praten. Dus een boek als dit, voor kinderen, betekent heel veel. Ik heb dit boek al twee keer gelezen, omdat ik het de eerste keer wat lastig vond om te lezen en ik mezelf de kans wilde geven om het boek te laten bezinken en er daadwerkelijk een mening over te vormen. De eerste keer was het niet lastig omdat ik het een slecht boek vond, maar omdat het iets te dichtbij kwam allemaal en ik het las op een moment waarop ik daar niet zo goed mee om kon gaan. De tweede keer dat ik het las vond ik het zo empowering. Addie is een enorm herkenbare hoofdpersoon, zelfs voor mij als 27-jarige, en het gaf me zoveel kracht om te zien hoe ze voor zichzelf opkwam en omging met het pesten van haar docent en klasgenoten. Ik zou dit enorm aanraden aan iedereen die autistisch is en aan iedereen die autistische mensen graag beter wil begrijpen.
CW for ableism and bullying
June 2, 2024
داستان دختر ۱۱ ساله اوتیسمیای به اسم ادلاینه که وقتی میفهمه تو روستاشون سالها قبل، زنان رو فقط بخاطر اینکه متفاوت بودن، به اتهام جادوگری میسوزوندن، تصمیم میگیره مراسم یادبودی برای اونها برگزار کنه.
باتوجه به اینکه خود نویسنده با چنین مشکلی دست و پنجه نرم کرده، خوندن این کتاب رو برای رده سنی کودک و نوجوان، برای اینکه بتونن همسالان متفاوت خودشون رو درک کنن، حتما توصیه میکنم.
باتوجه به اینکه خود نویسنده با چنین مشکلی دست و پنجه نرم کرده، خوندن این کتاب رو برای رده سنی کودک و نوجوان، برای اینکه بتونن همسالان متفاوت خودشون رو درک کنن، حتما توصیه میکنم.
June 22, 2020
Since the early nineties, autism was something that was rarely discussed and certainly never understood. Knowledge of and a window into what it means to be autistic in the world of children’s literature has been even scanter. The literature that I have encountered such as The London Eye Mystery and I Am Bat or My Brother Sammy have all been written by people who may have worked with or lived with children who are autistic but A Kind of Spark is, uniquely, a book which has been written who identifies as neurodivergent.
The story revolves around eleven year-old Addie who, having just begun a new year in school, finds herself subjected to bullying not only by a former-friend but also by her class teacher. Fortunately the school’s librarian is there to support her and a new girl, Audrey is also drawn to her character. Together, they become interested in a deep-rooted hidden story around there little, Scottish town of Juniper which tells of a group of witches who were murdered not for their recorded crimes but for their difference. With the help and guidance of her older sister Keedie, who is also autistic, Addie works tirelessly to have a plaque erected in order to honour those women who spent their lives being misunderstood and mistreated.
A Kind of Spark may have a story about acceptance and understanding as its central thread but this takes nothing away from the fact that the story itself is engaging and finely plotted. I enjoyed finding out about why it was Addie’s elder twin sisters were so at odds with each other, or why Keedie desperately struggled with University Life. All the characters felt real and there was a well-woven and steady pace throughout the whole story. The cherry on the top of this already very well-written story though was being gifted with a glimpse into the world through the eyes of someone who is autistic.
For a debut, McNicoll has achieved something remarkable here. Not only does she present us with a much-needed, authentic insight into what it is to think and be autistic but A Kind of Spark is also an impassioned plea to allow others who are autistic to no longer feel that they must hide who they are in order to ‘fit in’. As a community of readers, it invites us to understand, acknowledge and accept the way autistic people see and live in the world – their joys and their constant struggles. Yes, there is humour here and tension too but there is also a refreshingly unique and beautiful voice that defies boxing in and invites all non-neuro-divergent readers to re-examine everything that they thought before. Perhaps most importantly though, McNicoll presents other autistic readers with something they may never have known they wanted or perhaps had given up searching for: a mirror (as Professor Rudine Sims Bishop would say) and that is a very special gift indeed.
The story revolves around eleven year-old Addie who, having just begun a new year in school, finds herself subjected to bullying not only by a former-friend but also by her class teacher. Fortunately the school’s librarian is there to support her and a new girl, Audrey is also drawn to her character. Together, they become interested in a deep-rooted hidden story around there little, Scottish town of Juniper which tells of a group of witches who were murdered not for their recorded crimes but for their difference. With the help and guidance of her older sister Keedie, who is also autistic, Addie works tirelessly to have a plaque erected in order to honour those women who spent their lives being misunderstood and mistreated.
A Kind of Spark may have a story about acceptance and understanding as its central thread but this takes nothing away from the fact that the story itself is engaging and finely plotted. I enjoyed finding out about why it was Addie’s elder twin sisters were so at odds with each other, or why Keedie desperately struggled with University Life. All the characters felt real and there was a well-woven and steady pace throughout the whole story. The cherry on the top of this already very well-written story though was being gifted with a glimpse into the world through the eyes of someone who is autistic.
For a debut, McNicoll has achieved something remarkable here. Not only does she present us with a much-needed, authentic insight into what it is to think and be autistic but A Kind of Spark is also an impassioned plea to allow others who are autistic to no longer feel that they must hide who they are in order to ‘fit in’. As a community of readers, it invites us to understand, acknowledge and accept the way autistic people see and live in the world – their joys and their constant struggles. Yes, there is humour here and tension too but there is also a refreshingly unique and beautiful voice that defies boxing in and invites all non-neuro-divergent readers to re-examine everything that they thought before. Perhaps most importantly though, McNicoll presents other autistic readers with something they may never have known they wanted or perhaps had given up searching for: a mirror (as Professor Rudine Sims Bishop would say) and that is a very special gift indeed.
October 3, 2020
It takes a lot for a book to make me cry.
Even though I feel stories deeply, and my heart lives and dies with the characters, I don’t usually cry.
But then most books don’t represent me.
This book made me cry, not because it is sad, but because it is everything I needed this book to be.
Had I this book when I was a child maybe, maybe I’d have realised sooner that not only is not being normal ok, it can actually be a superpower. Maybe I’d have felt less out of place. Maybe it would of hurt less.
And maybe, if others read it too, they’ll understand. Maybe they’ll be a bit kinder to those of us who are different. Maybe they’ll realise that being autistic isn’t something to be shamed, it is something to be admired.
Elle McNicoll debut novel is a must read. It is perfect for all genders and all ages. Set in a blustery Scotland with a project of the witch trials at it’s centre, this is the perfect book to snuggle down with on a rainy autumn day.
Even though I feel stories deeply, and my heart lives and dies with the characters, I don’t usually cry.
But then most books don’t represent me.
This book made me cry, not because it is sad, but because it is everything I needed this book to be.
Had I this book when I was a child maybe, maybe I’d have realised sooner that not only is not being normal ok, it can actually be a superpower. Maybe I’d have felt less out of place. Maybe it would of hurt less.
And maybe, if others read it too, they’ll understand. Maybe they’ll be a bit kinder to those of us who are different. Maybe they’ll realise that being autistic isn’t something to be shamed, it is something to be admired.
Elle McNicoll debut novel is a must read. It is perfect for all genders and all ages. Set in a blustery Scotland with a project of the witch trials at it’s centre, this is the perfect book to snuggle down with on a rainy autumn day.
April 8, 2021
I was contacted by Knights Of and the PR team behind A Kind Of Spark through Instagram if I would be interested as an #actuallyautistic reviewer in giving Elle's debut book a try. My review is from the proof copy I was sent!
Wow. Holy hell. A Kind of Spark was such a relatable and gut-wrenching book that at times, I found myself blinking back tears. There were some hardships that the main character Addie had that I've had as well in my life such as being bullied by a teacher. Addie herself lives with her parents and twin older sisters in a village in Scotland and is struggling to get her voice heard. After learning about witches during a class, she decides to campaign for a memorial to those women who were wrongly accused of witchcraft and died in her village. Along the way, she struggles with bullying, trying to find a sense of purpose and belonging in the community and the determination to accomplish a dream. Short, quick read but really impactful with strong messages!
T/W- Bullying, Ableism
Wow. Holy hell. A Kind of Spark was such a relatable and gut-wrenching book that at times, I found myself blinking back tears. There were some hardships that the main character Addie had that I've had as well in my life such as being bullied by a teacher. Addie herself lives with her parents and twin older sisters in a village in Scotland and is struggling to get her voice heard. After learning about witches during a class, she decides to campaign for a memorial to those women who were wrongly accused of witchcraft and died in her village. Along the way, she struggles with bullying, trying to find a sense of purpose and belonging in the community and the determination to accomplish a dream. Short, quick read but really impactful with strong messages!
T/W- Bullying, Ableism
July 29, 2023
Piękna i bardzo wzruszająca. Proszę podrzucać wszystkim, którzy maja kontakt z dzieciakami. Otwiera oczy i przypomina o uważności na drugiego człowieka
January 13, 2024
✰ 3.75 stars ✰
“People don’t understand them.” I touch the shark’s fin. “They hate them, actually. A lot of people. They’re afraid of them and don’t understand them.
So they try to hurt them.”
Do you ever get this horrible ache in your chest when you read about some act of injustice that has happened against someone - some misdirected anger or judgment that has no basis or claim, something completely undeserving or unworthy, but you just can't do anything about it? It's a painful thought, especially when it's something that is happening right in front of you. 😟 But, what can you do, when it's some injustice - some unlawful and unfair act that has happened so long ago in history that it seems almost absurd to feel upset about it. How could you calm that pain and hurt that you feel for those helpless victims of yesteryear? What could you do to ease that guilt and shame that they had to endure - simply to give them some form of retribution in kindness by honoring them? Sometimes it takes a certain act of courage and resilience paired with A Kind of Spark for you to honor their memory in the most courageous of ways. ✨✨
“Lots of women were hanged here in Juniper,” I hear myself telling the reclusive villager. “Without a proper trial. I’ve been reading about it all in the school library. And some witches were burned, or put in barrels full of nails.”
People make sounds of disgust, which sparks anger in me. How can they sit here and be more displeased by my telling of the truth than by the truth itself?”
When Addie, a young autistic eleven-year-old girl, learns about the Scottish witch trials and the innocent women who were wrongly persecuted simply because of who they were, she takes it upon herself to somehow convince the village folk of Juniper, the small village in Edinburgh that she lives in, to raise money to build a memorial for those unfortunate victims who unjustly lost their lives, so the injustice that they faced at other's hands would not to be forgotten. 'The last thing these women knew in this world, the last thing they felt, was fear. Fear and pain. Looking out at people who didn’t understand them, who had accused them of something they weren’t'. 🥺 And yet, it is her willful struggle against the prejudice of those who don't deem it necessary to remember the injustice done towards them and her brave front that she presents, while she tackles her own version of unfair cruelty at her school that makes Addie rise as more than just a victim to those who don't understand her neurodivergence and one who won't let herself change for anyone.
It took me a while to get into the story, but once it started picking up, I found myself invested in it. Addie was a very honest, warm-hearted and caring young girl, whose heart was always in the right place. 'A tear falls and lands on the face of a zebra shark. I quickly wipe it away. No horrible, awful, rubbish day is worth damaging a library book.'🤌🏻 She was compassionate and driven and friendly, too. Her friendship with new London girl Audrey was a welcome and helpful part of her life and it was very comforting to see how there were still some good people out there - 'you’ve got to find the people who accept the real you.'
I liked how the author balanced Addie's family dynamic with her school life; she has two older twin sisters, one who is also autistic. I appreciated how the author showed the difference in her relationship with both sisters - Keedie, who she looks up to and admires and hopes to be like when she grows up, and Nina, the sister, who to her, is the normal one. 🫂 One who isn't on the autism spectrum, but one who still loves her and understands both sisters better than anyone, regardless of her carefree negligence and willful living. It was so well-balanced that when her relationship with her sisters diverged with her school storyline, it tied together very nicely and believably so. 🤍
“I take the horrible word Emily used and, with one final shove, push it in.
And I feel free. Because I know, after all of it, that there’s nothing wrong with me.
There is nothing wrong with me.”
For the strength to me, lay in how the author wove the past with the present - how the actions that resonated so deeply with Addie - how she felt so viscerally for those young women who were unjustly tried and punished - simply because they were different - and to have it mold into Addie's own personal life... 'I am invisible. The real Addie is behind a mask of social rules, regulations, and strange neurotypical customs.' I was left momentarily stunned; it snuck up on me and just ripped open my heart at how incredibly taut the events unfolded. Literally, you don't see it coming, but when it happens...💔💔 I understood why the author was so intent on focusing on certain aspects/ How she centered the imagery to only guide you in one direction that would then allow for it to make sense why Addie felt so deeply for giving a voice to those who didn't have it back then. To let them be heard - maybe not in their time - but just for their voice not to be forgotten. 😔
““You have”—my voice trembles—“no idea what it is like to be punished for something you cannot control. You can’t, or you wouldn’t ignore the importance of this.”
The author did an excellent job at tugging at my heart strings; when I didn't expect that emotional gut-wrenching hurt, she delivered it with brute force. Addie's difficult struggles at school were heart-breaking, but deeply impactful. 👍🏻 It resonated so vividly with why she was so eager and desperate to have the misgivings of the past righted - why she related to those innocent women so deeply, because they reminded them of herself. Of how people could decide on their own that if someone is different than they are not to be accepted - that they are to be targeted and bullied and victimized - for no apparent reason! 😟
The dynamic explored between teachers and students is also a very crucial and important one. Addie's learning skills are on another level from her classmates, but the bullying she endured at the hands of her teacher and fellow students... God, my blood boiled - my heart raged - my tears warred. 😢😢 It was maddening - and saddening. 💔💔 But, what shined was Addie's strength and bravery; of how she didn't allow herself to be silent - not this time - that if she didn't speak up now, then no one ever would. That the cycle of hatred and misjudgement would only continue. And for that, the author should be lauded for how she showed people's hearts can be changed - that acceptance and understanding can only be done if people have the patience and willingness and kindness to listen and realize the errors of their ways. ❤️🩹❤️🩹
“And you might seem strange to someone else. But…while you are neurotypical and I’m autistic, I promise, we are more alike than we are different.”
That’s what my autism is. It’s a kind of spark. It’s like sharks, you see.”
For a middle grade novel, the writing conveyed all the intense emotions to make it a memorable one; it may not have been as captivating as her later books, but even in her debut, I could see the roots for how impactful the author's stories would become. I was able to empathize with Addie's struggles and firmly believed in my heart that she was perfect the way she was - "I like myself the way I am. A lot.'. No one should ever make anyone feel any lesser than who they are. 🙏🏻
“People don’t understand them.” I touch the shark’s fin. “They hate them, actually. A lot of people. They’re afraid of them and don’t understand them.
So they try to hurt them.”
Do you ever get this horrible ache in your chest when you read about some act of injustice that has happened against someone - some misdirected anger or judgment that has no basis or claim, something completely undeserving or unworthy, but you just can't do anything about it? It's a painful thought, especially when it's something that is happening right in front of you. 😟 But, what can you do, when it's some injustice - some unlawful and unfair act that has happened so long ago in history that it seems almost absurd to feel upset about it. How could you calm that pain and hurt that you feel for those helpless victims of yesteryear? What could you do to ease that guilt and shame that they had to endure - simply to give them some form of retribution in kindness by honoring them? Sometimes it takes a certain act of courage and resilience paired with A Kind of Spark for you to honor their memory in the most courageous of ways. ✨✨
“Lots of women were hanged here in Juniper,” I hear myself telling the reclusive villager. “Without a proper trial. I’ve been reading about it all in the school library. And some witches were burned, or put in barrels full of nails.”
People make sounds of disgust, which sparks anger in me. How can they sit here and be more displeased by my telling of the truth than by the truth itself?”
When Addie, a young autistic eleven-year-old girl, learns about the Scottish witch trials and the innocent women who were wrongly persecuted simply because of who they were, she takes it upon herself to somehow convince the village folk of Juniper, the small village in Edinburgh that she lives in, to raise money to build a memorial for those unfortunate victims who unjustly lost their lives, so the injustice that they faced at other's hands would not to be forgotten. 'The last thing these women knew in this world, the last thing they felt, was fear. Fear and pain. Looking out at people who didn’t understand them, who had accused them of something they weren’t'. 🥺 And yet, it is her willful struggle against the prejudice of those who don't deem it necessary to remember the injustice done towards them and her brave front that she presents, while she tackles her own version of unfair cruelty at her school that makes Addie rise as more than just a victim to those who don't understand her neurodivergence and one who won't let herself change for anyone.
It took me a while to get into the story, but once it started picking up, I found myself invested in it. Addie was a very honest, warm-hearted and caring young girl, whose heart was always in the right place. 'A tear falls and lands on the face of a zebra shark. I quickly wipe it away. No horrible, awful, rubbish day is worth damaging a library book.'🤌🏻 She was compassionate and driven and friendly, too. Her friendship with new London girl Audrey was a welcome and helpful part of her life and it was very comforting to see how there were still some good people out there - 'you’ve got to find the people who accept the real you.'
I liked how the author balanced Addie's family dynamic with her school life; she has two older twin sisters, one who is also autistic. I appreciated how the author showed the difference in her relationship with both sisters - Keedie, who she looks up to and admires and hopes to be like when she grows up, and Nina, the sister, who to her, is the normal one. 🫂 One who isn't on the autism spectrum, but one who still loves her and understands both sisters better than anyone, regardless of her carefree negligence and willful living. It was so well-balanced that when her relationship with her sisters diverged with her school storyline, it tied together very nicely and believably so. 🤍
“I take the horrible word Emily used and, with one final shove, push it in.
And I feel free. Because I know, after all of it, that there’s nothing wrong with me.
There is nothing wrong with me.”
For the strength to me, lay in how the author wove the past with the present - how the actions that resonated so deeply with Addie - how she felt so viscerally for those young women who were unjustly tried and punished - simply because they were different - and to have it mold into Addie's own personal life... 'I am invisible. The real Addie is behind a mask of social rules, regulations, and strange neurotypical customs.' I was left momentarily stunned; it snuck up on me and just ripped open my heart at how incredibly taut the events unfolded. Literally, you don't see it coming, but when it happens...💔💔 I understood why the author was so intent on focusing on certain aspects/ How she centered the imagery to only guide you in one direction that would then allow for it to make sense why Addie felt so deeply for giving a voice to those who didn't have it back then. To let them be heard - maybe not in their time - but just for their voice not to be forgotten. 😔
““You have”—my voice trembles—“no idea what it is like to be punished for something you cannot control. You can’t, or you wouldn’t ignore the importance of this.”
The author did an excellent job at tugging at my heart strings; when I didn't expect that emotional gut-wrenching hurt, she delivered it with brute force. Addie's difficult struggles at school were heart-breaking, but deeply impactful. 👍🏻 It resonated so vividly with why she was so eager and desperate to have the misgivings of the past righted - why she related to those innocent women so deeply, because they reminded them of herself. Of how people could decide on their own that if someone is different than they are not to be accepted - that they are to be targeted and bullied and victimized - for no apparent reason! 😟
The dynamic explored between teachers and students is also a very crucial and important one. Addie's learning skills are on another level from her classmates, but the bullying she endured at the hands of her teacher and fellow students... God, my blood boiled - my heart raged - my tears warred. 😢😢 It was maddening - and saddening. 💔💔 But, what shined was Addie's strength and bravery; of how she didn't allow herself to be silent - not this time - that if she didn't speak up now, then no one ever would. That the cycle of hatred and misjudgement would only continue. And for that, the author should be lauded for how she showed people's hearts can be changed - that acceptance and understanding can only be done if people have the patience and willingness and kindness to listen and realize the errors of their ways. ❤️🩹❤️🩹
“And you might seem strange to someone else. But…while you are neurotypical and I’m autistic, I promise, we are more alike than we are different.”
That’s what my autism is. It’s a kind of spark. It’s like sharks, you see.”
For a middle grade novel, the writing conveyed all the intense emotions to make it a memorable one; it may not have been as captivating as her later books, but even in her debut, I could see the roots for how impactful the author's stories would become. I was able to empathize with Addie's struggles and firmly believed in my heart that she was perfect the way she was - "I like myself the way I am. A lot.'. No one should ever make anyone feel any lesser than who they are. 🙏🏻
March 2, 2023
THIS BOOK MADE ME CRY YA'LL. 5 stars. A middle grade book about an young 11 year old autistic girl - Addie - who lives in a small town in Scotland near Edinburgh. She learns about innocent women who lost their lives during the witch trials centuries ago and she sets out to honor those falsely accused so long ago. But not everyone wants her to do this... Addie's sister, Kaddie - is also autistic and is in college and helps her along the way. Addie goes through so much in this book. SO MANY ADULTS SHOULD READ THIS! It truly gives you the perspective of an autistic child. The importance of understanding sensory overload and overstimulation.
Addie: "While you may be neurotypical and I'm autistic, I promise. We are more alike than we are different."
This poor girl went through so much in school and it shows just how important it is that we support children with special needs and those that are different / neurodivergent. This teacher in this story, Miss Murphy, is a terrible person and teacher. I am SO thankful for the teachers my autistic son has today in his Pre-K class. This book also makes you think of how appreciative we, as parents, are for the good teachers we do have.
Highly recommend this book. So glad my friend told me about it!
Addie: "While you may be neurotypical and I'm autistic, I promise. We are more alike than we are different."
This poor girl went through so much in school and it shows just how important it is that we support children with special needs and those that are different / neurodivergent. This teacher in this story, Miss Murphy, is a terrible person and teacher. I am SO thankful for the teachers my autistic son has today in his Pre-K class. This book also makes you think of how appreciative we, as parents, are for the good teachers we do have.
Highly recommend this book. So glad my friend told me about it!
July 6, 2020
A beautiful, heartfelt, lyrical and warm book about speaking up and being proud of who you are. For anyone 8+, but readers of all ages will take something special from this book. An incredibly assured debut.
*Please note: this review is meant as a recommendation only. Please do not use it in any marketing material, online or in print, without asking permission from me first. Thank you!*
*Please note: this review is meant as a recommendation only. Please do not use it in any marketing material, online or in print, without asking permission from me first. Thank you!*
May 18, 2023
Jestem niezwykle wdzięczna za to, że ta króciutka, ale tak pełna treści, książeczka powstała. Przeczytałam kilka książek o spektrum autyzmu i uważam, że żadna z nich, nawet najbardziej merytoryczne i najgłośniejsze wydawnictwa, nie dały mi takiego wglądu w sposób odczuwania świata przez osoby neuroróżnorodne, co ta opowieść małej dziewczynki. Nie pamiętam też kiedy książka ostatnio mnie tak głęboko, po ludzku poruszyła. Naprawdę, aż ściskało mnie w środku i spłakałam się potwornie, nawet dwukrotnie. Jestem zachwycona tym, że to opowieść autystki, a nie o autystce, bezpośrednie i bardzo precyzyjne określanie tego co pod wpływem różnych impulsów działo się w ciele i w głowie Addie naprawdę pozwoliło poczuć się jak w jej skórze i zrozumieć więcej. Bardzo podoba mi się włączenie do tej opowieści czarownic i pokazanie jak społeczeństwo reaguje na odmienność. Piękna, mądra, wzruszająca i pouczająca opowieść dla małych i dużych. Przychylam się do wniosku, aby została umieszczona na liście lektur obowiązkowych.
September 2, 2020
If you had to read one book about autism, let it be this one.
(Full review to come)
(Full review to come)
November 13, 2021
When Addie starts to learn about the witch trials in her hometown, she understand that there's more to them than just their story. Just as she knows there's more to her. Addie is autistic. She sees the world through different eyes, with a different mind. But can she challenge the way other people see her, when she fights for a memorial plaque for the witches of the past?
I'm struggling with how to write my review of this because I feel it's such an important book to read, and I can't quite express how much I want everyone to read it. I've given it 4 stars, but this, I cannot stress enough, is purely due to my own personal taste plot wise. I'm not a massive fan of contemporary or witches. This takes nothing away from how amazing this book is. Written by an own voices, neurodivergent author, you can really feel Addie's emotions and struggles because you know just how real they are. Every injustice, every act of unfairness, stands out and hits the reader in the gut. So many times I wanted to cry when an unkind word is thrown Addie's way, and when an adult dismisses her feelings and opinions.
I'm neurotypical, and I can never fully understand what it feels like to traverse a world that isn't designed with me in mind. To have lights that physically hurt me, and to feel so overpowered by my surroundings that I can't cope. To mask who I really am every single day, just to fit in. But I can educate myself. I can read stories like this, I can put stories like this into my children's hands (one of whom is neurodivergent) and I can try to gain an insight into their world.
Be kind. Be open. Be different.
I'm struggling with how to write my review of this because I feel it's such an important book to read, and I can't quite express how much I want everyone to read it. I've given it 4 stars, but this, I cannot stress enough, is purely due to my own personal taste plot wise. I'm not a massive fan of contemporary or witches. This takes nothing away from how amazing this book is. Written by an own voices, neurodivergent author, you can really feel Addie's emotions and struggles because you know just how real they are. Every injustice, every act of unfairness, stands out and hits the reader in the gut. So many times I wanted to cry when an unkind word is thrown Addie's way, and when an adult dismisses her feelings and opinions.
I'm neurotypical, and I can never fully understand what it feels like to traverse a world that isn't designed with me in mind. To have lights that physically hurt me, and to feel so overpowered by my surroundings that I can't cope. To mask who I really am every single day, just to fit in. But I can educate myself. I can read stories like this, I can put stories like this into my children's hands (one of whom is neurodivergent) and I can try to gain an insight into their world.
Be kind. Be open. Be different.
March 27, 2023
“The ocean needs all kinds of fish. Just like the world needs all kinds of minds. Just one would be really dull, wouldn't it?”
It’s Autism Awareness week so I figured it was the best time to finally pick up this book.
I wasn’t expecting this to touch me so profoundly in the way that it did. I was diagnosed when I was four years old and it took me a while to understand that I was viewing and experiencing the world differently from others. I went through school being ridiculed by teachers and fellow students for the way I handled things or acted in some moments and it wasn’t until I was much older that I understood it was because I was different.
A Kind of Spark felt like a warm hug. I think that’s the best possible way for me to articulate how this made me feel. It felt like it was healing my inner child to see someone, like Addie, like me, in a book like this. If I could go back in time and hand this book to my younger self, I would.
Reading Addie’s experiences throughout this book were raw, and revealing and felt like reading my own experiences as an autistic person through a magnifying glass. The masking, overstimulation, meltdowns, hyper fixations and special interests… are just some of the things that are portrayed fantastically. Honestly, reading this book made me just want to give Mcnicoll a huge hug to say thank you.
I believe A Kind of Spark is an important read for other autistic people to feel seen and for neurotypical people to attempt to understand what life is like through our eyes.
Automatic comfort read.
It’s Autism Awareness week so I figured it was the best time to finally pick up this book.
I wasn’t expecting this to touch me so profoundly in the way that it did. I was diagnosed when I was four years old and it took me a while to understand that I was viewing and experiencing the world differently from others. I went through school being ridiculed by teachers and fellow students for the way I handled things or acted in some moments and it wasn’t until I was much older that I understood it was because I was different.
A Kind of Spark felt like a warm hug. I think that’s the best possible way for me to articulate how this made me feel. It felt like it was healing my inner child to see someone, like Addie, like me, in a book like this. If I could go back in time and hand this book to my younger self, I would.
Reading Addie’s experiences throughout this book were raw, and revealing and felt like reading my own experiences as an autistic person through a magnifying glass. The masking, overstimulation, meltdowns, hyper fixations and special interests… are just some of the things that are portrayed fantastically. Honestly, reading this book made me just want to give Mcnicoll a huge hug to say thank you.
I believe A Kind of Spark is an important read for other autistic people to feel seen and for neurotypical people to attempt to understand what life is like through our eyes.
Automatic comfort read.
Read
December 1, 2021There is a lot of story in this juvenile fiction novel! The main character, Addie, is 11-years-old, autistic, and struggling with her new classroom teacher and a new student who has joined their class this year. Addie has a lot of depth and readers are able to get "into her head" and realize the extent to which she has to mask her autism at times, the passion she has for causes that are important to her, and the complicated family dynamics between Addie and her older sisters - twins, one of which is also autistic. (Through this reading, I also learned that Addie prefers to be referred to as autistic, not as "having autism". Addie says, "It's something you are, not something you have.") Although she is grossly misunderstood, and mistreated, by her homeroom teacher, Addie finds comfort in the school library and support from the school librarian, as well as her family.
A Kind of Spark was written by a neurodivergent author, Elle McNicoll, who is also autistic like the main character. This amazing book should be read by everyone - especially upper elementary, middle, and high school students AND their teachers. – Diana F.
A Kind of Spark was written by a neurodivergent author, Elle McNicoll, who is also autistic like the main character. This amazing book should be read by everyone - especially upper elementary, middle, and high school students AND their teachers. – Diana F.
January 8, 2022
I read this book as part of my research on autism in children's literature.
The author clearly put effort into portraying an accurate and believable representation of an autistic girl... The insistence from Addie and her sister on identity first language was great, and the terminology and explanations were generally all very autistic-friendly and autism-positive, which, as an autistic person, I appreciated.
However, cramming so many different examples of autistic experiences and terminology into one story detracted from the story and made me very aware of the author's narrative voice, rather than Addie's. The autistic characters were more a collection of traits and although those traits were believable and it was refreshing to read about a girl, when most characters tend to be boys, and one who doesn't present as stereotypically as many other characters in literature do, I felt they ended up falling flat, becoming 'soapbox' characters, rather than interesting and complex characters in their own rights.
Using witch trials to explain how autistic people are 'othered' and then discriminated against was a really good plot device, but it was quite heavy handed and too 'in your face' and many of the points became repetitive.
The author clearly put effort into portraying an accurate and believable representation of an autistic girl... The insistence from Addie and her sister on identity first language was great, and the terminology and explanations were generally all very autistic-friendly and autism-positive, which, as an autistic person, I appreciated.
However, cramming so many different examples of autistic experiences and terminology into one story detracted from the story and made me very aware of the author's narrative voice, rather than Addie's. The autistic characters were more a collection of traits and although those traits were believable and it was refreshing to read about a girl, when most characters tend to be boys, and one who doesn't present as stereotypically as many other characters in literature do, I felt they ended up falling flat, becoming 'soapbox' characters, rather than interesting and complex characters in their own rights.
Using witch trials to explain how autistic people are 'othered' and then discriminated against was a really good plot device, but it was quite heavy handed and too 'in your face' and many of the points became repetitive.
November 2, 2021
Ce roman aborde avec douceur le sujet de l’autisme. C’était aussi important que beau et touchant et j’ai adoré.
October 19, 2022
Wow, this one will bring tears to your eyes!
Addie and her older sister are autistic. They don’t “have” autism; it’s not a disease to be cured, they attempt to explain to people.
Unfortunately, people who think they know a lot about autism often have difficulty accepting new ideas. Especially those that think people on the autism spectrum are all alike; non-verbal, combative, and mentally inept. When it’s Addie’s teacher that displays this attitude openly, in the classroom, Addie has a hard time keeping her mouth shut. But she does, most of the time, for fear of making her situation worse. Masking, is what her older sister calls it. Putting on that “mask” constantly for others is exhausting, however, as Addie and her sister come to realize through a series of unfortunate events…
Memorable Quotes:
(Pg.160)-“I don’t need my friends to look like me. I don’t need them to sound like me.I don’t need them to like everything I like. I don’t even need them to think like me. But I do need them to stand up for me when someone writes a horrible word on a present from my sister.”
(Pg. 170)-“My grandpa always says, people like me in the past might not have been the most sociable. Or the chattiest. But while everyone else was around the fireplace gossiping, we were out finding electricity. That’s what my autism is. It’s a kind of spark.”
Addie and her older sister are autistic. They don’t “have” autism; it’s not a disease to be cured, they attempt to explain to people.
Unfortunately, people who think they know a lot about autism often have difficulty accepting new ideas. Especially those that think people on the autism spectrum are all alike; non-verbal, combative, and mentally inept. When it’s Addie’s teacher that displays this attitude openly, in the classroom, Addie has a hard time keeping her mouth shut. But she does, most of the time, for fear of making her situation worse. Masking, is what her older sister calls it. Putting on that “mask” constantly for others is exhausting, however, as Addie and her sister come to realize through a series of unfortunate events…
Memorable Quotes:
(Pg.160)-“I don’t need my friends to look like me. I don’t need them to sound like me.I don’t need them to like everything I like. I don’t even need them to think like me. But I do need them to stand up for me when someone writes a horrible word on a present from my sister.”
(Pg. 170)-“My grandpa always says, people like me in the past might not have been the most sociable. Or the chattiest. But while everyone else was around the fireplace gossiping, we were out finding electricity. That’s what my autism is. It’s a kind of spark.”
December 23, 2022
"Iskry w mojej głowie" to lektura prosta w swojej formie, ale dająca do myślenia - zarówno dzieciom i młodzieży, jak i osobom dorosłym. To opowieść o autystycznej dziewczynce, która widzi świat inaczej niż większość społeczeństwa, ale nie oznacza to, że jej postrzeganie jest złe, tylko zupełnie inne. Niestety nie każdy to rozumie... Na szczęście Addie ma wsparcie u rodziny (w tym także autystycznej starszej siostrze) - oni zawsze stoją po jej stronie.
Ta niepozorna historia uświadamia, jak potrzebna jest nam różnorodność - przecież niesamowicie nudno byłoby, gdybyśmy wszyscy byli do siebie podobni. To także idealny obraz tego, że nie warto na siłę zmieniać się, aby inni nas zaakceptowali - jeżeli ktoś nas polubi to po prostu za to, jacy jesteśmy. Szanujmy to, co inne niż do tej pory znaliśmy - inne absolutnie nie oznacza gorszego.
Może nie jest to najsprawniej napisana i wciągająca książka, jaką miałam okazję czytać. Niemniej jest to bardzo ważna lektura uczącą tolerancji, szacunku i miłości do drugiego człowieka.
Ta niepozorna historia uświadamia, jak potrzebna jest nam różnorodność - przecież niesamowicie nudno byłoby, gdybyśmy wszyscy byli do siebie podobni. To także idealny obraz tego, że nie warto na siłę zmieniać się, aby inni nas zaakceptowali - jeżeli ktoś nas polubi to po prostu za to, jacy jesteśmy. Szanujmy to, co inne niż do tej pory znaliśmy - inne absolutnie nie oznacza gorszego.
Może nie jest to najsprawniej napisana i wciągająca książka, jaką miałam okazję czytać. Niemniej jest to bardzo ważna lektura uczącą tolerancji, szacunku i miłości do drugiego człowieka.
November 13, 2022
Wspaniała!
October 6, 2023
This book hit home for me in ways I did not in any sense expect and with which I am still unable to fully reckon.
Wow. This is certainly one of the best middle-grade books I've ever read, and a terrific example of why, YES, adults should read middle-grade. Because the way McNicoll explains and explores what life is like for people like her, like Addie and Keedie, is so brilliant in both its simplicity and its depth, in its vulnerability and its strength, in its compassion and its confrontation. Readers, particularly neurotypical ones, are forced to question themselves over their own preconceived notions, poor assumptions, and if not outright cruelty than at least a sense of Have I always done right by people I've known who were struggling to live in a world that deems their lives disposable? It's not about making people feel ashamed to the point of immobility, but giving them the opportunity to use their shame as a motivating force toward becoming better, toward treating people better in the future than you may have done in the past.
I absolutely loved Addie, and her strong sense of self was so moving to witness, even in the face of horrible treatment by her teacher and classmates. You can tell that even when it affects her deeply emotionally and physically, she doesn't let it touch her belief in her own worth and value. She knows who she is, and she knows that "who she is" is not the caricature her bullies have concocted, but rather someone kind and wise and ambitious and full of all the empathy that others have withheld from her. Seeing how much she took the story of the women persecuted during the witch trials to heart made so much sense, not just because she saw her own story in theirs, but because the notion of such injustice was blindingly obviously wrong to her, and she knew that her role here was to do whatever she could to make others see it, too. I loved that she didn't give up in her quest for the memorial, that she didn't let people dismiss her even though continuing to push for it was at times stressful and scary to her.
I was honestly in tears a few times while reading this, in part because of what Addie was going through and what her sister was dealing with and just the callousness inherent in ableist thinking, but also because I saw elements of myself and my own situation and turmoil in her story. I'm not exactly sure about the meaning of it, but seeing Addie experience things, mentally and physically, that I live with on a daily basis really kind of knocked the wind out of me a bit. In a good way!
Absolutely loved and adored and appreciated the hell out of this book. I don't often give middle-grade books a 5-star rating, but this absolutely deserves it.
Wow. This is certainly one of the best middle-grade books I've ever read, and a terrific example of why, YES, adults should read middle-grade. Because the way McNicoll explains and explores what life is like for people like her, like Addie and Keedie, is so brilliant in both its simplicity and its depth, in its vulnerability and its strength, in its compassion and its confrontation. Readers, particularly neurotypical ones, are forced to question themselves over their own preconceived notions, poor assumptions, and if not outright cruelty than at least a sense of Have I always done right by people I've known who were struggling to live in a world that deems their lives disposable? It's not about making people feel ashamed to the point of immobility, but giving them the opportunity to use their shame as a motivating force toward becoming better, toward treating people better in the future than you may have done in the past.
I absolutely loved Addie, and her strong sense of self was so moving to witness, even in the face of horrible treatment by her teacher and classmates. You can tell that even when it affects her deeply emotionally and physically, she doesn't let it touch her belief in her own worth and value. She knows who she is, and she knows that "who she is" is not the caricature her bullies have concocted, but rather someone kind and wise and ambitious and full of all the empathy that others have withheld from her. Seeing how much she took the story of the women persecuted during the witch trials to heart made so much sense, not just because she saw her own story in theirs, but because the notion of such injustice was blindingly obviously wrong to her, and she knew that her role here was to do whatever she could to make others see it, too. I loved that she didn't give up in her quest for the memorial, that she didn't let people dismiss her even though continuing to push for it was at times stressful and scary to her.
I was honestly in tears a few times while reading this, in part because of what Addie was going through and what her sister was dealing with and just the callousness inherent in ableist thinking, but also because I saw elements of myself and my own situation and turmoil in her story. I'm not exactly sure about the meaning of it, but seeing Addie experience things, mentally and physically, that I live with on a daily basis really kind of knocked the wind out of me a bit. In a good way!
Absolutely loved and adored and appreciated the hell out of this book. I don't often give middle-grade books a 5-star rating, but this absolutely deserves it.
June 26, 2022
This wasn’t what I expected. Most reviewers found this book to be uplifting—I did not. Perhaps I’m too many years removed from the target audience, but I’m pretty sure my 10 year old self would have found this book both very relatable and terribly depressing.
The premise has promise. Drawing parallels between people tried for witchcraft centuries ago and autistic people being persecuted in modern times is clever and I like it, especially in a middle grade book. But the tone was a lot more grim than I anticipated, and about halfway through became a slog to the finish, desperately hoping for some joy to creep into the story. What small joys there are is brief and fleeting, and the negatives are drawn out and wallowed in. The core messaging to be yourself doesn’t feel earned, when there’s very few moments of Addie being herself without severe consequence.
The emphasis on ableism in this book cannot be overstated. It’s chapter after chapter of discrimination with next to no relief. For those who have never experienced this firsthand, you may find it illuminating. For those who are affected by this in their everyday lives already, you may find it exhausting. Instead of painting a complete picture of both the positives and challenges of growing up autistic, it felt overly consumed with the negatives and gave me very few enjoyable beats to cling to.
My favorite moment was towards the very end, when Addie writing by herself near a herd of cows, and talking to them like they could understand her. I found that quite charming and endearing, and I wish there were more lighthearted beats like it to break up the heavy emotional aspects. I think the harsh realities would have more impact, if contrasted by more moments of delight and wonder.
The premise has promise. Drawing parallels between people tried for witchcraft centuries ago and autistic people being persecuted in modern times is clever and I like it, especially in a middle grade book. But the tone was a lot more grim than I anticipated, and about halfway through became a slog to the finish, desperately hoping for some joy to creep into the story. What small joys there are is brief and fleeting, and the negatives are drawn out and wallowed in. The core messaging to be yourself doesn’t feel earned, when there’s very few moments of Addie being herself without severe consequence.
The emphasis on ableism in this book cannot be overstated. It’s chapter after chapter of discrimination with next to no relief. For those who have never experienced this firsthand, you may find it illuminating. For those who are affected by this in their everyday lives already, you may find it exhausting. Instead of painting a complete picture of both the positives and challenges of growing up autistic, it felt overly consumed with the negatives and gave me very few enjoyable beats to cling to.
My favorite moment was towards the very end, when Addie writing by herself near a herd of cows, and talking to them like they could understand her. I found that quite charming and endearing, and I wish there were more lighthearted beats like it to break up the heavy emotional aspects. I think the harsh realities would have more impact, if contrasted by more moments of delight and wonder.
August 4, 2022
The subject matter and the story are so important in Elle McNicoll's A Kind of Spark that I don't want to give the book less than a glowing review. But if I am honest ....
I listened to the audiobook narrated by Katy Townsend. I suspect that it was the performance I disliked, more so than the actual story. While the children's and teenager's voices sounded reasonable, the adult voices were truly awful. Very slow and very very deep, almost the way one might speak when mocking someone else's words. Remember the adult voices in the Charlie Brown TV specials, "Wha Wha. Wha. Whaaaaa"? This was similar except that these characters were actually uttering sentences.
I almost gave up on it but, on a lark, I tried speeding up the recording and it actually worked a bit. The increased speed improved ALL the voices. They still weren't normal Scottish accents but were better. And it made the audio book shorter!
As for the story itself, it is indeed an important and poignant story, but might have been more engaging had it been told with slightly more subtlety... a bit more 'show' and a bit less 'tell'. At times, I felt like I was reading an encyclopedia entry on autism. And the main character was not entirely credible as an 11 year old. (her dialogue was much older.) Maybe the material would have presented better as nonfiction, perhaps as an autobiography.
Sorry to be such an outlier. I gave this three stars, because there were certainly poignant parts, the story is from an important point of view, and because I suspect the book would have been more enjoyable than the audiobook.
I listened to the audiobook narrated by Katy Townsend. I suspect that it was the performance I disliked, more so than the actual story. While the children's and teenager's voices sounded reasonable, the adult voices were truly awful. Very slow and very very deep, almost the way one might speak when mocking someone else's words. Remember the adult voices in the Charlie Brown TV specials, "Wha Wha. Wha. Whaaaaa"? This was similar except that these characters were actually uttering sentences.
I almost gave up on it but, on a lark, I tried speeding up the recording and it actually worked a bit. The increased speed improved ALL the voices. They still weren't normal Scottish accents but were better. And it made the audio book shorter!
As for the story itself, it is indeed an important and poignant story, but might have been more engaging had it been told with slightly more subtlety... a bit more 'show' and a bit less 'tell'. At times, I felt like I was reading an encyclopedia entry on autism. And the main character was not entirely credible as an 11 year old. (her dialogue was much older.) Maybe the material would have presented better as nonfiction, perhaps as an autobiography.
Sorry to be such an outlier. I gave this three stars, because there were certainly poignant parts, the story is from an important point of view, and because I suspect the book would have been more enjoyable than the audiobook.
January 9, 2024
“i just didn’t realise adults could be bullies”
i wish i had this book as a kid, i wish my parents were as endlessly supportive as Addie’s, i wish i’d had her older sister, Keedie, helping guide me through life when i didn’t understand anything.
absolutely exceptional, surpassed my already sky high expectations, everyone needs to read this, regardless of age ❤️
i wish i had this book as a kid, i wish my parents were as endlessly supportive as Addie’s, i wish i’d had her older sister, Keedie, helping guide me through life when i didn’t understand anything.
absolutely exceptional, surpassed my already sky high expectations, everyone needs to read this, regardless of age ❤️
August 12, 2022
'For all children with happy, flapping hands.'
Geweldig boek! Goed in veel opzichten, er zat een hoop in!
Geweldig boek! Goed in veel opzichten, er zat een hoop in!
'People aren't like books. A familiar book is always the same, always comforting and full of the same words and pictures. A familiar person can be new and challenging, no matter how many times you try to read them.'
'It's better to be open about who you really are, what you're really like, and be disliked by a few than it is to hide who you are and be tolerated by many.
[...]
Be like you.'
'That's what bullies do. They try to make you feel bad about the good things that you have. The things that they want.
June 23, 2020
Okay so I have to tell you about A Kind of Spark by Elle McNicoll which is one of the best novels and representations of autistic people I have ever read. The story follows Addie, a young autistic girl, who campaigns for a memorial to the witch trials in her village.
Addie does this because in the story of the witches she recognises the persecution of difference that autistic people face, and she wants people to see and to listen and to remember. It’s a story of demanding to be seen.
Rare for most books, this book features more than one autistic character, and the tender relationship between Addie and her older sister Keedie is so touching. There is a sweet moment between them that made me cry so much I alarmed my dog. “Other people’s minds are small. Your mind is enormous. It has room for everything and everyone. You don’t want to be like other people.” How many of us have needed to hear that in our lives?
Alongside Addie’s campaign the book deals with ableist bullying from both adults & children, masking and it’s toll, and even highlights the darkest moments — the institutionalisation of autistic people.
But also it’s just a truly great story. It’s about difference and asking for space and the joy of being seen. It’s about family who love and support each other. It’s about history and recognition. I cried so many times for so many reasons.
One of the main reasons was knowing how much this book is just going to matter to autistic people. The novel is aimed for 9-12 year olds but I urge autistics of all ages to seek it out in June when it comes out. I feel like I’ve been seen and known, and told it will be ok.
Addie does this because in the story of the witches she recognises the persecution of difference that autistic people face, and she wants people to see and to listen and to remember. It’s a story of demanding to be seen.
Rare for most books, this book features more than one autistic character, and the tender relationship between Addie and her older sister Keedie is so touching. There is a sweet moment between them that made me cry so much I alarmed my dog. “Other people’s minds are small. Your mind is enormous. It has room for everything and everyone. You don’t want to be like other people.” How many of us have needed to hear that in our lives?
Alongside Addie’s campaign the book deals with ableist bullying from both adults & children, masking and it’s toll, and even highlights the darkest moments — the institutionalisation of autistic people.
But also it’s just a truly great story. It’s about difference and asking for space and the joy of being seen. It’s about family who love and support each other. It’s about history and recognition. I cried so many times for so many reasons.
One of the main reasons was knowing how much this book is just going to matter to autistic people. The novel is aimed for 9-12 year olds but I urge autistics of all ages to seek it out in June when it comes out. I feel like I’ve been seen and known, and told it will be ok.
April 9, 2022
This was such a great middle grade book featuring multiple characters on the spectrum. The neurodiversity rep in this book is possibly the best I've read. It was wonderful the way the author shows how different people have different experiences and that autism isn't universal.
Set in Scotland, the story follows eleven year old Addie who is struggling with acceptance at school. Neither the teachers or her classmates treat her as an equal. Some of them are outright cruel. When Addie starts learning about the witch trials she really identifies with the way women in the past were often accused based on their differences. She ends up campaigning to get her town to offer an apology for the trials, learning more about herself and her true friends along the way.
I really enjoyed Addie's family relationships in this book. Her older sister is on the spectrum as well and comes home on a break from University where she ends up having a bit of a break down. Exhausted from always being 'on' and constantly 'masking' as neurotypical, she realizes she can't keep up the charade and encourages her sister to be true to herself. Addie's parents are also staunch supporters and advocate for their daughter at school.
Full of great messages and well developed characters, I can't recommend this one enough for both kids and adults alike. Great on audio too with a narrator that speaks in a Scottish accent. Highly, HIGHLY recommended!
Set in Scotland, the story follows eleven year old Addie who is struggling with acceptance at school. Neither the teachers or her classmates treat her as an equal. Some of them are outright cruel. When Addie starts learning about the witch trials she really identifies with the way women in the past were often accused based on their differences. She ends up campaigning to get her town to offer an apology for the trials, learning more about herself and her true friends along the way.
I really enjoyed Addie's family relationships in this book. Her older sister is on the spectrum as well and comes home on a break from University where she ends up having a bit of a break down. Exhausted from always being 'on' and constantly 'masking' as neurotypical, she realizes she can't keep up the charade and encourages her sister to be true to herself. Addie's parents are also staunch supporters and advocate for their daughter at school.
Full of great messages and well developed characters, I can't recommend this one enough for both kids and adults alike. Great on audio too with a narrator that speaks in a Scottish accent. Highly, HIGHLY recommended!
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