A Kind of Spark

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Be unique. It's important to try your best, even if your answer is no. Be true to yourself. Expand your mind. Find the right people to trust. There is value in authenticity. Stand up for what you believe in, even if people shut you down. Take care of yourself. Be safe where you spend your time. Tell adults when things get intense. You don't have to be inside the box -- think outside the box. Don't give up. Addie believes that the women who were accused of witchcraft were an example of this, singled out for differences in socializing and behaviour. 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. This debut novel from a neurodivergent writer offers an utterly convincing and hugely likeable narrative voice. Challenging many myths and a stereotypes, for example autism equals no emotions/empathy. With Addie’s twin sister also on the spectrum, we are reminded that there are ‘many different ways to be autistic’. This story gives a great insight into what it's like to be autistic, but the points are never forced or laboured. 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.

Ironic Name: Miss Murphy, a teacher who bullies Addie and Keedie because they are autistic; is revealed to be named Greta in the TV adaptation. note She shares her name with arguably the world's most famous autistic girl who started the School Strike for Climate wherein children and teenagers protest government buildings instead of attending school on Fridays. Charlton said he hoped his win would prove “there is a readiness in readers for the LGBTQ+ experience to expand into genres still dominated by their heterosexual counterparts.” Creator Cameo: Elle McNicoll makes a cameo appearance in the last episode of the TV adaptation as one of the crowd during Addie's final speech. 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 BulletinIt is the story of Addie Darrow, an eleven-year-old autistic girl living in the village of Juniper, just outside of Edinburgh, who struggles to navigate the complicated world around her, from home to school, where she is often bullied, both by her former friend Jenna and her teacher Ms Murphy. A sensitive and imaginative girl, Addie’s special interests include sharks and looking up new words in her thesaurus, but one day a lesson in Juniper’s local history sparks a new passion, witches, specifically her village’s status as having executed the most women accused of witchcraft than anywhere else in Britain. The more Addie learns about the alleged witches leads her to believe that they may have autistic like her, prompting her to start a campaign for the village to put up a memorial to the Juniper witches. 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?”

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.” -School Library Journal, Starred Review

Cool Teacher: Mr. Allison. Although he’s the school librarian, he’s far kinder to Addie than her actual teacher, encouraging her campaign and interests and allows her to eat her lunch in the library. I think that a kind of park is an amazing book that my love for cannot be put into words. Elle mcnicoll is an amazing author and I look forward to her next book, which is coming out soon that unfortunately I have forgotten the name of!

My favourite character is Audrey, the best friend to the main character. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes looking through someone else's point of view. It truly is an amazing book. Even though I feel stories deeply, and my heart lives and dies with the characters, I don’t usually cry.Be Yourself: Keedie worked so hard to mask her autism at university that she ended up with massive burnout. Meanwhile, she made no real friends, and almost lost touch with who she really was. She warns Addie not to repeat her mistake. 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?