“Being different doesn’t mean your voice doesn’t count.” Elle McNicoll is a neurodivergent Scottish author who lives in London. This is her first novel for kids. The story is about a 12-year-old girl named Addie who has autism living in a small town in Scotland. One day at school, she learns about women who were tried as witches in her own town, and she realizes how unfair it was for them, just for being different. When she hears about this event in the past, and sees that there was no memorial for the women who suffered and died, she makes it her own personal goal to make the town add one.
Throughout the story, Addie encounters other characters who judge her and treat her unfairly because she sometimes has meltdowns and is interested in topics like sharks that are unlike other girls at her school. She starts to feel like the women who were called witches in the past might have just been different or even neurodivergent.
The moral of the story is that the world needs all kinds of people, and all kinds of minds, and that we should always stand up for what is right. This is shown throughout the story by Addie showing perseverance and convincing the town council to do something about the witch memorial.
Overall, “A Kind of Spark” is a book with a good lesson for kids and adults alike, because it has an impact that shows people of all ages about standing up for something that is important to you and others, and staying persistent and brave.
Book Review written by Orion and Mandy Wolovich