A Kind of Spark by Elle McNicoll
Review by Katie Taylor, Library Assistant, Pioneer Park Library
Middle school readers will love the historical content of this book, mixed with familiar family drama. Parents and teachers will appreciate the coming together of changed minds.
Elle McNicoll, in her debut novel, ‘A Kind of Spark,’ teaches us about Scotland and the witch trials that occurred. The main character, Addie, who is autistic, campaigns for a memorial when she learns that her small Scottish town used to burn witches because they were different. 
Addie’s older sister, Keedie, is also autistic. Keedie has a twin, Nina, who is not autistic. The story travels through light and dark times as Addie and her family navigate sisterly bonding and school issues.
In ‘A Kind of Spark’, we are reminded that reading provides us a way to learn something new. Fiction books have the power to take us on journeys we may never discover in reality. Everyone has a unique, individual perspective. We all think differently. One may think a memorial to people who died hundreds of years ago isn’t necessary. On the other hand, others may look to the future and realize that a memorial will be interesting hundreds of years from now.