Wow! Spark, a novel written in verse, about fires that ravage an area and take people’s entire homes to ashes is as intense as you would imagine. This story is written with beautiful sentiments and feels equally as daunting and terrifying as it does hopeful for rebuilding and regrowth. This is one I will add to my school library, will bring up as potential for state reader’s choice awards and battle of the books, and will definitely be book talking and hand selling for checkouts. I am thankful that Chris Baron brings stories into the world.

A very timely novel that will surely capture the attention of middle readers. Written in verse, the pacing of events never lags, and heavy topics are handled with honesty and care. An author's note touches on the wildfires in California and how real transformations are taking place in our landscape through climate change. I could easily see this title being adopted for middle school curricula.

I got to hear about this book months ago, when Chris Baron kindly met with some of my students on World Read Aloud Day. They were very excited to read this book, and I can't wait to share it with them! This is a story about friends, about a community, and about how all of our actions are like ripples in a pond. It only takes a spark to start a fire - which is what happens when a small community among the redwoods of California have to evacuate during a terrible forest fire. Finn and his friend Rabbit are devastated at the loss of forest and habitat, and push back against new construction near the forest's edge. But as they work through their trauma, they also discover that a spark of hope can also create change. Told in verse, Chris's lyrical writing is right at home, telling the story through imagery and emotion.
My favorite poem is called Hope:
"...Hope is pine cone scales/ opening wide,/ the seeds flying off/ into the wind.
Hope is oak saplings/ coming to life/ somewhere out there/ in the ashy earth.
Hope is walking/ in the forest with Rabbit/ imagining any second/ we will discover/ something new.
Hope is believing/ that the ones you love/ love you back,/ even when you can't see them.
Hope is having/ enough faith/ for someone else,/ even when you might/ not have enough on your own.

I'm so grateful I got a chance to read this ahead of time. It is a timely message of hope that is very much needed right now.

Another beautiful book from Chris Baron! The raw emotion of this book feels so timely and I think it will really resonate with young readers, especially those who care about the environment. The scene where the family flees the fire still gives me chills to think about. The book also inspired me to take emergency preparations myself, which I think Mr. Baron would appreciate! I know that kids and grownups alike will appreciate this one when it releases. Thank you to the publisher for the advanced copy.

Finn lives in a rural area that is hit by wildfires. This is a coming of age novel in verse sharing how difficult it is to rebuild and move forward.

Finn and Rabbit’s story had my mind swirling and my heart aching. As I read, I composed my own poems of hope and home. I loved this story of hurt, healing, and kids making a difference.

My thanks to NetGalley and Feiwel & Friends for granting me access to an advance copy.

Harrowing and heartbreaking one moment, hopeful and healing the next, author Chris Baron’s latest middle grade novel-in-verse, Spark, captures the moment-by-moment experiences of two kids caught up in the devastation of a California wildfire. The terror Finn feels as his family evacuates through the raging fire is palpable, as is his emotional numbness following the traumatic escape.

Baron does a great job showing how this particular fire affects this particular community—and how they come together to implement change, initiated by Finn’s best friend Rabbit, who’s fiercely protective of the neighboring forest. Spark sends a gentle yet powerful message about resilience, activism, community and communication—one that is essential for today’s kids as they navigate an increasingly tumultuous world.

When nature loving Finn and his best friend Rabbit set up new wildlife cameras, they have no idea their cameras may catch the heavy construction vehicles throwing sparks. Sparks that may have contributed to the blaze that destroys most of their community. When fire sweeps through the forest, and their home, Finn and his family flee in their car, while Rabbit and her family stay behind at the safe haven. Rabbit is desperate to find her missing dog. Finn and Rabbit both need a way back, back home, back to a feeling of safety in the community, and back to regrow the forest and home they've always loved.

Kids on both the West and East coast have faced natural disasters this year in the form of floods and fires, and this book may especially connect with those who've seen their community devastated, and are searching for empowerment in rebuilding, I loved the story, And I recommend it!

This is such an important topic right now. The author does a great job of creating suspense with the uncle/teacher who leaves to fight fires, as well as with the dog missing! That kept me on the edge of my seat. Informative and realistic, this is a great story for lovers of nature, science, and friendship. It also includes themes of overcoming and resilience.

I’m not a fan of novels written in verse and this has a bittersweet HEA, but for a middle-grade novel it’s worth the read.

A fabulous novel in verse that shows the impacts of overdevelopment and wildfires. Chris Baron does an incredible job of balancing the characters emotions with factual information.

SPARK is a beautifully-written, edge-of-your-seat verse novel about a town trying to rebuild and move forward after devastating fires destroy everything - this one Is absolutely essential for helping kids understand wildfires and our human impact on the natural world.

In a rural area devastated by wildfires, Finn and his friend Rabbit are concerned about the slow recovery of their beloved forest, where animals and plants haven't returned, and worry about potential future fires. Rabbit's uncle, a science teacher, is involved in a study aimed at forest regeneration, but the impatient boys believe the "forest heart," a small section that survived, might hold the key to faster regrowth. They face the challenge of finding this area and persuading the adults to consider their ideas.

Chris Baron masterfully developed compelling characters and poignantly illustrated the far-reaching impact of wildfires on a community. The story powerfully portrays themes of resilience, bravery, and the strength found in collective action toward a shared purpose.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for an arc in exchange for this honest review.

Very Chris Baron, with sensitive, well-rounded characters, lyrical writing, and a reverence for nature. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC.

I enjoyed this story. Finn and Rabbit are two kids who love nature thanks to Rabbit's uncle, who is their science teacher. When the wildfires and a construction company threaten their beloved forest, they fight to save the forest. Using trail cameras, they show the town how much wildlife relies on the forest including the return of a wolf pack.

This book really hit home as I have family who just lived through the recent wildfires in California. I really connected with the characters and the fear they felt as they had to leave their house while the fire was burning in their backyard. I liked that the book focused on the enviroment and how important it is to protect it. It also was nice to see these kids fight for what they thought was right and the adults realizing they need to listen to the kids and not just dismiss them.

A timely novel-in-verse about wildfires, trauma, friends, courage, and displacement when wildfires come to Finn and Rabbit’s town. They all have to evacuate and Rabbit’s dog, Thorn, goes missing. When they return, Finn and Rabbit see a small part of the forest survived, and they want to enlist the community to help save it so the animals will come back especially after people see a wolf on their trail camera.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the eARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

“Save the Forest.”
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Finn and his friend, Rabbit, are Californians living in a town that has been affected by wildfires. They are passionate about the forest, animals and plants thanks, in part, to Rabbit’s uncle, a science teacher. When another fire destroys their community, Finn and Rabbit respond differently, though both are devastated. When they’re able to return home after evacuating, they believe a small part of the forest—the forest heart—has survived and can be rebuilt. But not every adult is in agreement as to what rebuilding looks like. As these two kids mourn all they’ve lost, they also find their voices to stand up for what they believe.
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Unfortunately this MG book could not be more timely. The wildfires that raged the LA area recently broke all our hearts and those who live in these communities will see so much of their experiences on these pages. @christhebearbaron did a fantastic job of researching, interviewing and learning about people in communities such as these and the unspeakable loss they all had in some form or fashion. This clifi novel is hopeful, but really hit home now more than ever before. P.S. the dog doesn’t die!

CW: fire, homelessness, loss, climate change