The Spark
A Mother's Story of Nurturing Genius
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4.8 • 12 Ratings
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- $15.99
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- $15.99
Publisher Description
The Spark is Kristine Barnett's remarkable memoir about being mother to a genius.
Kristine Barnett's son Jacob has an IQ higher than Einstein's, a photographic memory, and he taught himself calculus in two weeks. At nine he started working on an original theory in astrophysics that experts believe may someday put him in line for a Nobel Prize, and at age twelve he became a paid researcher in quantum physics. But the story of Kristine's journey with Jake is all the more remarkable because his extraordinary mind was almost lost to autism. At age two, when Jake was diagnosed, Kristine was told he might never be able to tie his own shoes.
Dramatic, inspiring, and transformative, The Spark is about the power of love and courage in the face of overwhelming obstacles, and the dazzling possibilities that can occur when we learn how to tap the true potential that lies within every child, and in all of us.
'The Spark is about the transformative power of unconditional love. If you have a child who's 'different' - and who doesn't? - you won't be able to put it down' Sylvia Nasar, author of A Beautiful Mind
'The Spark describes in glowing terms the profound intensity with which a mother can love her child' Andrew Solomon, author of Far from the Tree
'Every parent and teacher should read this fabulous book!' Temple Grandin, author of Thinking in Pictures and co-author of The Autistic Brain
Kristine Barnett lives in Indiana with her husband, Michael, and their children. In 1996 she founded Acorn Hill Academy, a daycare serving local families. She and Michael currently run a charitable community centre for autistic and special-needs children and their families called Jacob's Place.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Barnett, the mother of a child prodigy who was diagnosed with autism at the age of two, swiftly draws readers into her family life, sharing her humble upbringing in central Indiana as a member of the New Amish, and her whirlwind romance and marriage to a young man named Michael Barnett. The couple settles down to raise a family, he working at Target, she running a daycare center. When informed that their first child will never read or tie his shoes, the author follows her "mother gut," opening her own pre-kindergarten "boot camp" for autistic kids to prepare them for mainstreaming. Barnett had seen a "spark" in Jake and deeply believed that her child had much higher potential. Indeed, Jake with an IQ higher than Einstein's not only soon reads, but creates an original theorem that may put him in line for a Nobel Prize (at nine, he's been admitted to a nearby university). With passion and grace, Barnett covers Jake's transformation, how close he came to being "lost" in a special ed system focused on what children "can't do," and her own journey as the mother of three sons and as advocate for Jake and other autistic children. She also explores and defends the balance between Jake's intellectual pursuits and his right to an ordinary, happy childhood. This eloquent memoir about an extraordinary boy and a resilient and remarkable mother will be of interest to every parent and/or educator hoping to nurture a child's authentic "spark."
Customer Reviews
The spark
A wonderful read for anyone, but especially for a mother with an autistic child
Developing brilliance
Read this if you are dealing with educating children, autistic children, enjoy charity work or are interested in prodigies. It's a wonderfully uplifting story of one families journey with an autistic child, a basically terminal child and a surprise healthy child. All three children are amazingly smart but the story focuses on the the autistic child and his math science genius. As a mum and teacher I took much away from this book that I can use to develop all the children in my care.