Spark
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5.0 • 1 Rating
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- $11.99
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
As a community recovers from a devastating wildfire, two friends find their way back to each other and their homes, by award-winning author Chris Baron.
Perfect for fans of Alan Gratz and Lauren Tarshis.
Finn and his friend, nicknamed Rabbit, live in a rural area that's been hit hard by wildfires. Families were displaced and school was interrupted. Moreover, their beloved forest is suffering -- animals and plants haven't been able to come back, and the two friends wonder if there's anything they can do to help. Rabbit's uncle, a science teacher, is part of a study that may help bring the forest back to life, but Finn and Rabbit wonder if the forest can wait. And what if another fire comes in the meantime? They believe a small part of the forest -- the forest heart -- that survived the wildfire may hold the key to regrowth, but first, they have to find it and then convince the adults around them to listen.
For any young person who's ever felt powerless against the world, here is a story about two kids doing all they can to understand their natural world and preserve it.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Baron (The Gray) blends elements of ecological mystery and survival story in this emotionally gripping and jam-packed verse novel about two eco-conscious tweens' experience with displacement, trauma, and recovery. Studious eighth grader Finn is never without his field journal, in which he catalogs the flora and fauna of the state park forest on the edge of his small Northern California town. He's also rarely without his best pal Rabbit, an equally driven environmentalist, and her faithful pup, Thorn. But the duo's plans for sharing the wonders of the forest via a class project centered on the footage from the camera they've erected on the trail is derailed when they must evacuate ahead of a wildfire. In the weeks that follow, Finn contends with nightmares, lack of focus, and escalating anxiety. Then Rabbit discovers that their trail camera may have captured evidence of the fire's source, which could be linked to the construction site where Finn's father was recently hired. Copious details about dangerous fire conditions, first responder efforts, and the characters navigating PTSD will leave readers informed, while empowering depictions of the protagonists' activism will inspire hope that healing from disaster is possible. Finn's family cues as white and Jewish; Rabbit's family is from the Philippines. Ages 8–12.
