
Sparks!
by Ian Boothby
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Assigned across 1 curriculum list · 1 state
Grade placement varies by school — the median assigned book spans 4 grade levels (83% span three or more, across 13,258 source-cited assignments).
Sparks! by Ian Boothby is assigned in US schools at grades 4–8. It appears across 1 curriculum reference and 1 state, sourced from state DOE pages and AP/IB/Common Core syllabi. Every citation below links to the primary source.
This page shows where Sparks! is assigned in US schools — curricula, states, grades, and the primary-source citations behind each placement. Not a summary or study guide.
- Grade range
- Grades 4–8
- Age range
- Ages 9–13
- Pages
- 190
- Reading time
- about 3h 30m (est.)
- First published
- 2018
- Genre
- Graphic Novel
- ISBN-13
- 9781338029468
New to these terms? Reading levels by grade
More formats & details
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See all books like Sparks!→ — matched on theme + reading level.
Why widely assigned
This Graphic Novel title, typically at grades 4–8. Written in the 2010s; pairs with curriculum units on cartoons and comics and cats, fiction; cited across 1 curriculum framework.
Themes
cartoons and comics · cats, fiction · extraterrestrial beings, fiction
Where this book is assigned
Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Book Award
- recommended·4th grade · Marylandsource: Maryland Association of School Librarians — Black-Eyed Susan Book Award, 2020 winner (Graphic Novel)
- recommended·5th grade · Marylandsource: Maryland Association of School Librarians — Black-Eyed Susan Book Award, 2020 winner (Graphic Novel)
- recommended·6th grade · Marylandsource: Maryland Association of School Librarians — Black-Eyed Susan Book Award, 2020 winner (Graphic Novel)
- recommended·7th grade · Marylandsource: Maryland Association of School Librarians — Black-Eyed Susan Book Award, 2020 winner (Graphic Novel)
- recommended·8th grade · Marylandsource: Maryland Association of School Librarians — Black-Eyed Susan Book Award, 2020 winner (Graphic Novel)
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Common questions
- What grade level is Sparks!?
- Sparks! is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades 4–8. Specific grade placement varies by curriculum — AP Literature and IB English Literature typically use it in grades 11-12.
- How long does it take to read Sparks!?
- It takes about 3h 30m to read Sparks! (190 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 210 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.
- What curricula assign Sparks!?
- Sparks! appears on reading lists for Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Book Award. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
- Is Sparks! banned in schools?
- Sparks! does not appear in PEN America's Index of School Book Bans 2022-2024. No documented multi-district removals on record, but individual districts may challenge titles locally.
- What themes does Sparks! explore?
- Central themes in Sparks! include cartoons and comics, cats, fiction, extraterrestrial beings, fiction. These themes match how the book is discussed in most curriculum guides and AP Literature prompts.
Why this book is on this list
How we classifyHide
Each dimension below is sourced from a public reference. The full framework is documented on the classification standard page.
- Lexile measure
- Not classified — this book has no published Lexile measure.
- Grade band
- Grades 4–8 — drawn from state ELA frameworks and AP/IB syllabi citing this book.
- Curriculum alignment
- Cited in 1 curriculum on this site (see “Where assigned” above for primary-source links).
- State-level evidence
- Cited in 1 state ELA framework or DOE list (see citations above).
- Removal / banning records
- No tracked removal or challenge records in cited sources.
- Seasonal / contextual tags
- Tagged for: book-club.