
Sparks!
by Ian Boothby · Grades 4–8 · Graphic Novel
Sparks! by Ian Boothby is on US reading lists at grades 4–8. It appears on 1 list: the Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Book Award, across 1 state. Every citation below links to the primary source.
Before you buy: Ages 9–13 · Grades 4–8 · 190 pages. The button opens the paperback edition (ISBN 9781338029468). If the class uses a set edition or translation, match its ISBN first.
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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).
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.
Reading level at a glance
- 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
Sources: grade range from the cited lists below, last checked 2026-09-24; pages and year from our catalog record (sources); reading time is an estimate at 250 words a minute.
Good fit for grade 4?
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More formats & details
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Why it is assigned
This graphic novel title is typically read at grades 4–8. Written in the 2010s; pairs with curriculum units on cartoons and comics and cats, fiction; cited on the Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Book Award.
Themes
cartoons and comics · cats, fiction · extraterrestrial beings, fiction
Where this book is recommended
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 listed for grades 4–8. It appears on 1 state book-award list across 1 state. Exact placement varies by school and district.
- 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. See the banned books list by state.
- What themes does Sparks! explore?
- Central themes in Sparks! include cartoons and comics, cats, fiction, extraterrestrial beings, fiction.
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 the state book-award lists citing this book.
- Curriculum alignment
- Cited in 1 curriculum on this site (see “Where recommended” above for primary-source links).
- State-level evidence
- On state book-award lists in 1 state (see citations above).
- Removal / banning records
- No tracked removal or challenge records in cited sources.
- Seasonal / contextual tags
- Tagged for: book-club.