A Little Spark - by Barry Jonsberg (Paperback)

About the Book

"I don't tell Mum and Sam anything about my weekends with Dad. It would be giving them tickets into that world. The world Dad and I have created. And I don't want to do that. It's ours. It's all we have. It's all we've been allowed since my parents got divorced. Cate gets to spend every second weekend with her dad, and each time something special and surprising happens ing that fires the creative spark that Cate channels into her writing. And everything is fine until Cate's stepdad, Sam, gets offered his dream job in London and her mum decides they are going to move to England with him must decide what she wants for herself. She loves both her parents - but she must choose between them."--

Book Synopsis

From the multi-award-winning author of A Song Only I Can Hear comes another Children's Book Council of Australia Notable middle fiction novel that is warm, upbeat, intriguing and wholly absorbing.

NOTABLE BOOK: 2023 CBCA Book of the Year, Older Readers
SHORTLISTED: 2023 NSW Premier's Literary Awards, Ethel Turner Prize for Young People's Literature

I don't tell Mum and Sam anything about my weekends with Dad. It would be giving them tickets into that world. The world Dad and I have created. And I don't want to do that. It's ours. It's all we have. It's all we've been allowed since my parents got divorced.

Cate gets to spend every second weekend with her dad, and each time something special and surprising happens. Something that fires the creative spark that Cate channels into her writing.

And everything is fine until Cate's stepdad, Sam, gets offered his dream job in London and her mum decides they are going to move to England with him...

Cate must decide what she wants for herself. She loves both her parents - but she must choose between them.

A warm and funny novel full of unexpected twists and turns, joy and heartbreak.

Review Quotes

"Brings nuanced honesty to some challenging themes: grief, divorce, the bewildering demands of family, and attempted suicide. It is also a powerful celebration of imagination, creativity, the importance of stories and the healing power of friendship. . . . This bittersweet story's raw honesty is joyful and uplifting." --Readings

"An engaging and honest story that is filled with the unexpected. Touching on serious topics of suicide and grief, A Little Spark is still an uplifting read, reminding us to always put ourselves in the moment, to dream and to never lose our spark." --Books + Publishing

"It is heartwarming to read about the connections that Cate has with both parents in the story, and that the separation has not diminished the love that she has for her family. . . . In addition, the relationship with Ellie, Cate's best friend, brings with it its own adventures of UFOs, flash mobs and unicorns in this magic exploration of the never ending limits of imagination." --NZ Booklovers.

"From Australia comes another great piece of YA literature with wit, zing and depth." --Kirkus Reviews on Am I Right or Am I Right?

"Award-winning Australian author Jonsburg captures quirky, irrepressible Candice's voice in this first-person narrative that is as touching as it is funny." --Kirkus Reviews on The Categorical Universe of Candice Phee

"Jonsberg (Dreamrider) handles painful topics with honesty and humor. . . Jonsberg has created a memorable heroine in Candice, whose determined attempts to heal her family and understand her place in the world will stick with readers." --Publishers Weekly on The Categorical Universe of Candice Phee

"Teen fans of thrillers will become immersed in the realistic characters and the unique plot." --School Library Journalon Game Theory

About the Author

Barry Jonsberg has won numerous awards for his books, both nationally and internationally. He has been published in eighteen countries and translated into many languages. His novel My Life As An Alphabet was the basis of the award-winning 2019 film H is For Happiness. The same production company is now working on television and film adaptations of his last two novels, A Song Only I Can Hear and Catch Me If I Fall.

Barry lives in Darwin, in the Top End of Australia, with his wife Anita and his crazy dog, Zorro.