This dear one moved in with the chickens- maybe to feel safe- to be a chicken- to just for a moment not feel afraid? “Why do the men come, do you suppose?” “Who knows why men do anything? Richard Adams, Watership Down

What an incredible evening at the STEAM Author Illustrator Showcase! Huge thanks to the San Diego County Office of Education for inviting me. So great to meet so many educators!

SPARK is a finalist for the 2027 Georgia Children’s Book Award! THANK YOU to the Librarians and everyone! I’m grateful that Spark will have the chance to reach so many more readers! What an incredible list. @gcbaconference

Yay! SPARK is nominated along with so many great books- for the South Carolina Children’s Book Award! Huge thanks to the South Carolina Association of School Libraries - & readers everywhere! This means the world!

We had so much fun geeking out about books with @baronchrisbaron.bsky.social for World Read Aloud Day! #wrad Loved this parting wisdom, "You are filled with stories waiting to be told." ✨ #kidlit #5thgradebooks

So many of our #DogEaredBookAward2025 readers loved Spark by @baronchrisbaron.bsky.social . Here's one of our 7th grade reviews:

Tonight is the virtual ceremony for the CA Golden Poppy Book Awards! SPARK is a finalist for middle grade. Fingers crossed-but so grateful to be included with these other fantastic middle grade novels. This is my heart- & in a difficult world-books like these bring hope and understanding,

It's Banner Time! Celebrating the #DogEaredBookAward2025 nominees with these 7th grade banners! @baronchrisbaron.bsky.social

Wow! So excited that SPARK is long listed for The 2026 Pedro and Daniel Intersectionality Book Awards (PADIBA)for MG/YA! Honored to be alongside these incredible books! #PADIBA   #PADIBA2026    #readyourworld

In a post that nobody asked for 😬 here are some of my favorite -newer-middle grade books that I shared with readers at some of the schools I was lucky enough to visit this year! School visits really are the best. It always feels like Hope!

Seems like so much of our (writing) lives Is that everyday fight to get back to ourselves.

After a challenging year for our family, we are celebrating some of the good things of 2025 for my little novel in verse-SPARK from Feiwel & Friends/Macmillan-the best part has been the support of educators, parents, & the awesome readers young& not as young💙 I know it’s just the start. thank you!

SPARK in USA TODAY!

Honored to see SPARK on this SLJ/Teen Librarian Tool Box list of favorite reads from 2025! There are so many great books on this list—there have been just so many great books this year—on the list and beyond! Thanks Amanda for reading hundreds of books and sharing your insights!

"Novels in verse are relevant for all kinds of readers"– @baronchrisbaron.bsky.social – contrib. to DiVERSE Conversations with YA & Children's Verse Novelists. Award-winning author of three #versenovels incl. SPARK Heads up #VerseNovel #DiVerse #poetry enthusiasts.

Grateful to be a contributor to DIVERSE. Verse novels tell stories in music & image, & provide action along with deep dives into the internal ocean of a character. I talk about the writing process in my interview in DIVERSE, a collection of craft talks by awesome verse novelists!

Big News for SPARK! I am delighted to share that SPARK has been selected as a finalist for CALIBA’s 2025 Golden Poppy Awards for Middle Grade! Congrats to the other nominees!

Big News for SPARK! I am delighted to share that SPARK has been selected as a finalist for CALIBA’s 2025 Golden Poppy Awards for Middle Grade! Congrats to the other nominees!

What a great way to finish up a wonderful whirlwind at NCTE on a panel with these great authors and educators! So grateful for all the incredible educators who joined us on the very last day!

Awesome times at NCTE with Spark!

NCTE TODAY! (Friday). Hope to see you💙 Great panels and I’ll be signing SPARK with MacKids in the AUTHOR SIGNING AREA 4:00!

I'm so excited to be presenting with you this year, Chris! #NCTE2025

NCTE is extra meaningful this year! As always, I’m most looking forward to connecting with friends and educators. I’ll be a part of all these panels and signing SPARK Friday at 4. Hope to see you!

Joining us at NCTE 2025 in Denver next week? Tap the link to access our NCTE resource center, where we've collected digital catalogs, a list of our NCTE programs and signings, and more! bit.ly/47Kpx86 #ncte #ncte2025 #edusky

Excited for #NCTE2025 in Denver this year! I'm looking forward to moderating panels with some amazing authors! Let me know if you're attending, would love to connect. @meganefreeman.bsky.social @sylvialiu.bsky.social @baronchrisbaron.bsky.social @rajanilarocca.bsky.social

Loved hanging out, meeting readers, and signing books at Barnes and Noble in Brea!

Join me Wednesday! For an IG Live with @bn_classwork talking all about SPARK! WED 11/5 2:30 PM PST 5:30 PM EST —————— We’re going live with award-winning author Chris Baron to talk about his heartfelt new novel Spark — a story of friendship, identity, and finding your voice.

Our #DogEaredBookAward2025 nominees! @katemessner.com Jennifer Nielsen, @dangemeinhart.bsky.social Jenni Walsh, @meganefreeman.bsky.social @jencalonita.bsky.social Erin Soderberg Downing, @alyssacolman.bsky.social @heidieys.bsky.social @baronchrisbaron.bsky.social

Fun to see SPARK’s starred review highlighted with these amazing MG books on this list from School Library Journal “26 Spectacular Titles…”

Featuring books by @padmatv.bsky.social, @nicolemhewitt.bsky.social, @meganefreeman.bsky.social, @katefussner.bsky.social, @katemessner.com, @marcellapixley.bsky.social, @medenkuyatt.bsky.social, @reemfaruqi.bsky.social, @baronchrisbaron.bsky.social, @marziehabbas.bsky.social, and more!

Every school visit for SPARK when the favorite character is the dog: : Kids: -Dis you have a dog named Thorn? -“I have a dog…” not a question, but still. -What kind of Dog is Thorn? -Is Thorn part wolf? -Is THORN going to have his own book?

If there’s an author you appreciate, one of the simplest, most helpful, least expensive things you can do for them is ask your public library to add that author’s newest book to their collection. Many library websites have a form for that. So give it a try, and make an author’s day!

A third star for SPARK! Thank you SLJ!

Sooo went to the thrift store with my girls- and while they were trying stuff on one of the workers saw me waiting and asked if I would help set up this reading nook with her! Best day ever

Book Review: SPARK by Chris Baron darlenebeckjacobson.wordpress.com/2025/09/08/b... Amazing new book from author @baronchrisbaron.bsky.social

Nature is amazing! #hopefulfarmer

Heads up #VerseNovel enthusiasts. I'm looking forward to reading #MG #VerseNovels SPARK by @baronchrisbaron.bsky.social‬ & LILAC AND THE SWITCHBACK by @cordeliajensen.bsky.social

Read books actual books suspenseful books silly books sad books poetry books scary books adventure books fantasy books science fiction books full length books short books longer books series of books comic books romance books read all the books books.

A big highlight of the KPBS Book Festival was a chance to hang out with so many wonderful book people! Including this extraordinary human!

SPARK in USA TODAY!

A big highlight of the KPBS Book Festival was a chance to hang out with so many wonderful book people! Including this extraordinary human!

SPARK is a word with so many meanings—-there’s no doubt that spending time with all of these incredible writers at The Highlights Foundation is igniting a brand new Spark in me.

Nerves getting the best of you when you're at school visits or other speaking events? Here are some tips to help! melissataylortips.substack.com/p/speaking-t... #kidlit #speakingtips

Spark by @baronchrisbaron.bsky.social is a timely and powerful novel in verse for middle grade readers! A must-have for classroom libraries! Thanks @netgalley.bsky.social and @macmillanpubusa.bsky.social for the eARC! goodreads.com/review/show/...

In reading Spark by @baronchrisbaron.bsky.social , I wanted to highlight sentences/entire passages. In this novel in verse as Finn narrates, we are taken into an intense and moving journey of teens navigating the results of wildfires. Who and what survives? Outstanding title/begs to be read aloud

Incredible night at Once Upon A Time Bookstore with these fantastic authors! Celebrating their books and the LA launch of SPARK! & a writing workshop with amazing kid writers who stunned us with imagination, optimism, talent, & a sense of wonder that had us spellbound! Thanks for a wonderful night!

Thanks @mrschureads.bsky.social !

#Bookaday I added @baronchrisbaron.bsky.social's SPARK to my 2025 Books I Love presentation: www.pinterest.com/mrschureads/...

Two sadly relevant books about the aftermath of wildfires: @baronchrisbaron.bsky.social @mackidsbooks.bsky.social SPARK and @breenabard.bsky.social @littlebrownyr.bsky.social WILDFIRE. msyinglingreads.blogspot.com/2025/07/poet...