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...

Can't wait to share this one in the fall with students as I know some who will already love this one and anyone who loves verse sure will! A timely topic and incredibly loveable characters you'll feel for! Be sure to pick this one up! #amreading #summerreading @baronchrisbaron.bsky.social

Highly recommend this timely novel in verse! You won’t be able to out it down. @baronchrisbaron.bsky.social @mackidsbooks.bsky.social

What a fantastic night--SPARK is launched! THANK YOU to the standing room only crowd at Warwick's!  Megan and I had a blast talking about SPARK and AWAY and all things poetry, middle grade, and life. Thank you for an evening of hope and heart💙

@slj.com and @baronchrisbaron.bsky.social's roundup of books about wildfires includes our own @jewellparkerrhodes.bsky.social's PARADISE ON FIRE! We also have to recommend @breenabard.bsky.social's fantastic graphic novel WILDFIRE. teenlibrariantoolbox.com/2025/07/16/w...

Worlds on Fire: Can Hope Spark Healing? Books about wildfire, the changing climate, and the courage to make a difference, a guest post by Chris Baron bit.ly/44zO4g6 @tltkaren.bsky.social @baronchrisbaron.bsky.social @jewellparkerrhodes.bsky.social @shanayoungdahl.bsky.social

Happy book birthday, @baronchrisbaron.bsky.social!!

Happy book birthday to @baronchrisbaron.bsky.social's Spark! mrschureads.blogspot.com/2024/09/spar...

The wait is finally over, SPARK by @baronchrisbaron.bsky.social is out today!! With a glowing starred review from Booklist, this SLJ Most Anticipated MG of 2025 follows two friends in a community recovering from a devastating wildfire. Learn more here: bit.ly/4lgVPxw

Happy bookday to SPARK! Thankful to everyone who made this book real and in the world! A love letter to our environment, wildlife, and the people who care for our world- most of all to anyone- especially the young and young at heart who find hope after trauma & turn into action!

HAPPY BOOK BIRTHDAY to author @baronchrisbaron.bsky.social & his brand new book SPARK! I had the honor of reading SPARK before ink touched the page, & before much of the reading world knew about this timely, relevant & profoundly beautiful story. Thank you for this amazing gift Chris!

In case you just can’t wait until tomorrow evening to see proof that @baronchrisbaron.bsky.social & I are two different authors, here we are on the most recent episode of This One’s Dedicated to…, discussing the dedication Other Chris wrote for his previous book, THE GRAY: youtu.be/xPry-14OX1Q?...

Wow! What a lovely surprise to find this spread for SPARK in the “Books” section of the Sunday paper! Huge thanks to The San Diego Union Tribune and Pam Kragen! SPARK comes out Tuesday! Book launch at Warwicks Thursday night!

An amazing, "spoiler free" review of SPARK from this 10 year old reviewer💙💙💙 @mackidsbooks.bsky.social