Close Menu
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram Pinterest LinkedIn YouTube TikTok
    • Home
    • Submission Guidelines
    • Advertise
    • Mentorship
    • Editing Services
    • About
    • Contact
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram Pinterest TikTok
    The Children's Book Review
    Subscribe
    • Books by Subject
    • Books by Age
      • Ages 0-3, Infant and Toddler
      • Ages 4-8, Preschool to Elementary
      • Ages 9-12, Preteen and Tween
      • Ages 12+, Teen and Young Adult
      • Books for First Grade Readers
      • Books for Second Grade Readers
      • Books for Third Grade Readers
    • Favorites
      • Diverse and Inclusive Books
      • Books About Activism
      • Best Books for Kids
      • Star Wars Books
      • Board Books
      • Books About Mindfulness
      • Dr. Seuss Books
    • Showcase
    • Interviews
      • Growing Readers Podcast
      • Author Interviews and Q&A
      • Illustrator Interviews
    • Kids’ Book Giveaways
    • Directory
    • Podcast
    The Children's Book Review

    Best Young Adult with Holly Schindler, Author of Spark

    Bianca SchulzeBy Bianca Schulze4 Mins Read Best Kids Stories Book Lists Chapter Books Teens: Young Adults
    Best Young Adult Books with Holly Schindler Author of Spark
    Share
    Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Email

    Holly Schindler | The Children’s Book Review | June 16, 2016

    Best Young Adult Books with Holly Schindler Author of Spark

    My latest YA release, SPARK, isn’t easily categorized. It’s magical realism, contemporary fiction, a fantasy about shedding your perceived “flaws,” a sweet romance, historical fiction, a Shakespeare redo, and an homage to high school theater buffs. So the books that influenced SPARK come from a wild variety of different genres as well:

    Elsewhere by Gabrielle ZevinELSEWHERE

    Written by Gabrielle Zevin

    Zevin’s fantasy creates her own world as she describes “heaven.” I also got to create a world that operates in a slightly different way than our own. In SPARK, a theater comes back to life; it’s heart begins to beat again.

    Ages 12+ | Publisher: Square Fish| 2011 | ISBN-13: 978-0312367466

    WILL GRAYSON, WILL GRAYSONWILL GRAYSON, WILL GRAYSON

    Written by John Green and David Levithan

    Green does such a great job of capturing contemporary teen life. And this one features a high school musical to boot. In SPARK, Advanced Drama (populated by “senior nobodies”) are given the task of saving the Avery by putting on their own production of ANYTHING GOES. (I’m also a sucker for underdog stories.)

    Ages 14+ | Publisher: Speak| 2010 | ISBN-13: 978-0142418475

    Just Listen by Sarah DessenJUST LISTEN

    Written by Sarah Dessen

    Of all Dessen’s work, this one’s my favorite by far. Part of the reason for that is that I’m such a music nut—and it was a delight to read about characters who loved their music like I did in high school. In SPARK, we do have a sweet contemporary romance—as well as characters who love their music. One loves musical theater; another is in the midst of rebuilding an antique piano, making sure that it will “sing” again.

    Ages 12+ | Publisher: Speak| 2006 | ISBN-13: 978-0142410974

    THE YEAR OF MISTAKEN DISCOVERIESTHE YEAR OF MISTAKEN DISCOVERIES

    Written by Eileen Cook

    I love books that explore “non-tradition” families. This one’s about adoption—and Quin, the narrator of SPARK, has ben adopted as well. Actually, she’s been adopted by a woman who’s old enough to be her grandmother—which adds sort of an additional “non-traditional” element to the fact that she’s adopted.

    Ages 14+ | Publisher: Simon Pulse| 2014 | ISBN-13: 978-1442440234

    TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD, by Harper Lee and OUR TOWN, by Thornton Wilder – I’m cheating a bit here—these aren’t specifically YAs, but they are often read (or performed) by high schoolers. And they both focus on life in small towns. As does SPARK. I’m a lifelong Missouri girl, and I’ve always loved discovering reads about the Midwest, or about small town life. These works capture what it’s like to live in a smaller town in such a poetic, beautiful way—I don’t think you can finish these without wishing you lived there.

    About Holly Schindler

    I’m a hybrid author of critically concession acclaimed traditionally published and Amazon bestselling independently published works for readers of all ages. My previous YAs (A BLUE SO DARK, PLAYING HURT, and FERAL) have received starred reviews from Booklist and Publishers Weekly, won silver and gold medals from ForeWord Reviews Book of the Year and the IPPY Awards, respectively, been featured on Booklist’s First Novels for Youth, School Library Journal’s “What’s Hot in YA,” and been selected as a PW Pick. Kirkus praised by latest YA, SPARK, for “crisp prose [that] flows easily between the past and present,” and Booklist claimed the novel casts “a shimmering spell.” Readers can get in touch at HollySchindler.com, facebook.com/HollySchindlerAuthor, or at Twitter via @holly_schindler.

    SPARK by Holly SchindlerSPARK

    Written by Holly Schindler

    Publisher’s Synopsis: Acclaimed author Holly Schindler writes a compelling contemporary tale with a dash of magic. The theater comes to life in this story of family ties, fate, love, and one girl’s quest to rewrite history.

    The local Avery Theater was just a run-down building to Quin—until her mother told her about the tragic love that played out on the theater’s stage many years ago. Quin is convinced it’s the perfect story to re-create for her drama class. And when she does, the Avery begins to magically regain its former splendor, clearly setting the stage for her classmates Dylan and Cass to relive the romance from a time before. Quin can see the spark between them, but it’s up to her to make sure her friends—and the Avery—can both be saved this time around.

    Ages 14+ | Publisher: HarperTeen | 2016 | ISBN-13:  978-0062220233

    Available Here: 

    Text, logoBuy on Amazon

    Holly Schindler, author of Spark, selected these young adult books. Discover more articles on The Children’s Book Review tagged with Best YA and Young Adult Fiction.

    What to Read Next:

    1. Best Selling Young Adult Books | January 2015
    2. Best Selling Young Adult Books | April 2015
    3. Best Selling Young Adult Books | May 2015
    4. Best Selling Young Adult Books | July 2015

    *Disclosure: Please note that this post may contain affiliate links that share some commission. Rest assured that these will not affect the cost of any products and services promoted here. Our team always provides their authentic opinion in all content published on this site.

    Best YA David Levithan Eileen Cook Gabrielle Zevin HarperTeen Holly Schindler John Green Sarah Dessen Speak Books Square Fish Young Adult Fiction
    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email
    Previous ArticleNew Series Introduces Kids to Different Time Periods
    Next Article Animal Planet Animal Bites: Book Spotlight
    Bianca Schulze
    • Website
    • Facebook
    • X (Twitter)
    • LinkedIn

    Bianca Schulze is the founder of The Children’s Book Review. She is a reader, reviewer, mother and children’s book lover. She also has a decade’s worth of experience working with children in the great outdoors. Combined with her love of books and experience as a children’s specialist bookseller, the goal is to share her passion for children’s literature to grow readers. Born and raised in Sydney, Australia, she now lives with her husband and three children near Boulder, Colorado.

    Leave A Reply Cancel Reply

    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    TCBR Supporter
    Recent Articles
    • Interview with P. E. Shadrick, Author of ‘Elephants DO Forget’
    • Sparking Peace, by Teresa Kim Pecinovsky and Hannah Rose Marti | Awareness Tour
    • Elephants DO Forget: How Emory Found His Memory | Dedicated Review
    • Interview with J.E. Thomas, Author of ‘The AI Incident’
    • Best Chef in Town, by Lori Rotter | Dedicated Review
    TCBR Supporters
    sponsored | become a TCBR supporter today
    sponsored | become a TCBR supporter today
    sponsored | become a TCBR supporter today

    sponsored | become a TCBR supporter today
    Discover Kids Books by Age
    Best Books For Kids
    Media Kit: The Children's Book Review
    Author and Illustrator Showcase
    SEARCH
    BOOKS BY SUBJECT
    Archives
    Professional Resources

    Book Marketing Campaigns

    Writing Coaches and Editing Services

    Mentorship

    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram Pinterest YouTube LinkedIn TikTok
    • Submission Guidelines
    • Policies
    • Advertise
    • TCBR Buzzworthy Mentions
    • About TCBR
    © 2025 The Children’s Book Review. All rights reserved.

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.