Common Sense Media Review
By Melissa Camacho
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
History-fantasy-drama mix offers authentic look at autism.
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Why Age 10+?
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A Kind of Spark
What's the Story?
Based on the novel by Elle McNicoll, A KIND OF SPARK is a British series about a Scottish girl with autism who wants to honor the women who were once tried as witches in her village. Eleven-year-old Adeline Darrow (Lola Blue) is joining her older sisters Nina (Cait Hamilton) and Keedie (Georgia de Gidlow), who is also autistic, at Juniper Comprehensive School. Addie must find ways to adjust to this new environment while doing her best to mask how overwhelmed she sometimes feels. But when she learns about the Jupiter witch trials that took place over 500 years ago, Addie believes that the women who were tried for practicing witchcraft were persecuted because they, like her, were different. As she learns more about the fate of these women, she passionately tries to get the community to memorialize them.
Is It Any Good?
This honest and engaging book adaptation offers an authentic interpretation of what it is like to be neurodivergent in a neurotypical world. The fictitious village of Jupiter serves as the place where history, fantasy, and reality collide in order to challenge viewers to reevaluate how they think about and treat people who understand and process the world differently than them. The series also highlights the fact that the ill-fated women who were deemed ‘witches' were persecuted because they were strong, independent, and outspoken while simultaneously pointing to the fact that neurodiverse women, thanks to pervasive stereotypes, are often regarded as incapable of possessing these same characteristics. But A Kind of Spark delivers these messages in a way that is understandable to young viewers while entertaining them with lots of tween and teen-oriented drama. Overall, it's a series that offers an empowering message about autistic women, and challenges how history has defined and understood difference and inclusion.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the history of witch trials around the world. Who were the people targeted during those periods? What have these periods in history taught us about how we understand people who are different from the mainstream?
What does A Kind of Spark want viewers to understand about autism? Did you know that the actresses who play the Darrow sisters are autistic, and that half of the cast on the series is neurodivergent? Does this contribute to the way autism is represented on the series? How?
TV Details
- Premiere date : March 31, 2023
- Cast : Lola Blue , Georgia de Gidlow , Cait Hamilton
- Network : BYUtv
- Genre : Drama
- Topics : Book Characters , Family Stories ( Siblings ) , Friendship , History
- Character Strengths : Communication , Compassion , Courage , Empathy , Perseverance , Self-control , Teamwork
- TV rating :
- Last updated : September 18, 2025
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