Spark the Firefighter - Hardcover

Krensky, Stephen

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0525478876 ISBN 13: 9780525478874

Publisher: Dutton Books for Young Readers, 2008

Synopsis

When the town of Hardscrabble placed an ad for a new firefighter, they never expected a dragon to apply. But Spark wants the job because he has a secret. He’s afraid of fire . . . and that’s not good when you are a fire-breathing dragon! Spark knows the only way to conquer your fear is by facing it. A funfilled tale with plenty of fire safety tips.

About this title

About the Author:

"I did not have the kind of childhood most people would choose to write about. It was happy and uneventful, with only the occasional bump in the night to keep me on my toes. In my spare time, however, I often imagined myself in various stories -- as Mighty Mouse, Robin Hood, Popeye or Superman.

"I always liked to make up stories, especially lying in bed at night before I fell asleep.

"It was not until I was twenty that I actually took up ceative writing. One of my favorite parts of the process was imagining myself in various characters' shoes, even if those characters - dragons for example - didn't wear shoes at all. A year later, in 1975, I graduated from Hamilton College andbegan a six-month internship at the New York Times Book Review.

"Since then I have been a full-time writer for children. I married my wife, Joan, in 1984,and we settled in my hometown of Lexington, Massachusetts, where we live with our two sons, Andrew and Peter.

"When I feel like I've spent enough time hunched over my computer, I like to play soccer and softball, and read books written by other people."

copyright © 2000 by Penguin Putnam Books for Young Readers. All rights reserved.

From School Library Journal:

PreSchool-Grade 1—Spark is a dragon who's afraid of fire. To help overcome his fear of blowing flames, he decides to become a volunteer fireman. The other firefighters put him through a rigorous training, including push-ups, sit-ups, a lot of reading about fire injuries, school demonstrations, and learning how to use the equipment. Then he is ready to go on real jobs. Gradually he becomes brave, and then a hero when he uses his special dragon attributes to lead animals out of a burning barn. Now over his fear, Spark leaves the fire department and begins to explore traditional dragon duties like protecting treasure, returning to his old job every once in a while to teach recruits. Simply told with bright cartoon pictures and a dragon to hold interest, the slight story teaches fire safety in an appealing way. It also contains a subtle lesson on facing and overcoming one's fears.—Judith Constantinides, formerly at East Baton Rouge Parish Main Library, LA
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About this edition

• Publisher: Dutton Books for Young Readers
• Publication date: 2008
• ISBN 10: 0525478876
• ISBN 13: 9780525478874
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 32
• Illustrator: Haley Amanda