One of my recent articles from the 2006 summer issue of KNOW science magazine is now available online. For the next few months, you can read all about the science behind sparklers on their site in my article: Know It: Sparklers [pdf].
It is a short piece and it was a big challenge to fit so much sparkler science into just a few hundred words. But the editors at KNOW, and their sister magazine YES, are real pros and helped me get all that crackling info squished into a compact package, ready to pop into your brain. So, if you ever wanted to know what makes a sparkler spark, I suggest you check it out.