Skip to main content

A Boy Called Bat

Image
By


A Boy Called Bat 
By Elana K. Arnold
Pictures by Charles Santoso
Walden Pond Press, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, 2017. 198 p.

Bixby Alexander Tam is called Bat (for his initials and due to the fact that he really, really likes animals). One day Bat’s mom (a veterinarian) brings home a baby skunk kit that she needs to take care of until it can be taken to a wild-animal shelter. Bat is smitten and he knows that he has a lot to do in order to prove to his mom that they should keep the kit forever. Even though Bat is the star of the show in this beautifully written story, there are a few other details that make this book memorable. First of all, Bat is somewhere on the autism spectrum. He wears earmuffs to keep loud noises out, he sometimes sucks the front of his shirt if he is upset or thinking, he processes everything very literally, etc. The thing that I love about this is that Bat is Bat and how he thinks and acts is just part of who he is and is not the main focus of the story. Second, Bat’s parents are divorced. Every-other-weekend Bat and his sister go and spend time with their dad. Again, this isn’t the main part of the story. It is just a normal part of Bat’s life. I love that these major bits are the background of the story and that Bat and his coming to love Thor (the name of the skunk kit since it was found on Thursday) is the story—the other parts are treated just as normal bits of life. This is a good book, and for those readers who like audio books, it is a good audio as well.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

If You Like...KPop Demon Hunters

By
KPop Demon Hunters has been one of the most talked-about movies of the summer. If you loved this movie as much as I did, you don't want the magic (or the music) to stop. Try reading these books that touch on some of the same topics and themes as the animated hit! Brick Dust and Bones By M. R. Fournet New York: Feiwel and Friends, 2023. Fiction. 247 pages. Orphaned Marius works in the family business--as their cemetery's ghost caretaker. However, Marius also moonlights as a monster hunter in order to earn the costly Mystic currency he needs to bring his mother back from the dead. As the window to bring his mother back begins to close, Marius's exploits get more and more dangerous, and he may have set his sights on a monster too big to handle on his own. Like Mira, Marius longs for familial connection, and his work as a monster hunter will satisfy the thrill of demon hunting for fans the movie. Where's Halmoni? By Julie J. Kim Seattle, WA: Little Bigfoot, 2017. Comics. W...
Post a Comment
Read more

Five Faves: New Dragon Chapter Books for Middle Grade

By
As a kid I was OBSESSED (all caps!) with dragons.  Dragons can be scary, majestic, loyal, greedy, but what they all have in common is how fun they are to read about!  Check out the dragon books below for some fun new reads! Dad Rock Dragon Quest Written by Joan Reardon New York : Aladdin, 2025. Fiction. 342 pgs. Dad Rock Dragon Quest follows 12-year-old aspiring rockstar Zadie Drake, whose summer plans to bond with her super cool, if sometimes absent, daredevil park ranger dad get complicated when her mom’s boring new boyfriend tags along. After they arrive at her dad’s cabin, a poacher kidnaps her dad’s ice-breathing dragon, revealing her dad's secret role protecting magical creatures and thrusting the family into a high-stakes rescue mission. Along the way, Zadie begins to rethink her relationships with both her father and her mom’s boyfriend.  Dragonborn Written by Struan Murrya New York, NY : Dutton Children's Books, 2025. Fiction. 320 pgs. Dragonborn  follows 1...
Post a Comment
Read more

Review: Just Shine!

By
Just Shine! Written by Sonia Sotomayor Illustrated by Jacqueline Alcantara New York, NY : Philomel, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC, 2025. Picture Book. At the beginning of each new year, a lot of people like to set goals for themselves. Often, these tend to be number-oriented: a specified number of minutes reading, a certain number of steps walked each day, or even goals related to saving money. I have often felt very intimidated by number-oriented goals, and shy away from making them. In recent conversations with friends and family, we have talked about goals that are more skill-related or focused on bringing joy into the world and our personal lives. In line with that way of thinking, I am recommending this book to everyone! This book would be amazing for discussing goals with people who prefer to have goals that are different from traditional "number-oriented" ones. The cover and the artwork left me feeling happy and very invested in the story the author wanted to ...
Post a Comment
Read more