A Boy Called Bat

A Boy Called Bat
Elana K. Arnold
Walden Pond/HarperCollins, 2017 198 pages
Grades 3-6
Realistic Fiction/Animal

Bixby Alexander Tam, better known as Bat, loves animals. Because his mother is a veterinarian he is able to spend time at her animal hospital and help her and her vet techs take care of the many animals who reside there. One day Mom brings home a baby skunk and Bat falls madly in love. The problem is, the skunk will be going soon to a wild-animal shelter and then released back to the wild. How can Bat prove that he is responsible enough to take care of baby Thor until he is big enough to be released? Meanwhile Bat, who is somewhere on the autistic spectrum, is confronting some changes in his routine, with which he has a hard time. Weekends at his Dad's house are disruptive and uncomfortable, school can be tricky, and his sister is unpredictable and volatile. Through the course of the book, as Bat learns to care for Thor, he comes to appreciate time spent with his sister and Dad, roll with changes in routine a bit better and even makes his first friend.

Teen author Arnold pens a middle grade novel about a boy who happens to have autism and although it is part of who he is, this is not what the book is primarily about. The story is really about loving a wild creature and ways to problem solve to keep the relationship with the animal, while being true to its wild nature. Readers will experience the world through Bat's eyes and Arnold does a wonderful job of interpreting events through an autistic perspective. Children will understand how Bat interprets life around him and, perhaps, be a bit more patient and understanding with that child in their class who thinks a bit differently. Animal lovers will gravitate towards this story, but it really will be enjoyed by all. It would work well as a read aloud both in the classroom and at home. Black and white illustrations, contributed by Charles Santoso,  are sweet and plentiful and will draw-in readers. The print is big, the margins are large, and the chapters are short encouraging reluctant readers to dig in. A sequel, Bat and the Waiting Game, has been released this month, continuing Bat's story and giving readers somewhere to go once they finish this pleasing story.