Status
Available
Series
Collection
Publication
Walden Pond Press (2019), Edition: Reprint, 208 pages
Description
When Bat's older sister Janie gets a part in the school play, and can't watch him after school, it means some pretty big changes. For one, someone else will have to take care of the skunk kit in the afternoons.
User reviews
LibraryThing member reader1009
children's realistic fiction (3rd-5th grade level; main character is high-functioning on the autism spectrum)
I can't speak to how realistic this might be for a person with autism, but I found Bat to be totally sweet, and lovably normal (if not neurotypical). Any kid who loves animals will be able
I can't speak to how realistic this might be for a person with autism, but I found Bat to be totally sweet, and lovably normal (if not neurotypical). Any kid who loves animals will be able
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to relate to him. Show Less
LibraryThing member jennybeast
Really nice book -- gentle story, no lecturing, interesting skunk information, and a supportive family. Very nice.
LibraryThing member frailandfreakish
Hello, sometimes-friendly neighborhood autistic person here!
This is an adorable, humanizing, and mostly-accurate representation of an autistic third-grader protagonist. Even though the author is non-autistic, it’s clear that she did a lot of research from autistic people and didn’t fall into
I especially like the ending- it doesn’t frame “becoming less autistic” or “learning ‘social skills’” or “disassociating from special interests” as positive character development, like we see in so many autism narratives. Rather, the resolution of the story is Bat’s sister being nicer to him, Bat getting to keep the skunk for a bit longer, and him making a friend to share his special interests with.
My one critique was that the words “autism” or “autistic” weren’t mentioned at all. I think it’s definitely important that representation is explicit, in a society that devalues all ways of existing that don’t conform to the ablenormative capitalist mold. Especially in children’s literature- if it’s taboo to say that a certain character is autistic, are we really destigmatizing it for kids, or are we simply teaching that social “weirdness” is fine as long as it’s not given a name?
Overall tho, I really enjoyed this and am excited to read the second book, which I hope is more explicit about Bat’s neurology.
This is an adorable, humanizing, and mostly-accurate representation of an autistic third-grader protagonist. Even though the author is non-autistic, it’s clear that she did a lot of research from autistic people and didn’t fall into
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many of the tropes so common in media with autistic characters- Bat isn’t reduced to a list of behaviors or a caricature of the DSM criteria, he’s portrayed as a fully dynamic character rather than an emotionless math savant with no understanding of what a relationship is, and the narrative actually centers on Bat’s experience of the world and not the perceived struggles of his family. Most importantly, Bat is given space to just be a happy kid living his life- it’s obvious that he faces challenges from living in a world not built for him, but his daily life is portrayed as joyful if not sometimes annoying, rather than the tragedy narrative the autism industrial complex wants to have us believe. I especially like the ending- it doesn’t frame “becoming less autistic” or “learning ‘social skills’” or “disassociating from special interests” as positive character development, like we see in so many autism narratives. Rather, the resolution of the story is Bat’s sister being nicer to him, Bat getting to keep the skunk for a bit longer, and him making a friend to share his special interests with.
My one critique was that the words “autism” or “autistic” weren’t mentioned at all. I think it’s definitely important that representation is explicit, in a society that devalues all ways of existing that don’t conform to the ablenormative capitalist mold. Especially in children’s literature- if it’s taboo to say that a certain character is autistic, are we really destigmatizing it for kids, or are we simply teaching that social “weirdness” is fine as long as it’s not given a name?
Overall tho, I really enjoyed this and am excited to read the second book, which I hope is more explicit about Bat’s neurology.
Show Less
Awards
Nerdy Book Award (2018)
Language
Original language
English
Physical description
7.62 inches
ISBN
0062445863 / 9780062445865