A Boy Called Bat (The Bat Series, 1)

by Elana K. Arnold

Paperback, 2018

Status

Available

Call number

813.6

Series

Boy called Bat (1)

Collections

Flint/ Genesee, Diversity & Inclusion

Publication

Walden Pond Press (2018), Edition: Illustrated, 208 pages

Description

For Bixby Alexander Tam (nicknamed Bat), life tends to be full of surprises -- some of them good, some not so good. Today, though, is a good-surprise day. Bat's mom, a veterinarian, has brought home a baby skunk, which she needs to take care of until she can hand him over to a wild-animal shelter. But the minute Bat meets the kit, he knows they belong together. And he's got one month to show his mom that a baby skunk might just make a pretty terrific pet.

User reviews

LibraryThing member Mishker

Bixby Alexander Tam is a young boy who likes to go by the nickname Bat. Bat loves animals and knows all kinds of facts about animals. Bat's mom is a veterinarian and Bat would like to be a veterinarian just like her some day. However, Bat is still in grade school and must focus on that. It is hard

for Bat to make friends since he doesn't like to look people in the eye and likes to flap his arms. One day, Bat's mom brings home an orphaned baby skunk that she plans on taking care of before giving it to a rescue. Bat is amazed by the baby skunk and helps him mom with it's care. Bat doesn't want to give up the skunk so soon and tries to find a way to convince his mom to keep his new friend; and as Bat learns to love a skunk, he may learn to open up to new human friends as well.

A Boy Called Bat is a fun, engaging and heartwarming middle grade read. Most of all, this book encourages diversity and empathy without the story line being directly about the fact the Bat is on the autism spectrum. In fact, that is not even mentioned within the book, what is mentioned is how Bat perceives the world, how he handles emotions, interacts with other people and his intense love for animals. This is all done in a way that is easy for kids to understand and makes Bat very easy to relate to. I loved that Bat was coupled with a skunk, an animal that most people do not like very much; together, as Bat learns to take care of the infant skunk and convince his mother to keep the skunk for longer, Bat learns skills in how to relate with people. All of the characters in the book were equally as well thought out, though we see most of the people as Bat sees them, everyone surrounding Bat cares for him and wants the best for him. Overall, a great middle grade read, especially for animal lovers.

This book was received for free in return for an honest review.

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LibraryThing member Whisper1

This is a delightful, quick read about a boy who is autistic. His name is Bixty Alexander Tam, aka, Bat. When his veterinarian mother brought home a baby skunk whose mother was killed, Bat immediately took a liking to the bat baby. He carried him in a sling wrapped round his neck and enclosed

within is the baby skunk.

Warning him not to get too attached to the baby bat, Bat cannot help but take the responsibility of taking care of the baby animal seriously.

High marks both for the way in which autisum is portrayed, and the sheer wonderment of a boy and his unusual pet.

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LibraryThing member sgrame

Bixby Alexander Tam likes his nickname "Bat." He aspires to become a vet one day like his mom, but in the meantime, one of the things he likes to do best is read about animals. This is good, because he doesn't have any friends of his own age, although his teacher and one of his mom's co-workers are

very good with him. Its difficult for Bat who has autism to understand what people mean sometimes, to be patient with them and to remember phrases that are polite to say. When his mom brings home an orphaned baby skunk, Bat jumps at the chance to help take care of him until he is old enough to be released to a skunk rescue society. But having a skunk in the house isn't just the thing for everyone, like Bat's big sister. This is a wonderful book from the unique perspective of a boy on the autism spectrum. 1st in a series, this 198 page book would appeal to boys and girls, grades 3-5.

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LibraryThing member cay250

But the minute Bat meets the kit, he knows they belong together. And he's got one month to show his mom that a baby skunk might just make a pretty terrific pet. Grades 3-4 (autistic boy)

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LibraryThing member WeeTurtle

A very cute book! It's an easy read, and not too dramatic, focusing mostly on daily life for Bat and what's going on inside of his head. Bat is on the autism spectrum, but this is mentioned only on the back cover of the book, in the summary. Since he's telling the story, his autism is presented as

his normal way of functioning and he goes through his day, dealing with family and friend dynamics and activities that any other kid might understand or relate to.

A good book for any young audience, unless someone is out for something more adventurous and exciting.

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LibraryThing member agrudzien

Bat sees the world a little differently than everyone else - he likes rules and when things are the same as he plans for them to be. When Bat's mom brings home a baby skunk, Bat is determined that he is going to look after the skunk. With the help of his teacher and a new friend he contacts a skunk

expert and learns more about how to take care of Thor.

Super cute - and an interesting look at the autism spectrum

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LibraryThing member GloriaSidney

A Boy Called Bat is a fun, engaging and heartwarming book for middle grades to read. This book encourages diversity and empathy without the story being directly about the fact that Bat has autism. This is all done in a way that is easy for kids to understand and makes Bat very easy to relate to

about how he sees the world differently than others. This a perfect book to teach new vocabulary and also to bring awareness to students that differences are what make us unique.

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LibraryThing member DonnaMarieMerritt

This is a sweet and charming story that helps children understand how someone on the autistic spectrum views the world. It's a must for every K to 5 library.

LibraryThing member blbooks

First sentence: Bixby Alexander Tam stared into the refrigerator, trying to decide what to eat. He knew that the longer he took, the more energy he was wasting, and Bixby Alexander Tam did not like to waste energy. But he also didn't like to eat leftovers, or cheese that had to be sliced, or any of

the yogurt flavors in the fridge.

Premise/plot: Bat (Bixby Alexander Tam) is having a not-so-great day. In fact, he's on the verge of a meltdown. His day begins to improve when his mom--an animal rescuer presumably--brings home a newborn baby skunk. BAT is super-excited to take care of it. He loves animals and animal facts. As the days and weeks pass, Bat becomes bonded. Can they keep the baby skunk as their forever pet? Or will they have to let him go to another rescue/refuge center?

My thoughts: Bat is in an interesting character. I do believe he is on the spectrum. Everything about this one felt authentic--his relationships with his mom, his dad, his sister, his teacher, classmates, etc. I loved the ending. Nothing is tied neatly in a bow, but there is potential--great potential for Bat to be in a good, happy and healthy place.

My sister recommended this one to me. She thought I would find Bat relatable. I did, I really did!!! So I'm very glad I checked this one out from the library.

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LibraryThing member sweetiegherkin

A young boy really wants to keep the skunk kit he discovers, despite his mother's objections.

I read this book over a year ago and forgot to write a review of it so this one won't be particularly good. I remember really wanting to read this book for years once it came out but never getting around to

it for various reasons. Once I finally got to it, I was disappointed. I found the main character to be kind of obnoxious -- I'm not sure if maybe listening to the audiobook's narrator did that or if it's the way the character was written. I understand he was meant to be neurodivergent, but I didn't think this was a great portrayal of that in my humble opinion. I felt like he came across as bratty, which is unlike any neurodivergent child I've interacted with over the years.

The book was okay enough overall, but not enough for me to want to continue on with the series.

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