Elana K. Arnold

From acclaimed author Elana K. Arnold and with illustrations by Charles Santoso, A Boy Called Bat is the first book in a funny, heartfelt, and irresistible young middle grade series starring an unforgettable young boy on the autism spectrum. 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.

A Boy Called Bat

Sarah Sammis

While the book starts out being mostly about Bat and how he likes things just so and how upset he gets when things don't go his way, the book is really more about the work and emotional price of fostering orphaned animals. 

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Chelsea Hunter

A Boy Called Bat was a very quick and cute read. It can easily be read in one setting, but it is also a perfect book for reading a few chapters here and there, and not needing a refresher of what just happened. I think that this book is perfect for young children who love animals. I love the skunk and I really enjoyed how some facts about skunks were shared through this book. I really liked the illustrations throughout the story. They really added to the story.

One of the things I loved most about this book was that it featured an autistic boy, but that wasn't the focus of the story. I felt that Arnold, either has experience somehow with autism or she did her research well because I thought it was an accurate portrayal of a kid with autism (Bat reminded me a lot of my cousin who has autism) - mannerisms, thought-process, etc. I thought Bat was a well-developed character. He was really enjoyable.

I would highly recommend this book to younger readers or to parents who enjoy reading books to their young children.

*I received this book to read in exchange for an honest review. Thanks to Jean BookNerd and Walden Pond Press.

A Boy Called Bat

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