Book Review: A Boy Called Bat

Synopsis: Bixby Alexander Tam prefers to be called Bat, for one it’s his initials and two he wants to be veterinarian when he grows up, just like his mom.
Bat’s not a huge fan of surprises or changes in his schedule, but when his mom brings home an unexpected baby skunk kit, Bat falls immediately in love with the little creature and has one month to convince his mom that he can take good care of the little skunk.

Review: What I enjoyed most about this story, is that it’s a fairly quiet book – perfect for animal lovers and kids who like to read about characters with disabilities. Bat is on the Autism Spectrum and the story really shows a believable character with a disability that is very much aware that he is different from the rest of his family and classmates, but also knows his strengths as well and his love and caring nature for animals is one of them. I like the realistic family life that Bat has with divorced parents and an older sister who is continually bothering him one way or another. Bat’s classmates and teacher are also extremely realistic with one boy wanting to be Bat’s friend, but unsure how to approach him and a teacher willing to work with Bat’s differences to allow him to succeed in class. This is a great story and short enough for a read aloud or book discussion!
Twitter Booktalk (280ish characters or less): Bat wants nothing more than to prove to his mother that he’ll take good care of the skunk kit that came into her veterinary hospital, but is keeping the skunk the best thing for Bat and the skunk?
Title: A Boy Called Bat
Author: Elana K. Arnold
Illustrator: Charles Santoso
Publisher: Walden Pond Press
Publication Date: March 14, 2017
Page Number:  208 pgs.