A Boy Called Bat
Book 1 in The Bat Series
- Subject
- Disabilities
- Age
- 6-8 years
- Format
- Hardcover
- Pages
- 208
- Publisher
- Walden Pond Press
- Size
- 13.5 cm Ă 20.6 cm
- ISBN
- 9780062445827
The first book in the Schneider Award Honor-winning 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 surprisesâsome of them good, some not so good. Today, though, is a good-surprise day. Batâs 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 heâs got one month to show his mom that a baby skunk might just make a pretty terrific pet.
"This sweet and thoughtful novel chronicles Batâs experiences and challenges at school with friends and teachers and at home with his sister and divorced parents. Approachable for younger or reluctant readers while still delivering a powerful and thoughtful story" (from the review by Brightly, which named A Boy Called Bat a best book of the year).
Elana K. Arnold's Bat series is a proven winner in the home and classroomâkids love these short illustrated young middle grade books.
About the creators
Elana K. ArnoldAuthor
Elana K. Arnold is the award-winning author of many books for children and teens, including the Sydney Taylor and National Jewish Book Award winner The Blood Years, the Printz Honor winner Damsel, the National Book Award finalist What Girls Are Made Of, and the Global Read Aloud selection A Boy Called Bat. She lives in Long Beach, California, with her husband, two children, and a menagerie of animals. You can find her online at elanakarnold.com.
Charles SantosoIllustrator
Charles Santoso loves drawing little things in his little journal and dreams about funny, wondrous stories. He moves around between different countries to live and work. Charles is always on the lookout for bookstores and cats whenever he explores a new place. He is the illustrator of several picture books, including Ida, Always, I Will Read to You, and Dear Unicorn. You can visit him at charlessantoso.com.
Data provided by BiblioShare.
What reviewers said
âThis engaging and insightful story makes readers intimately aware of what Bat is thinking and how he perceives the events and people in his life. With empathy and humor, Arnold delves into Batâs relationships with his divorced parents, older sister, teachers, and classmates.â
âBrimming with quietly tender moments, subtle humor, and authentically rendered family dynamics, Arnoldâs story, the first in a new series, offers a nonprescriptive and deeply heartfelt glimpse into the life of a boy on the autism spectrum.â
âComfortably familiar and quietly groundbreaking, this introduction to Bat should charm readers, who will likely look forward to more opportunities to explore life from Batâs particular point of view.â
âDelightful, endearing, and utterly relatable, Bat Tam is destined to be a dear and necessary friend for young readers. I adore him and his story.â
âA Boy Called Bat will help children understand autism and that everybody loves animals.â
âA Boy Called Bat is sensitive, sweet, and super fun. I read this book with the biggest smile on my face.â
