★ 01/23/2017
When Bat’s veterinarian mother brings home an infant skunk to foster for a month, Bat—a third grader on the autism spectrum—hopes to prove that he’s responsible enough to keep the skunk, Thor, as a pet. Written in third person, this 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 (Far from Fair) delves into Bat’s relationships with his divorced parents, older sister, teachers, and classmates. In one tender scene, Bat braids his sister’s hair: “Getting along with people was hard for Bat. Figuring out what they meant when they said something, or when they made certain faces at him... People were complicated. But braiding was easy.” Bat’s supportive family and school encourage his strategies for navigating a confusing world, and Santoso’s b&w spot illustrations quietly speak to his isolation, as well as the way he takes to Thor. A budding friendship and open-ended questions about Thor’s future will spark anticipation for the next book in this planned series. Ages 6–10. Author’s agent: Rubin Pfeffer, Rubin Pfeffer Content. Illustrator’s agency: Shannon Associates. (Mar.)

"How I love this beguiling and big-hearted book! Every child will root for Bat as he navigates the challenges that come with friendship and change, not to mention skunk parenting. A tender and important tale that belongs on every bookshelf." — Katherine Applegate, Newbery Medal-winning author of The One and Only Ivan

★ “This 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 Bat’s relationships with his divorced parents, older sister, teachers, and classmates.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“Brimming with quietly tender moments, subtle humor, and authentically rendered family dynamics, Arnold’s story, the first in a new series, offers a nonprescriptive and deeply heartfelt glimpse into the life of a boy on the autism spectrum.” — ALA Booklist

“Comfortably familiar and quietly groundbreaking, this introduction to Bat should charm readers, who will likely look forward to more opportunities to explore life from Bat’s particular point of view.” — Kirkus Reviews

“A Boy Called Bat will help children understand autism and that everybody loves animals.” — Temple Grandin, author of Animals In Translation

“Delightful, endearing, and utterly relatable, Bat Tam is destined to be a dear and necessary friend for young readers. I adore him and his story.” — Anne Ursu, author of The Real Boy

“A Boy Called Bat is sensitive, sweet, and super fun. I read this book with the biggest smile on my face.” — Corinne Duyvis, author of Otherbound

"How I love this beguiling and big-hearted book! Every child will root for Bat as he navigates the challenges that come with friendship and change, not to mention skunk parenting. A tender and important tale that belongs on every bookshelf."

Brimming with quietly tender moments, subtle humor, and authentically rendered family dynamics, Arnold’s story, the first in a new series, offers a nonprescriptive and deeply heartfelt glimpse into the life of a boy on the autism spectrum.

A Boy Called Bat is sensitive, sweet, and super fun. I read this book with the biggest smile on my face.

A Boy Called Bat will help children understand autism and that everybody loves animals.

Delightful, endearing, and utterly relatable, Bat Tam is destined to be a dear and necessary friend for young readers. I adore him and his story.

Brimming with quietly tender moments, subtle humor, and authentically rendered family dynamics, Arnold’s story, the first in a new series, offers a nonprescriptive and deeply heartfelt glimpse into the life of a boy on the autism spectrum.

11/01/2016
Gr 3–6—Bixby Alexander Tam, or Bat, has autism. He has a high need for structure; anything out of the ordinary causes him anxiety. When his mother, a vet, is late coming home from work one day, Bat is panicked. His mother explains she has a good reason, and tells him about the baby skunk she has brought home. The mother skunk did not survive a car accident, but Bat's mom was able to save the kit, and they will raise him at home for a month until he is old enough to be released to a wild animal shelter. Bat, who wants to be a vet himself someday, is fascinated by the kit, named Thor by his sister. Feeling that no one will be able to care for Thor as well as he can, Bat tries to find a way to convince his mother to keep the kit as a pet. This tender novel starts out slowly, focusing on Bat's frequent frustration. Arnold shows more than tells, crafting a nuanced character. Readers learn that Bat goes to a school that values his uniqueness and works with him on interpersonal dynamics like developing an awareness of other people's feelings, empathy, and friendship. Midway through the book, the pacing picks up. Bat's relationships with his teacher and a vet at his mother's clinic are particularly enjoyable and add humor to the novel. Santoso's illustrations, appearing about once a chapter, add warmth. Short chapters and a straightforward plot make this a good candidate for reluctant readers. VERDICT The challenges facedby kids like Bat are often underrepresented in children's literature; this is a refreshing depiction. Readers will appreciate this funny and thoughtful novel.—Juliet Morefield, Multnomah CountyLibrary, OR

Patrick Lawlor charmingly narrates this heartwarming story of Bixby Alexander Tam—otherwise known as Bat—an autistic third grader who bonds with an orphan skunk brought home by his mom, a veterinarian. Lawlor skillfully navigates the family dynamics, raising the pitch and speed of Bat’s voice to show his frustration when his sister eats the last vanilla yogurt, then slowing to a soothing calm as his mother explains why she’s late getting home. Lawlor captures Bat’s emotional range perfectly—from his raw enthusiasm at caring for a real animal to the affection he shows in his conversations with the skunk’s kit. The more Bat learns about skunk care, the less anxious his voice becomes, showing his maturity in dealing with this new situation. M.F.T. © AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine

2016-12-06
A third-grader becomes fascinated with an orphaned skunk kit and wages a campaign to convince his veterinarian mom that their family should care for the animal until it can be released to the wild. Bixby Alexander Tam is known as Bat. In many ways his experiences are quite ordinary. He squabbles with his older sister and navigates the complications of his parents' divorce. He doesn't always like following school rules, and he loves animals. Arnold's sensitive but matter-of-fact description of some of Bat's behaviors, however, make it clear that he isn't entirely neurotypical. When he's nervous he repeats certain actions, like sucking on his shirt or flapping his hands. His mom notes that he has difficulty with eye contact, and a prospective friend has to work hard to connect with him. These details, along with others about family members and his multicultural classmates, bring the characters to life and contribute to the lively and engaging plot. The decision not to use labels to classify any of the characters (except the skunk, which Bat notes belongs to the family Mephitidae) encourages all readers to enjoy and connect with the events and emotions that ring true for them. In Santoso's appealing illustrations, Bat and his sister share their dad's dark, straight hair; the whole family has fair skin. Comfortably familiar and quietly groundbreaking, this introduction to Bat should charm readers, who will likely look forward to more opportunities to explore life from Bat's particular point of view. (Fiction. 7-10)