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A Boy Called Bat
A Boy Called Bat
A Boy Called Bat
Audiobook2 hours

A Boy Called Bat

Written by Elana K. Arnold

Narrated by Patrick Lawlor

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

4.5/5

()

About this audiobook

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

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.

"This sweet and thoughtful novel chronicles Bat’s 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.com, which named A Boy Called Bat a best book of 2017).

LanguageEnglish
Release dateMar 14, 2017
ISBN9780062661647
Author

Elana K. Arnold

Elana K. Arnold is the award-winning author of many books for children and teens, including The House That Wasn’t There, 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 is a member of the faculty at Hamline University’s MFA in writing for children and young adults program and lives in Long Beach, California, with her husband, two children, and a menagerie of animals. You can find her online at elanakarnold.com.

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Reviews for A Boy Called Bat

Rating: 4.290123456790123 out of 5 stars
4.5/5

162 ratings18 reviews

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  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    A great book to listen ???? love it ?????????? enjoy

    1 person found this helpful

  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I loved the book if and I think there is I would so read/listen to it!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    A boy called bat was my school's one school one book this year toodles❤️
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I like the idea but I hate where the scenery were took
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Is was gate and Awesome and cool and I really like the book it was written really well
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    The author did a relatively good job of entwining realistic characteristics into BAT... though the story overall lacks some depth. It has the makings of a more sophisticated tale, but doesn’t quite get there, and it’s ending comes quickly, leaving the reader unsatisfied, and wondering... just as BAT was said to be wondering too. If the goal was to write a simple story for a younger age group, ages 6-8, then they are sure to be entertained, but may also miss some of the intended character traits meant to grow understanding. And if this age group was indeed the goal, then the reader/listener deserves a sequel that sees the adventure through to a more thoroughly developed end. After all, even young children appreciate and deserve a little more depth.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Its good and all but there is one part that i didn’t really like,which is that at the end of the story it felt like the story isn’t complete yet...its like you cut off a part of the story from its end.but I really liked it though!?
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I Weekly enjoyed this adiobook ne cause it's cute and funny.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    The Cat in the Hat is a 1957 children's book written and illustrated by the American author ... In response, the boy catches the Things in a net and the Cat, apparently ... He variously claimed that he could use between 200 and 250 words from a ... His Book" in The New York Times Book Review and "My Hassle with the First .
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I loved this book. It’s informative about autism, while also being a very warm & fun story. Anyone, no matter what age, should read this! ♥️
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    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.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    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.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    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
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    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.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    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. Grades 3-4 (autistic boy)
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    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.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    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.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    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.