A Boy Called Bat by Elana K. Arnold

2017 Copyright

Genre:  Realistic

Grade Level: 2nd - 5th

Reading Level: 4.6 (3 points)

Length: 208 pages 

Publisher: Walden Pond Press (March 14, 2017)

My Rating: 4 out of 4

Readability: Fun, Fast, and Easy! (pictures and lots of white space)

MHL Division?: Division 1

Summary:  

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 (Bixby Alexander Tam) meets the kit, he knows they belong together.

I got this book from a Junior LibraryGuild selection in May. I like getting these subscription boxes each month because they choose something that usually is a book many others will be reviewing and talking about. I feel like I have an inside scoop on the best books coming out.  I just upped my subscriptions to 4 books each month for my library. I have finally figured out that I can also do exchanges and pick out books that I want as well. 

A Boy Called Bat is a great book for elementary schools.  So many books I read are for grades 4 and up. This book could easily be given to a 1^st grader with advanced reading skills as well.  It would make a great read aloud for the younger grades too.

Bat is a third grader who is on the autism spectrum and so he has some unique and endearing personality qualities. When his mother, who is a vet, brings home a baby skunk, he is immediately connected. He tries to figure out how to keep this baby longer than what his mother plans. 

The plot is simple but I enjoyed the characters and their interactions. Bat’s mother and father are divorced and so you see how that plays out in the family dynamics. His sister is funny, his mother is loving, and his teacher is understanding of kids.  Overall, a sweet read! I would recommend this for a future MHL book.