“Bixby Alexander Tam stared into the refrigerator, trying to decide what to eat.”

From Elana K. Arnold’s A Boy Called Bat.

On the autism spectrum, third grader Bixby Tam has earned the nickname Bat by almost everyone in his life because of his initials and some of his different habits.  Because Bat likes order and consistency, especially when it comes to his room and his stuff, he sometimes finds himself at odds with his older sister, Janie, who sometimes teases him when his habits become annoying.  When Bat’s veterinarian mother brings home an orphaned, newborn skunk kit to care for temporarily, the animal-loving Bat is thrilled.  Bat quickly falls in love with the kit and times away from the little animal, like school and weekends with dad, leave Bat wishing he was with the skunk.  The longer the skunk, which they quickly name Thor, stays with Bat and his family, the more responsibility for his care that Bat willingly takes on.  Desperate to keep Thor, Bat asks his teacher for help in reaching out to a skunk expert, Dr. Jerry Dragoo, to convinces his mom to let him raise the skunk until he’s old enough to be released.  Life is often confusing for Bat, but he knows that he could be the world’s best skunk caretaker for Thor, so he pushes himself like never before to keep the growing kit happy and healthy.

Arnold’s story is sweet, realistic, and eye-opening; she writes Bat’s thought processes in a way that makes connecting with him effortless for the reader.  The pictures scattered throughout the book are sweet and help to really bring the characters and situations to life.  A Boy Called Bat is a very unique read that will captivate readers of all ages from start to finish.