A Boy Called Bat by Elana K. Arnold

Synopsis:
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.
(Synopsis from Goodreads).

My Thoughts:
Lately, I've loved to read middle grade books. I don't know why. There's just something about them that cheer me up and put a smile on my face, which is definitely needed this time of year. When I heard that A Boy Called Bat was a middle grade novel about a boy with autism, I knew I had to read it. Books, especially middle grade books, about a main protagonist with autism can be hard to find. I ended up loving this book. It might be one of my favorite books I've read this year.

A Boy Called Bat was such a cute middle grade book. I loved every part of the book. I can't think of one thing that I disliked about the book. I especially love how the author handled writing about a main character with autism. As someone who grew up with a stepbrother that has autism, I think Elana K. Arnold's portrayal of autism was very accurate. I noticed a lot of Bat's mannerisms were similar to my stepbrother, and my friend's daughter that also has autism. In fact, some of the things that Bat did were almost identical to things they do.

I also thought that it was cute and creative to hear Bat explain his autism in his own terms. It really teaches you how innocent children are, and how someone with autism thinks. I think it was a great insight into a child with autism's mind. The final thing that I loved about A Boy Called Bat is that everyone around Bat was so supportive of him. Children or adults, it didn't matter. Everyone around him wanted to help him with whatever he needed to succeed and achieve his goals. I loved seeing that.

There are so many things that I loved about A Boy Called Bat. I enjoyed seeing the author portray autism through the eyes of a child that has it. I also enjoyed seeing such supportive side characters. I will definitely be reading more of Elana K. Arnold's other books. I just found out that there are two more books in this series. I hope to read them as soon as I can, and then start on other books of hers that I own. 

I give A Boy Called Bat: 5/5.

Want to know more about the author?
Website: http://elanakarnold.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ElanaKArnold/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/elanakarnold
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elanakarnold/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5772357.Elana_K_Arnold

I received this book from the publisher, via Edelweiss, in exchange for an honest review. I was in no way compensated for this review.