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Bat and the Waiting Game
(A Boy Called Bat #2)
by
In the tradition of Clementine and Ramona Quimby, meet Bat. Author Elana K. Arnold returns with another irresistible story of friendship in this widely acclaimed series starring an unforgettable boy on the autism spectrum.
For Bixby Alexander Tam (nicknamed Bat), life is pretty great. He’s the caretaker of the best baby skunk in the world — even Janie, his older sister, is ...more
For Bixby Alexander Tam (nicknamed Bat), life is pretty great. He’s the caretaker of the best baby skunk in the world — even Janie, his older sister, is ...more
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Showing 1-30
3.5 -4 stars
Jul 20, 2017
Alex
added it
Sequel lives up to the first book. Bat's feelings are so real, and the whole cast of characters feels like a hug.
Bat and his skunk Thor are back for more adventures. Lots of lessons and learning in this second installment. Perfect novel for third and fourth graders!
The Krajewski family still adores Bat! Can’t wait for more!
E ARC from Edelweiss Plus
In this sequel to A Boy Called Bat, Bat is concerned that Thor is growing up all too quickly. He enjoys carry the baby skunk around in a sling and feeding him bottles, and while he is trying to be a good skunk nurturer and make sure that Thor gets appropriate exercise and food, it makes him a little sad, too. When Bat's sister Janie gets a part in the school play, Bat has to spend time after school at his friend Israel's house after school. While Bat is getting better at ...more
In this sequel to A Boy Called Bat, Bat is concerned that Thor is growing up all too quickly. He enjoys carry the baby skunk around in a sling and feeding him bottles, and while he is trying to be a good skunk nurturer and make sure that Thor gets appropriate exercise and food, it makes him a little sad, too. When Bat's sister Janie gets a part in the school play, Bat has to spend time after school at his friend Israel's house after school. While Bat is getting better at ...more
I really can’t wait for the third one, and this one’s not even out yet. A realistic portrait of autism and its effects on family and friends, told with care and in a positive light. Bat is relatable and funny and I will pull for him always.
I just love Bat, he reminds me of a few of my students and I just love his attachment for Thor, the baby skunk. It's rare to find such a great book written from a POV of autism and getting it quite spot on (from what I can tell). I love his interactions with other characters and I have to give his big sister Janie some applause for always trying her best to include him and forgive him when needed.
I kind of liked this book because it was slowly paced. I also didn't like this book because the events in the book were very..... well...... "not exciting events" and I like action and adventure. So...... I didn't really like it because of that too. For example, the whole book was basically Bat having troubles with his sister talking about her play and when it finally does come he messes it up. He messes it up by his pet skunk spraying.
Another sweet story about Bat and his beloved skunk. I appreciated how Bat came to be more aware of other people's feelings and learned that he can't always have Thor with him. Good development with his friendship with Israel too.
However, I do wish there had been some resolution to the question of how long Thor will be around and how Bat will cope when he isn't.
However, I do wish there had been some resolution to the question of how long Thor will be around and how Bat will cope when he isn't.
I love A Boy Called BAT and have been eager to read BAT and the Waiting Game. I was lucky enough to get and ARC at NCTE and am grateful I did. Another dose of BAT and the Tam family is just what I needed. BAT continues to take care of Thor, the skunk kit that he is allowed to keep until it can be released into the wild. His love for Thor is fierce and Thor being a “toddler” now comes with a new set of challenges. In this book, the readers experiences the difficulty that BAT has as he tries to na
...more
Bixby Alexander Tam (nicknamed BAT) is back with his baby skunk, Thor, for another round of adventures! Just like the first in the series, Bat and the Waiting Game is a sweet, charming novel that accurately portrays a main character with ASD (although is perhaps a little light on how his actions impacts those around him).
A delightful second novel and I look forward to the third. I definitely recommend this book for school and classroom libraries serving grades 2-5 and as a read aloud in those gr ...more
A delightful second novel and I look forward to the third. I definitely recommend this book for school and classroom libraries serving grades 2-5 and as a read aloud in those gr ...more
2nd book in the series is another heartwarming story of an autistic boy, Bat, and his adventures with his baby pet skunk. Shows realistically the struggles Bat has to understand other people’s feelings. Would be a great read-aloud! (Library)
Bat absolutely has a piece of my heart.
What a great follow up. I loved the simplicity of the timeline...the author wasn't trying to wrap up the next few years of Bat's life...it was just an extension of a great story and I loved seeing Bat's growth in terms of friendships and relationships.
This book is just as good as the first at providing readers with the perspective of a child with autism. Bat's story is a great choice for younger advanced readers.
I adore Bat and his pet skunk and all of his quirks and mistakes and attempts at understanding the world around him. On the spectrum or not, the societal norms that Bat struggles with (like apologizing and being a good friend) are lessons we can all benefit from relearning again. This is such a great series and one that would be an easy recommendation for those making the leap from chapter books to fiction and those looking for a "clean" or "mild" read. I am quite certain this is not the last we
...more
Low-key and Upbeat
This is the second Bat, (Bixby Alexander Tam), book and a fine entry in the series. The "hook", if you want to call it that, is that Bat is on the autism spectrum, and we follow his daily adventures from his point of view. This series is often compared to book sets that feature antic or hyper characters - Clementine, Ramona, and so on - which I think gives a false sense of the feel of the series. Bat is quiet and thoughtful and observant, and the insights Bat shares and the act ...more
This is the second Bat, (Bixby Alexander Tam), book and a fine entry in the series. The "hook", if you want to call it that, is that Bat is on the autism spectrum, and we follow his daily adventures from his point of view. This series is often compared to book sets that feature antic or hyper characters - Clementine, Ramona, and so on - which I think gives a false sense of the feel of the series. Bat is quiet and thoughtful and observant, and the insights Bat shares and the act ...more
Bat is a boy with a big heart and when a baby skunk comes into his life, he throws everything into caring for little Thor. He has to learn how to balance his love for this little charge and his love for his family, which can be a challenging thing, as Bat finds out. Despite personal challenges involved with having autism, Bat does learn some important lessons about friendship, love, and loyalty. The portrayal of autism in this book seems to be quite accurate and the author does a good job showin
...more
Summary
Having a pet is not easy. You get used to having it around all the time. But you get to a point in your life where you can no longer take care of it. Being autistic means noticing everything and not everyone agrees with the things that you agree on. Bixby goes for the nickname Bat! His skunk the pet needs him one specific day, and he worries that something will happen to him or others around him. Janie his sister is about to perform one of the most important musicals of her life and nothi ...more
Having a pet is not easy. You get used to having it around all the time. But you get to a point in your life where you can no longer take care of it. Being autistic means noticing everything and not everyone agrees with the things that you agree on. Bixby goes for the nickname Bat! His skunk the pet needs him one specific day, and he worries that something will happen to him or others around him. Janie his sister is about to perform one of the most important musicals of her life and nothi ...more
Bat, short for Bixby Alexander Tam, has trouble with crowds, change and a host of little things that don’t generally bother most people. But he has a baby skunk, too, and that’s a pretty terrific thing that most other people don’t have. Elana Arnold brings a short, easy to read story about a special young man who is on the autism spectrum and yet manages to raise the abandoned kit while also making a best friend, connecting
with his dad at a baseball game, and figuring out how to apologize to hi ...more
with his dad at a baseball game, and figuring out how to apologize to hi ...more
After listening to and loving "A Boy Called Bat" earlier this year for the Global Read Aloud, my kiddos insisted that we read the sequel (and were *thrilled* to learn of the just-released third and final book which we're going to try to squeeze in before the end of the year). Like the first book, this is just a sweet, gentle story of a boy who's doing his best to get through the world despite his differences. It's just such a lovely, sincere depiction of a young boy on the autism spectrum. It's
...more
On March 14, 2017 readers met a character named Bat, short for Bixby Alexander Tam, in the first book of a trilogy titled A Boy Called BAT (Walden Pond Press) written by Elana K. Arnold with illustrations by Charles Santoso. It was and still is unthinkable to not feel affection for this boy, his family and his friends. Every chapter pulled (pulls) us deeper into his world.
One year later on March 27, 2018 Bat and the Waiting Game (Walden Pond Press) continues the story of this irresistible child ...more
One year later on March 27, 2018 Bat and the Waiting Game (Walden Pond Press) continues the story of this irresistible child ...more
I received a copy of this through Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
Bat continues to take care of his skunk kit, Thor. However, when his older sister joins the school play, Bat's well cultivated schedule must change and Thor will be babysat at a different location. This change is extremely difficult for Bat, who is on the autism spectrum. As Bat deals with the challenges in his personal life, he also begins to have problems with his best friend. How will Bat survive these changes.
I ap ...more
Bat continues to take care of his skunk kit, Thor. However, when his older sister joins the school play, Bat's well cultivated schedule must change and Thor will be babysat at a different location. This change is extremely difficult for Bat, who is on the autism spectrum. As Bat deals with the challenges in his personal life, he also begins to have problems with his best friend. How will Bat survive these changes.
I ap ...more
gr2/3-5
This is a lower-level chapter book, so for kids done with first chapter, but not quite ready for a big chapter book. The story follows a boy named Bat (who has some degree of autism or social anxiety) and his adventures with a baby skunk that he is raising. The story is told from his point of view. I like that we see different parts of some of the characters. There is conflict, and it is resolved. Bat's mom seems like a great model for a parent dealing with a child like Bat. The big confl ...more
This is a lower-level chapter book, so for kids done with first chapter, but not quite ready for a big chapter book. The story follows a boy named Bat (who has some degree of autism or social anxiety) and his adventures with a baby skunk that he is raising. The story is told from his point of view. I like that we see different parts of some of the characters. There is conflict, and it is resolved. Bat's mom seems like a great model for a parent dealing with a child like Bat. The big confl ...more
This book was too short: not even a real sequel. Like a between sequel-sequel. To get you through the waiting process. Anyway, this book didn’t really teach me about how hard it was to have a skunk as a pet. It mostly sleeps. But remember, it’s still a wild animal. But apparently this skunk has 0 wild animal tendencies, which could send the wrong message to kids. It’s never discussed if it’s even legal for them to have it - i guess because the mom is a vet they didn’t need to get into that? But
...more
I loved the first book in this "ready-for-chapters" series, A Boy Called Bat. In this sequel, Bixby Alexander Tam (Bat) is a pretty happy kid- he gets to take care of his skunk kit, Thor, he has a great friend named Israel, and his life pretty much follows his predictable schedule day after day. But when his sister, Janie, gets a role in the school play and can't watch Bat after school anymore, the first of many changes start to affect Bat's comfort level and happiness. Bat has to learn that som
...more
3.5 stars.
This series is seriously adorable. Bat pulled at my heart strings right away, again, with his love for Thor. This book takes place just a week after the first, with the skunk starting to grow and Bat’s relationship with his new friend, Israel, starting to grow, as well.
I really appreciate the small lessons about autism in this series. There’s a scene where Bat goes to a baseball game that features great lessons about how everyday tasks or activities can be overwhelming for people wit ...more
This series is seriously adorable. Bat pulled at my heart strings right away, again, with his love for Thor. This book takes place just a week after the first, with the skunk starting to grow and Bat’s relationship with his new friend, Israel, starting to grow, as well.
I really appreciate the small lessons about autism in this series. There’s a scene where Bat goes to a baseball game that features great lessons about how everyday tasks or activities can be overwhelming for people wit ...more
Another book that ends with children clapping and them urging to please start book 3 in the series right then and there. Children simply connect with Bat in this wonderful series. The relationship that emerges between Bat and his sister is truly special and unique. As we finished this story, knowing there is only one book left and it is the final one, one of my students made the comment "I love and hate that there is only one book left". Welcome to the world of a great book series, little friend
...more
Still a great entry and all but lacks the punch of the first one...and weirdly the stakes. Both things don't seem like valid complaints for a book aimed at rather young kids but one thing I enjoyed about the first one were the stakes. They felt earned from Bat's perspective. This feels like more of a holding pattern. The heart is still here and of course Bat, Thor, and their family are still highly relatable and engaging. I'm weirdly invested in these books because they seem to draw too much for
...more
This sequel to A Boy Called Bat was just as wonderful as the first book in the series.
I love how the relationships between Bat, who is on the autism spectrum, and the other characters developed in this story.
Bat made his first real friend, Israel, and even though they face some obstacles due to Bat's autism, in the end they stick together and help each other overcome the difficulties.
The overarching plot revolving Bat's sister Janie felt a little bit forced, but it didn't keep me from enjoying ...more
I love how the relationships between Bat, who is on the autism spectrum, and the other characters developed in this story.
Bat made his first real friend, Israel, and even though they face some obstacles due to Bat's autism, in the end they stick together and help each other overcome the difficulties.
The overarching plot revolving Bat's sister Janie felt a little bit forced, but it didn't keep me from enjoying ...more
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Play Book Tag: Bat and the Waiting Game by Elana K. Arnold - five stars for warm fuzzies | 1 | 8 | Jul 28, 2018 08:53AM |
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ELANA K. ARNOLD writes books for and about children and teens. She holds a master’s degree in Creative Writing/Fiction from the University of California, Davis where she has taught Creative Writing and Adolescent Literature. Her most recent YA novel, DAMSEL, is a Printz Honor book, Her 2017 novel, WHAT GIRLS ARE MADE OF, was a finalist for the National Book Award, and her middle grade novel, A BOY ...more
Other books in the series
A Boy Called Bat
(3 books)
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