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Neurodivergence

 "A Boy Called Bat" is about a non-neurotypical kid, Bat, who adopts a little skunk (Thor). Bat is the acronym formed by the boy's initials--but, also, when he is overly excited, he flaps his hands and seems to resemble a bat.


Bat is capable of deep empathy; this is most obvious when he is caring for his baby skunk or when he is braiding his sister's hair. Feelings of empathy don't always line up with a strong ability to read social cues--Bat's apparent awkwardness can sometimes be (wrongly) interpreted as an absence of feeling. In one wonderful scene, a classmate, Israel, tries to engage Bat in a little chit chat. Bat finds this exhausting--in the barrage of "yes or no" questions, Bat simply answers "yes," or "no," and he waits for the questions to end. Who could fail to relate?

To me, the most captivating part of the book is Bat's rapport with his sibling, Janie. This strongly reminded me of the TV series "Parenthood," in which Max relies on his sister, Haddie, for the blunt truth. In a "neurodivergence" situation, a parent can feel tempted to tiptoe around difficult scenarios. "You should just excuse this behavior--it has a special needs context." But a sibling can cut to the chase. A sibling recognizes when a kid should not be coddled. Janie is candid with Bat: "You don't have any friends." On the other hand, Janie is Bat's fierce champion and defender; when it seems like Bat will have to give up his skunk, Janie points out that Bat has earned the right to be a surrogate dad. "Mom, it takes guts to work hard and learn to care for a little creature. Let Bat keep Thor."

I really liked that this book found a plot that is suitable for a young audience. It's a big deal to adjust to a new pet. We in the adult world can sometimes forget this. With a light touch, Elana Arnold invents an entire world and creates a powerful sense of suspense. Terrific book.
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