Bat and the Waiting Game

by Elana K. Arnold, Charles Santoso (Illustrator)

Overview

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 warming up to Thor.

When Janie gets a part in the school play and can’t watch Bat after school, it means some pretty big changes. Someone else has to take care of the skunk kit in the afternoons, Janie is having sleepovers with her new friends, and Bat wants everything to go back to normal.

He just has to make it to the night of Janie’s performance. . . .

Elana K. Arnold's Bat trilogy is a proven winner in the home and classroom—kids love these short illustrated young middle grade books. The trilogy is A Boy Called Bat, Bat and the Waiting Game, and Bat and the End of Everything.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062445865
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	02/26/2019
Series:	Bat Series , #2
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	208
Sales rank:	34,811
Product dimensions:	5.10(w) x 7.50(h) x 0.50(d)
Lexile:	840L (what's this?)
Age Range:	6 - 10 Years

About the Author

Elana K. Arnold is the award-winning author of many books for children and teens, including the Sydney Taylor and National Jewish Book Award winner The Blood Years, the Printz Honor winner Damsel, the National Book Award finalist What Girls Are Made Of, and the Global Read Aloud selection A Boy Called Bat. She is a member of the faculty at Hamline University’s MFA in writing for children and young adults program and lives in Long Beach, California, with her husband, two children, and a menagerie of animals. You can find her online at elanakarnold.com.

Charles Santoso loves drawing little things in his little journal and dreams about funny, wondrous stories. He moves around between different countries to live and work. Charles is always on the lookout for bookstores and cats whenever he explores a new place. He is the illustrator of several picture books, including Ida, Always, I Will Read to You, and Dear Unicorn. You can visit him at charlessantoso.com.

Table of Contents

1 Skunk Kits 1

2 Dinner Conversation 6

3 Parts 13

4 A Stinky Joke 21

5 Almost Late 26

6 Carrot Division 32

7 Good News and Bad News 38

8 Kitchens 47

9 Bowls 54

10 Missing Connections 60

11 Bananafish 68

12 A Perfect Night 76

13 Seventh-Inning Stretch 82

14 Yarrow and Sloke 90

15 Thor's Garden 98

16 Sleepover 106

17 Party Games 112

18 Best Friends 122

19 Social Animals 128

20 Pot Throwing 133

21 Scene Stealer 143

22 No Tomato Juice 152

23 Company 158

24 Take Two 164

Acknowledgments 175

Editorial Reviews

A winsome blend of humor and heart, vibrant characters, and laugh-out-loud dialogue. Arnold’s narrative also gracefully explores life through the eyes of a boy on the autism spectrum.  The ever-lovable Bat is sure to resonate with readers of all ages.

Booklist Online

Delightful. This humorous follow-up is even stronger than its predecessor and will leave readers hoping for a third book featuring Bat and his family.” — School Library Journal

“A gentle tale of shared similarities rather than differences that divide and a fine read-aloud with a useful but not didactic message of acceptance.”  — Kirkus Reviews

A winsome blend of humor and heart, vibrant characters, and laugh-out-loud dialogue. Arnold’s narrative also gracefully explores life through the eyes of a boy on the autism spectrum.  The ever-lovable Bat is sure to resonate with readers of all ages. — Booklist Online

From the Publisher

11/01/2017
Gr 3–6—Bixby Alexander Tam, better know as Bat, is back. Picking up a week after A Boy Called Bat left off, this is a strong and more plot-focused sequel. Raising Thor, the skunk kit, has given Bat purpose and confidence. He's upset when his sister Janie lands the lead in the school play and will have after-school rehearsals, which will break his routine and require him to spend a few afternoons a week at a friend's house away from Thor. Bat's world expands as he navigates experiences that have been challenging to him: friendships, collaborative projects, and even messy things like art. Despite these strides, Bat still harbors a resentment toward Janie and feels guilt about spending less time with Thor. While the novel stands on its own, familiarity with Bat and his family will help deepen readers' understanding and enjoyment of this latest installment. Bat's autism is occasionally referenced, but it is not the major focus of the narrative. Bat is a delightful, inquisitive, and occasionally mischievous boy and the realistically portrayed themes explored in the book like sibling rivalry, living in two households, and shifting friendship dynamics will resonate with a wide variety of young readers. Short chapters are peppered with frequent illustrations of emotional moments. VERDICT This humorous follow-up is even stronger than its predecessor and will leave readers hoping for a third book featuring Bat and his family.—Juliet Morefield, Belmont Library, Portland, OR

School Library Journal

2017-12-21
Bat, a biracial, autistic grade schooler with divorced parents, is raising a baby skunk, Thor.It's easy to read between the lines and imagine that might not end with a sweet smell. Bat's older sister, Janie, has just won a leading role in the school musical. Her interactions with friends and preparation for the play weave in and out of Bat's less-typical experiences as he navigates the complexities of friendship with white classmate Israel, tries to live up to his Chinese-American father's sometimes-unrealistic expectations, and manages the needs of Thor under the compassionate supervision of his white mom, a veterinarian. She and his teacher both have effective ways of helping Bat when he starts to lose control, and Israel matter-of-factly reminds him when he ought to be more polite. Bat's differences are there, but they never dominate the story, which focuses on the challenges of getting along with siblings and Bat's awareness that Thor is growing up and will have to be released eventually. That's made all the more evident when he tucks the skunk into his shirt and takes him to the play, where the inevitable occurs, emptying the auditorium during Janie's solo and ending the show under smelly circumstances.A gentle tale of shared similarities rather than differences that divide and a fine read-aloud with a useful but not didactic message of acceptance. (Fiction. 6-9)

Kirkus Review