Bat and the Waiting Game

Written by Elana K. Arnold

Narrated by Patrick Lawlor

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. . . .

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Release date: Mar 24, 2020
• ISBN: 9780062997227

Elana K. Arnold

ELANA K. ARNOLD completed her M.A. in Creative Writing/Fiction at the University of California, Davis. She grew up in Southern California, where she was lucky enough to have a family who let her read as many books as she wanted. She is the author of several young adult novels as well as the middle-grade novels The Question of Miracles and Far from Fair. She lives in Long Beach, California, with her husband, two children, and a menagerie of animals. Visit her website at www.elanakarnold.com.

Reviews for Bat and the Waiting Game

[jennybeast · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Really nice book -- gentle story, no lecturing, interesting skunk information, and a supportive family. Very nice.

[reader1009-863136 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

children's realistic fiction (3rd-5th grade level; main character is high-functioning on the autism spectrum)
I can't speak to how realistic this might be for a person with autism, but I found Bat to be totally sweet, and lovably normal (if not neurotypical). Any kid who loves animals will be able to relate to him.