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Description
The fifth installment in the Schneider Award Honor-winning series stars Bat, an unforgettable young boy on the autism spectrum. When his best friend wants him to join a baseball team, Bat has to make a deal that involves his beloved pet skunk, Thor.
For Bixby Alexander Tam (nicknamed "Bat"), nothing is more important than Thor. Especially not baseball, even though it's the favorite sport of his dad and his best friend, Israel. When baseball season arrives, Bat's dad makes him a deal: If Bat plays baseball this year, Dad will let him bring Thor to his apartment when Bat stays with him. It's an offer that Bat can't refuse.
Before long, Bat discovers that being a part of a team requires more than he'd bargained for. But he can't quit the team without giving up time with Thor or letting Israel down....can he?
Publication date
March 24, 2026
Genre
Fiction
Page Count
208
ISBN-13
9780063385184
Publisher
Clarion Books
Series
Bat
BISAC categories
JUV039060 - Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | Friendship JUV039150 - Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | Special Needs JUV032010 - Juvenile Fiction | Sports & Recreation | Baseball
School Library Journal
Starred Review
Gr 3-6--Bixby Alexander Tam (a.k.a. Bat) returns in the latest series installment. Bat's friend Israel is excited to play baseball and wants Bat to play too--but Bat only agrees because his dad, who is coaching the team, says Bat can bring his pet skunk Thor to his house on Every-Other Weekends if he does. Bat thinks this is a good deal, but his veterinarian mom isn't so sure. When Bat fears he'll be roped into playing forever, he fakes the yips to get out of it, inadvertently hurting his teammates. Bat is deeply relatable ("Oh, it was hard to be a person") whether readers are neurotypical or neurodivergent, and secondary characters, including Bat's parents, friends, and sister Janie, are well developed with their own problems, concerns, and perspectives. Readers may read this book as a standalone, but those who have read previous books in the series will appreciate the ways in which Bat has matured; he still struggles to understand why other people don't share all his interests and is frustrated that his dad doesn't understand his needs the way his mom does, but he's quick to empathize and to make amends when he's hurt someone; a conversation with his dad reveals that they have more in common than Bat ever thought. Bat is biracial, with Chinese American and white parents. VERDICT A home run of a series that can stand alone, recommended for all younger middle grade collections.--Jenny Arch
Copyright 2026 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
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 lives in Long Beach, California, with her husband, two children, and a menagerie of animals.
Elana K. Arnold es la autora galardonada de muchos libros para niños y jóvenes, incluyendo The Blood Years, ganador del premio Sydney Taylor y del National Jewish Book Award; Damsel, ganador del honor Printz; What Girls Are Made Of, finalista del National Book Award; y A Boy Called Bat, selección del Global Read Aloud. Vive en Long Beach, California, con su esposo, sus dos hijos y una colección de animales.
