48 pages • 1 hour read
Elana K. Arnold, Illustr. Charles SantosoA Boy Called Bat
Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 2017A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Chapters 17-21Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Chapter 17 Summary: “At the Clinic”
Bat goes to Valerie’s clinic, which is named “Valerie Tam, DVM,” although Janie thinks she should rename the office something more creative. Bat does not mind the noisy and bustling atmosphere of the clinic, whereas elsewhere he “would definitely need his earmuffs” (105). He does not bother, Suzanne, the woman working behind the desk, noting that she is busy—a social cue he has learned to recognize. He approaches a customer and asks about the animal she has in a box. Bat and the woman talk about the woman’s sick cat, Pickles, and Valerie takes Bat to the back office. She puts on her coat and becomes “Better than a superhero” (107).
Valerie sends Bat to help vet tech Laurence give baths to dogs. Thor is sleeping in a sling wrapped around Laurence’s chest. He passes Thor over to Bat, and Bat can see that Thor’s fur is growing in. They get ready to give baths, but Bat is worried that Thor will get crushed under his apron. Laurence suggests Bat keep him company and supervise the baths, to which Bat agrees.
Laurence bathes a nervous poodle named Jeff. Bat remarks on the new restraint, which is stuck to the wall by a suction cup. Laurence pulls on the restraint to demonstrate its strength, but it pops off the wall and Jeff escapes from the tub. In his rush to catch the soapy dog, Laurence slips on a puddle and falls. The dog, trapped in the small room, comes over and licks Laurence’s face.
Chapter 18 Summary: “Dinner Date”
Bat is unwilling to remove the sling with Thor, and Valerie allows him to bring Thor to dinner. He shares the fact that skunks are omnivores, which he has mentioned multiple times, and Janie gets annoyed. Bat thinks animal facts are interesting, but Janie counters that she thinks theater is interesting. Bat bluntly says, “That’s stupid,” but apologizes after his mother scolds him. Valerie forgets the garlic bread in the oven, and Janie talks about her friend Ezra.
After a few moments of quiet eating, Janie tells her mother and Bat that she is going to audition for the role of the Queen in the upcoming Alice in Wonderland play at school. She has been rehearsing the part of Alice, but feels that the role of the Queen suits her better. Bat agrees and says Janie is “good at whining” (122), which he meant as a compliment. His remark offends Janie, and he tries to explain himself. He leaves the table and hears Janie and Valerie talking about him. Janie says, “Sometimes, Mom, even I’m not a good enough actress to pretend not to notice when Bat is being weird” (124). Bat tries to ignore Janie and focus on feeding Thor, but is hurt. He thinks Janie is “weird,” too, and realizes that Ezra might like her because of her weird traits rather than despite them.
Chapter 19 Summary: “A Blessing of Sorts”
After Janie came up with Thor’s name, Bat planned to thank her, although the plan was delayed for two days after Janie hurt his feelings at dinner. Bat had taken Janie’s favorite pajama top, covered in unicorns, and placed it near Thor to familiarize the baby skunk with Janie’s scent.
When Janie finds out what Bat has done, she is furious. She makes Bat retrieve her missing shirt and complains that it smells, to which Bat replies that it smelled before he put it in with Thor. Bat does not understand what went wrong and cries. Valerie hugs Bat and rocks him to help him calm down. He thinks skunks are easier than sisters, but Valerie tells him that “there are lots of baby skunks in the world, and you only have one sister” (130). She suggests that Bat correct the situation by washing Janie’s shirt, and teaches Bat how to use the washing machine.
Chapter 20 Summary: “Problems”
At school, Mr. Grayson notices Bat struggling to focus on his schoolwork. Lucca interjects and says Bat “can’t think about anything other than that stupid baby skunk” (133), and Bat gets mad. Israel brings up the time his dog was sprayed by a skunk, and Mr. Grayson stops the conversation. Bat forces himself to concentrate on finishing the assigned math problems, while simultaneously imagining what it would be like if they had “skunk time” at school.
Bat is not looking forward to the upcoming Every-Other Friday, and is aware that the family is halfway through the month they have with Thor. Laurence is taking Thor for the weekend, and Bat is upset at the idea, worried that Thor might like Laurence better or that an accident might happen. Mr. Grayson asks Bat if he needs a break, and Bat goes to sit with Babycakes for a while. He blames his parents’ divorce for his current situation, thinking that he could stay home with Thor if it weren’t for the divorce.
Chapter 21 Summary: “Organizational Systems”
Dad, Bat, and Janie get their bikes and helmets from Dad’s meticulously organized garage, and they ride to a candy store called Sugar Shack. When they get there, Bat runs into Israel and his parents, who had just eaten brunch next door. Bat tells Israel that he has food in his teeth and tries to say goodbye, but Israel stops him to ask about Thor. Bat says the skunk is at home, and Israel realizes Bat’s parents are divorced. Bat does not continue the conversation, saying goodbye and walking away. Dad asks if Israel was a friend, and Janie says, “Bat doesn’t have friends” (144). Bat argues that Laurence and Mr. Grayson are friends, but Janie says they “don’t count.”
The family goes inside the store and picks out candy. Bat takes a gummy star because he likes the feel of it, although he does not like to eat gummy candy. He talks about how part of tasting is smelling, and mentions keeping Thor to Janie and Dad. Janie says, “Bat is getting too attached” (147), which hurts his feelings, and he starts bouncing. The bag in his hand bothers him, so he lets it go and spills his M&M’s all over the floor. Dad tells him to be careful.
Chapters 17-21 Analysis
Bat’s behaviors are tied to his emotional states, and his emotional states are tied to setting. At the vet clinic and school, Bat feels comfortable and at ease, and he is better equipped to adapt to various situations. The clinic is dynamic, but Bat loves animals and feels safe at the clinic, so he can manage the slew of sights and sounds. Likewise, Bat maintains good behavior while at school, even though his thoughts are running wild. He has a teacher who notices and addresses his needs, and this helps Bat feel safe enough to be himself in his classroom.
The calm, comforting settings of school and home are contrasted with Dad’s apartment and Every-Other Weekends. Outside of and at the candy store, Bat is uncomfortable and feels unsafe, which makes social interactions more difficult. He cannot carry a conversation with Israel, as the spontaneity of it heightened his insecurity. Then, while talking to Janie and Dad, Bat’s insecurity is exacerbated by Janie’s rude comments and Dad’s lack of understanding. Bat begins to show signs of anxiety and sensory overload—bouncing and dropping his bag of candy. Dad misses these cues and simply tells Bat to be careful. He is unable to read Bat’s nonverbal communication, which forces Bat to self-soothe and process his father’s ignorance. This is another form of irony, as it is expected that, as an adult, Bat’s father should strive to understand the needs of his son, but in reality, it is Bat who is expected to conform to his father’s comfort and perspective.
Bat and Janie’s relationship is strained in Chapters 18-19. Bat wants to have a close relationship with his sister, which he demonstrates by trying to compliment her and thank her for coming up with Thor’s name. Neither plan goes as expected, leaving him hurt and confused. He tries to explain his perspective, but Janie refuses to listen to him. Janie’s remark about Bat’s weirdness is particularly painful for him. He knows his mind works differently from his family, and wants to do things “right” so his family will accept him. He often stays quiet instead of speaking up in tense situations, feeling that it will make no difference to defend his perspective. Bat wants to fit in with his family, so he tries to talk and behave like them—a trait referred to as mimicking—but struggles to do so. He has yet to realize that he can communicate in ways that are comfortable and effective, rather than forcing himself to use the communication styles of others in his life.
Arnold provides a glimpse into Valerie’s expectations for Janie. When they are speaking after Bat has left the room, Valerie remarks that it is Janie’s responsibility to “model good behavior” (124). She believes Janie can help Bat by showing him the “right” ways to act. This is a lot of responsibility for Janie, who is in elementary school. Furthermore, this line, along with others, demonstrates that Valerie expects Bat to conform, to behave more like a neurotypical individual. They and Dad struggle to fully accept Bat as he is.
