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 7-11Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Chapter 7 Summary: “Every-Other Fridays”
The day after Valerie brings home the skunk kit is an “Every-Other Friday,” meaning that Bat and Janie will be picked up by their father from school and stay with him for the weekend. Bat does not like these days, as they make him “uncomfortable, like his skin was on too tight” (36). He asks his mother if he can bring the kit with him, but she refuses. He then pretends he is sick, which is difficult for him because he does not like to lie.
Valerie reminds Bat to stay calm. She warns him that she will entrust the care of the skunk to Laurence, a vet tech from her clinic, if the kit becomes too distracting. Although Bat likes Laurence, he does not want the vet tech taking care of the kit, so he admits that he feels fine. When Valerie drops Bat off at school, she promises to take good care of the baby skunk. Bat gets out of the car and heads into the school, but his mother calls him back, saying that he forgot to kiss her goodbye. He comes back for the kiss, then leaves and walks up the stairs to school. Before going inside, he turns to wave at his mother, and she honks the car horn three times.
Chapter 8 Summary: “Sixteen Eyelets”
Bat attends a private school—Saw Whet School—and Janie goes to a public school—Robert E. Willett Elementary. Saw Whet School has smaller classroom sizes and takes a more holistic approach to education.
In the busy hallway, Bat avoids the principal, Mrs. Martinez, who likes to “rumple hair.” Two older children are playing with a ball, and Bat tells them that they are not supposed to play with balls inside. One of them retorts that it is a “special ball.” Confused, Bat believes the boy is “tricking” him. Two of Bat’s classmates approach—Lucca and Israel. Bat asks why the ball is special, and Israel says it is not. A teacher announces the start of the day, and the children head to class.
Lucca tells Israel that she brought an extra cream cheese sandwich, hoping to trade it for Israel’s cookies. The day before, Lucca had complained about her lunch, and Israel said that he would rather have a cream cheese sandwich as opposed to his turkey sandwich. Bat interrupts the conversation to tell Lucca that Israel was probably “just being nice,” and that he didn’t actually want the sandwich (49). Israel is angry, and Lucca, embarrassed, starts crying and runs for the bathroom.
Mr. Grayson, their teacher, investigates the issue, and Israel loudly tells him what happened. Mr. Grayson knows Bat did not embarrass his classmate on purpose, and asks if Bat can look up at his face. Bat shakes his head and counts the eyelets on Mr. Grayson’s shoes. Mr. Grayson accepts the answer and tells Bat to go sit at his table. As he walks to his seat, he counts the eyelets on everyone’s shoes and learns that Mr. Grayson has the most with 32.
Chapter 9 Summary: “Open-Door Babycakes Policy”
Bat thinks Mr. Grayson is the best teacher for a number of reasons, including his letting the children snack during class and letting them go to the bathroom without asking. Bat’s favorite thing about Mr. Grayson, though, is that he has an open-door policy for the class pet, Babycakes. Babycakes is a white Angora rabbit, and he allows the students to visit her whenever they feel like they need a break. No one in the class abuses this luxury because they do not want the rule to change.
Mr. Grayson tells the children to get ready to play Payday, which they do every Friday, and Bat gets up to go sit with Babycakes to help calm his nerves. Bat is allowed to take a five-minute break; then, he begrudgingly returns to his group to play the assigned game.
Chapter 10 Summary: “A Very Long Day”
The school day feels long to Bat. It rains during break time, and Mr. Grayson, who knows Bat does not like to get wet, suggests Bat help him clean Babycakes’s area. Another student, who was sent to get Mr. Grayson to teach yoga, comes in while they are cleaning. Mr. Grayson notes that the student, Julio, has gotten taller over the last three months, and Bat reflects on the relativity of time. He wants to tell Mr. Grayson about the life cycle of monarch butterflies but cannot find the time.
After their yoga session, Mr. Grayson assigns a group project to the class. They must work together to build models of volcanoes. Bat, who does not like to work in groups, takes over and won’t let his groupmates help with the project. Israel tries to ask Bat questions, and Bat feels annoyed.
At the end of the day, Bat goes out and sees his father with his yellow convertible. He does not like the convertible because it does not have a middle seat in the back, and Bat likes to sit in the middle seat of cars because he learned somewhere that it is the safest seat.
Chapter 11 Summary: “Apartment 2A”
Bat’s father calls him “Sport,” which Bat hates because he does not like sports; Bixby Alexander is Bat’s real name. Bixby had been his mother’s maiden name, and she did not take her maiden name back after the divorce because it is Bat’s name now. He also shares his middle name with his father. All of them had the same last name “even though they didn’t all live together in one house” (66).
Dad suggests that they go get hot chocolate after they pick up Janie. Janie is outside when they get to her school, wearing a yellow rain jacket, and Bat admires her resemblance to the sun. Janie and Dad chat on the way to the café, and Bat likes Janie’s lyrical voice and his father’s low and steady voice. Bat spills hot chocolate on himself, and is bothered when Dad tells him to be careful, since he already spilled, so being careful wouldn’t help him now. They go to Dad’s apartment, which does not feel like home to Bat. The apartment smells like onions, and Dad says he made chili in the slow cooker. Bat does not like chili, which is something Dad knows. Dad says he tried a new recipe, but Bat knows he will not like it.
Chapters 7-11 Analysis
Bat is uncomfortable with Every-Other Fridays, which suggests that he has not fully accepted his parents’ divorce. However, he manages the situation without much complaint. His mother sets forth a rule—that Bat must not let the kit become a distraction, or they will not keep the skunk. He understands this simple rule and adjusts his behavior. His goal is to keep the skunk kit for as long as possible, and he is willing to work through his intense emotional reactions and perform his duties. Bat is also learning how to effectively communicate with his mother, and starts to understand when he should stop pushing her. Valerie’s ultimatum helps Bat comprehend the principles of compromising.
Mr. Grayson embodies the principle of Compassion in the Classroom. He strives to provide his students with a safe and comforting environment, and allows them certain autonomies, such as eating when they are hungry, using the bathroom, and recognizing when they need to take a break. He shows respect for the children in his class by validating their emotions and needs. Mr. Grayson breaks the norms of the stereotypical classroom, which is traditionally a more disciplined environment. The children do not take advantage of Mr. Grayson’s lenient and compassionate teaching methods. Instead, they respect the boundaries he sets, which creates a cohesive learning environment. The depiction of Mr. Grayson’s classroom suggests the larger idea that children deserve respect and are capable of autonomy, and that this respect and autonomy will help them learn to function appropriately in society.
On the other hand, Bat and his father struggle to relate to each other. They do not share many interests, and both appear unwilling to accommodate the likes and dislikes of the other. Bat’s father calls him “Sport” or “Bixby Alexander” instead of his preferred name, Bat. Bat’s father also cooks chili for dinner, despite knowing that Bat does not like chili and has certain food sensitivities. Bat is less assertive when he is with his father compared to home. At home, he is more comfortable asserting his needs and wants, but this confidence fades when he is with his father. He does not complain when his father addresses him as “Sport,” and, other than mentioning he does not like chili, he internalizes his negative reaction to the prospect of eating chili for dinner. This lack of assertion illustrates that Bat does not feel secure in his father’s apartment or presence.
The cars that Valerie and Dad drive are symbols that represent their differing values and Bat’s emotional states. Valerie’s car—a station wagon—is a symbol of security for Bat. It is a large family car, and he can sit in its middle seat, where he feels protected. His father has a small yellow sports car, which makes Bat feel uncomfortable and insecure. The car has no middle seat, so Bat does not feel safe as a passenger. The station wagon and sports car illustrate Bat’s experiences of being at home with his mother and visiting his father’s apartment. The cars are also representations of the parents’ values and priorities. Valerie prioritizes her family, and as such, drives a family car. Dad does not prioritize his family after the divorce, and thus drives a car that symbolizes his independence and singlehood.
