Starla Jean Takes the Cake

After the mother skunk is killed, Bixby “Bat” Alexander Tam’s veterinarian mother brings home its kit to be kept only until its old enough to be released. Who would have thought Bat would want to keep the baby skunk, named Thor? Is it really okay for a skunk to become a pet? Bat is a unique character and the story offers a deeply heartfelt glimpse into the life of a boy on the autism spectrum, presented realistically in this touching (and surprisingly informative) novel.

As Bat’s year in third grade nears its end, he begins to worry about releasing his skunk kit into the wild; he worries that his best friend will forget him during his summer away, and more. But Bixby Alexander Tam (Bat for short) still looks forward to working with his veterinarian mom and time with his sister. This is the third book about Bat (who is likely on the autism spectrum and first introduced in A Boy Called Bat (opens in a new window)) but this book stands alone.

Bixby Alexander Tam, aka Bat, is back. He was first introduced in A Boy Called Bat (opens in a new window) where Bat first met Thor, a baby skunk rescued by Bat’s veterinarian mom. Now Thor is big enough to be released, but Bat wants to keep him…even taking Thor to his sister’s play. The result is predictable but as gently humorous and engaging as this tale of Bat.

Starla Jean, self-proclaimed chicken expert, and her neighbor Nate, solve the mystery of a bunch of beads they find while walking in their neighborhood. This third book about Starla Jean and her pet chicken, Opal Egg, stands alone. Young readers may want to find other books about this endearing if somewhat quirky character. (She debuted in Starla Jean with a continued adventure in Starla Jean Takes the Cake.