Character Spotlight: Mr. Grayson

By Kayla Aldrich, Read to Them Staff

Welcome back! After meeting Bat in last Monday’s post, we thought it’d be fun to introduce you to another character from Elana K. Arnold’s A Boy Called Bat. He made an appearance in the chapters read aloud on Friday, but as the book progresses, so does the size of his role. We invite you to roll out the welcome mat for…

Mr. Grayson

Illustrations by Charles Santoso from A Boy Called Bat.

Name: Mr. Grayson

Occupation: Mr. Grayson is Bat’s teacher at Saw Whet School, a private school with a small student body. He teaches third grade.

Clothing: He likes to wear pants that are cuffed at the ankles and short-sleeved t-shirts with stripes across his chest. Mr. Grayson isn’t afraid of accessorizing, either, and is often wearing a number of bracelets and rings. It’s his shoes that are the cherry on top. Mr. Grayson’s most popular sneaker choice is his bright orange high-tops that Bat sees as a pair of suns.

Personality: Mr. Grayson is a fairly mellow man— but by no means is rude or uncaring. In fact, Mr. Grayson is quite understanding, patient and kind. He does not like conflict, and will try to get rid of any tension by remaining calm and open.

Hobbies: Besides teaching his third graders, Mr. Grayson also spends time during the school-day as a yoga instructor.

Pets: As a firm believer in class pets, Mr. Grayson has shared Babycakes with his third graders. Babycakes, a full-time fluff ball, is a white rabbit that loves to cuddle and sleep in his straw-filled pen.

Teaching Style: Mr. Grayson is beloved by his students for a number of reasons, many of which can be traced back to his uplifting tone. He wants his students to be comfortable in the classroom setting. For example, he makes sure Bat can wear his earmuffs if he gets overstimulated by too-loud sounds. He never yells and he allows students to eat snacks at their desks if they’re hungry. Mr. Grayson’s classroom has an Open-Door Babycakes policy, letting students freely hold and love his rabbit if they find themselves in need of comfort. Mr. Grayson is sure to remind his students when it’s time for them to return to class after snuggling with Babycakes. This way they don’t overuse their privilege. It is, after all, a pretty awesome policy. Most importantly, Mr. Grayson makes an effort to get to know his students and tries his best to cater to their individual needs.

Notable quotes:

• “You can’t make someone be sorry.”

• “If anyone ever needs to cuddle, Babycakes is there for you.”

We hope that as the program continues you’ll keep being charmed by Mr. Grayson. Not only is he a positive adult influence, Mr. Grayson is a great teacher that any student would be lucky to have. Meet us back here next Monday for a character spotlight on Bat’s Mom, Dr. Valerie Tam, DVM.

Happy reading!