Friday Reconnect - Finishing A Boy Called Bat!

By Oliver Perry & Chloe Grant, Read to Them Staff

We reached the end of A Boy Called Bat this week, which means your read is complete! We’ve thoroughly enjoyed getting to know Bat over the last three weeks, and have loved reading with all of you! The fun, however, does not stop now! In the meantime, if you’re looking for something else to read, Bat’s story continues in Bat and the Waiting Game and Bat and the End of Everything.

We leave our beloved Bat with a new friend, Israel, at the end of A Boy Called Bat. While Thor and Bat will always be best buddies, we’re glad to see Bat bonding with Israel over skunks. It’s so special when two people can come together over something they have in common. Similarly, one of our favorite parts of the book was watching how kind Israel was to Bat, and how they in turn became friends!

While we’re closing our books we can’t help but want to share that kindness. It brought a smile to our faces, and we want others to experience that. Don’t you? Let’s spread it together! While we can’t be close to a lot of our friends and community members right now, we can absolutely still spread kindness. This week we’ll be spreading Kindness From a Distance to close out our reading of A Boy Called Bat. There’s lots of ways to participate in this activity, and we want you to share kindness in the way that feels right for you! This can be making a thank you card for all of the essential workers, or putting up a sign in your window that shares your thanks. It could mean giving someone you’re staying with a big hug. Maybe even making a video to share with the people you want to bring a smile to. These are just a few ideas, but we can’t see what you come up with.

In addition to your Kindness From a Distance project, we've also gathered some writing prompts for you to reflect on:

• To thank Janie for coming up with Thor’s name, Bat tries to do something nice for her. Can you think of something nice you’ve done for somebody else, or something nice someone else has done for you?

• Bat loves animals, and Janie is auditioning for the role of the Queen in Alice in Wonderland. Both siblings have hobbies. Do you have a hobby? Write about it!

• In Chapter 21, Organizational Systems, Janie, Bat, and Dad go to the Sugar Shack for candy. Sugar Shack has all types of candies, from gummy animals, to M&M’s, to chocolate bars. Bat likes M&M’s, but doesn’t really like gummy candy. What is your favorite candy, and your least favorite candy, and why?

• Bat likes to wake up early, and so does his mom. Are you a morning person, or a night owl? What about the other people in your family?

• At the end of our story, Bat and Israel become friends through their love of Thor. Can you write about one of your best friends, and how you became friends?

Thank you for reading A Boy Called Bat with us, we hope you've enjoyed your time with this text. Stay kind!