The Great (Food) Bank Heist

Product Information

I would read this book aloud in a classroom (2nd-5th), and if I get a chance to participate in Lunch Bunch (where a book is read to children while they eat their lunch) at our local Islamic School, I will start off with this book. I think kids have bigger hearts than we often think they do, and while they might not recall the less fortunate when you want them to finish all the food on their plate, they often notice kids without lunches at school and share without prompting. This is a book that children can relate to for many reasons. For those who use food banks it’s an important reminder that you are not alone and for those that don’t it’s an important message that it could be anyone you know. When things start disappearing from the food bank, leaving everyone hungrier than ever, Nelson plans a stakeout to catch the thief. Written with great empathy and Rauf’s trademark humour, this moving story gives a child’s-eye view of the increasing problem of food poverty. This book is important because it highlights a key issue – food poverty. The story is told with empathy and sympathy. We share a child’s perspective on what is like to be dependent on a food bank and a breakfast club. We feel for mum who tries to provide for her children. There are heroes too, such as Mrs Bell the teacher who spends her own money buying children treats. In “The Real Hunger Games” we are shown some of the games the family plays to keep their spirits up. There is also a fun element. The children set out to find the Food Bank Thieves. The stake-out is tense and the final chapters are very exciting. Would have been better if Noah was actually the food bank thief. When he was Nelson’s age he wouldn’t get anything from the food banks and was unfairly treated. As a act of revenge, he decides to steal the food donations using his speed. Nelson teaches his hero a important lesson of not being resentful about a past experience.

The Great (Food) Bank Heist by Onjali Q. Rauf | WHSmith The Great (Food) Bank Heist by Onjali Q. Rauf | WHSmith

Also, the mystery behind the thief was completely pointless as the villain was not somebody you knew. This was a previous problem I found In “the night bus hero” and was repeated here. The thief being someone the reader knew would have made the conclusion more interesting . Nelson hated having to pretend there was food in the house when there wasn’t, he hated that breakfast club and school dinners just didn’t fill him up enough, he hated that despite working hard his mum couldn’t afford to buy food for them. His one respite was the vouchers for the food bank and the excitement of what treats those bags could hold. Until the bags got less and less and he knew that they would probably be starving by the end of this month. They love going into the bank, seeing the kind people who work there, and coming away with bags of food and supplies that will help to get them through the month; that will stop their stomachs from aching for a little while. However, things start to look bad for them when they visit the food bank and only get half of what they normally would. It turns out that people have been stealing from the food bank. Although being insightful and endearing, “the great food bank heist” follows a simple narrative with few surprises and action scenes.Nelson loves Voucher Thursdays as Mum takes him and his little sister Ashley to the food bank, the best place in the world. They swap their vouchers for bags of food, generously donated via the local supermarket and distributed by friendly volunteers, who don’t make them feel embarrassed for not having enough money to buy it themselves. The most impressive thing is the creation of a group of characters who were believable, funny and also moving at times. Written with great empathy and Rauf’s trademark humour, The Great (Food) Bank Heist is a moving story that gives a child’s-eye view of the increasing problem of food poverty. This would be a great book to use in a class to discuss food banks, economic disparity, actvism and Marcus Rashford - a book to hook even those who may struggle to get into reading. Nelson and his families unfortunate situation is narrated initially in a realistic and relatable manner. This is especially true for his experience with the food bank and breakfast club.

The Great (Food) Bank Heist by Onjali Q. Raúf - Barrington Stoke The Great (Food) Bank Heist by Onjali Q. Raúf - Barrington Stoke

It's awful to think how many children go to school hungry and how many families that depend on food banks. This book opens up this fact of life in the UK and you can tell the story is researched and accurate. It tells the story of a single parent who works as much as she can, who loves her children and who will go hungry to ensure they are fed. This all becomes harder when the food bank has less food, what has happened to the food? Is someone stealing it? Nelson, with the help of his friends investigate further...#nospoilers. I really enjoyed this book and devoured it in one reading. I feel it would resonant so well with some of the children in our school who have their own experiences of needing to use a food bank. This aspect of the book was handled with great sensitivity both towards the children using the food bank and also their more fortunate friends who support the bank through their donations. Written with great empathy and Rauf’s trademark humour, The Great (Food) Bank Heist is a moving story that gives a child’s-eye view of the increasing problem of food poverty. It's a simpler, shorter, more accessible book and, although they are obviously both about very different important issues, I think this does exactly what The Boy did, but better.A short, easy read for younger children, with a simple plot and a happy ending. Designed to inform readers about food banks, why some families are forced to rely on them and inspired by Marcus Rashford's contribution to informing people about his experiences and the current situation.

The Great Food Bank Heist by Onjali Q. Raúf The Great Food Bank Heist by Onjali Q. Raúf

I was a little surprised at how dark the story got whilst reading this book. I have to admit that this is a fault of my own. I expected the story to deal with the realities of poverty in Britain, of how so many go hungry, but I was so ill educated on the severity of this issue that being faced with the reality of how bad it is for some people was painful to read. But that isn't a bad thing. I think it's something that a lot of people are unaware of, and that those who do know that there is poverty in this country probably don't realise how bad it is. But when he heard that the food was being stolen from the stores, the food meant for struggling families like his, he knew he had to do something about it. Gathering his friends, Nelson planned a stake-out at their local supermarket. They just had to find out who was stealing the food before he and his family starved. I felt that Noah Equaino’s role in this story was underdeveloped . Especially his random entrance to school to congratulate Nelson and his friends. His admission to being part of the breakfast club and using food banks as a child was a little awkward. Primarily, because he was entirely absent from their adventure and could easily have been included in catching the thief.The intriguing mystery is underpinned by a wealth of information about food poverty, expressed in a straightforward manner which is easy for children to understand. First of all, the illustrations are fabulous - I recognised Elisa Paganelli's work and was excited to see how it looked, such a great addition to the story. The illustrations add to the story perfectly. This delightful detective story has an engaging plot and likable characters. It subtly explores new friendships, the importance of community and issues of food poverty and online bullying, plus includes some easy-to-follow recipes. However, there’s a shortage of donations to the food bank and the shelves are looking bare, leaving Nelson feeling hungrier than ever. Can someone really be stealing the supplies? When Mum is forced to pawn her ring to buy food, Nelson is determined to find out. Together with his best friends Krish and Harriet, he plans a covert stakeout of the supermarket to catch the culprits. Oh man, the way these kids were hungry just hurt my heart. The games Nelson plays to distract from the hunger and the way he describes not having enough food is truly humbling to those who haven’t experienced hunger.

The Great (Food) Bank Heist | Book reviews | RGfE The Great (Food) Bank Heist | Book reviews | RGfE

I have really enjoyed this book and would recommend this to all children as it can help them understand the issue of food poverty especially as it is something they might encounter in their own classroom. Many children today face food poverty and food banks and breakfast clubs really help those in need to have a good meal and I like how this story highlights this issue but doesn’t focus too much on the negative thoughts around it, instead focusing on the characters and them attempting to discover the mystery and save the food bank. It’s a great book and the fact that some money is donated with each book bought, just makes this all the more worth buying and reading. The Great (Food) bank Heist doesn't shy away from this reality. It doesn't sugarcoat the issue or try to make it more palitable so as to avoid the painful truth. It shines a light on a real issue, one that is affecting so many, and it makes that reality hit home. I'm sure there will be some people who would say that this is too harsh for a children's book, that kids want to be wowed by adventure and happy stories rather than being faced with these kinds of topics; but I have to disagree with that sentiment. We all need to understand how bad this is, and hiding it from children only leads to adults ignorant of the issue. Written with great empathy and Rauf's trademark humour, The Great (Food) Bank Heist is a moving story that gives a child's-eye view of the increasing problem of food poverty. It would have been better if Nelson was bullied for his behaviour in school. Or he had some friends from who he’d purposefully kept his situation a secret. As the food bank heists continue, he is forced to risk his friendships by telling them the truth. Then there is the story, I was cautious of reading as it's a challenging topic to cover. However it is dealt with truthfully and with sensitivity.I enjoyed reading the way Nelson is so responsible and caring, and how determined he is to solve the thief problem. And as with all of Onjali Rauf’s books, the kids rise up to be heroes of the story and teach the adults, as well as learn something about themselves.