The Great (Food) Bank Heist

Product Information

We get to see Nelson struggling to stay positive at home with empty cupboards, we see how much he loves his family, we see the moment where he finally snaps and reveals what's going on, and we get to see the triumph the kids have at the end.

The Great (Food) Bank Heist by Onjali Q. Raúf | Goodreads The Great (Food) Bank Heist by Onjali Q. Raúf | Goodreads

The Great (Food) Bank Heist is trying to raise awareness of this issue, it's showing people who might never have even thought about it before that it's happening all around us. Nelson is looking after his younger sister after school when she asks him for some food because she’s hungry. 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. She is also the founder of O's Refugee Aid Team, which works to aid frontline refugee response teams in France, Greece and beyond. Rauf is the founder of Making Herstory, an organisation mobilising men, women and children from all walks of life to tackle the abuse and trafficking of women and girls in the UK and beyond.We all need to understand how bad this is, and hiding it from children only leads to adults ignorant of the issue. 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. The story begins with Nelson explaining how he and his family play a lot of games, a lot of make believe, like imagining their cupboards are full, that they're eating full meals, and that their food is something different; they do this because it's the only way to get by when things are difficult for them.

The Great (Food) Bank Heist (Paperback) - Waterstones The Great (Food) Bank Heist (Paperback) - Waterstones

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. It would be good to see a book by Onjali in the future that includes a host of social problems and not just one as a central theme. Some times though, it isn't enough, Mum has to pawn her jewelry, they go without meals, and generous friends share their snacks.It has a diverse main cast (no paletable white saviour complex here), beautiful illustrations, the same child-led adventure and heroic community ending, and covers very intense emotions and economic unjust in a clear, empathetic and easy to discuss way. It shines a light on a real issue, one that is affecting so many, and it makes that reality hit home.

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

The issue of food poverty is a difficult one that urgently needs to be addressed, yet so many are still completely unaware of many peoples lack, even those we may see every day. It's easy to pretend that it isn't happening around us, that it's something far removed, something that we can't change.Also, the mystery behind the thief was completely pointless as the villain was not somebody you knew. Some of the royalties from this book are going to organisations with help with child poverty, which is good, as they're very much needed. I like the way all of the characters look, especially Ashley appearing all the time with a toy Freddy and the way Krish looks, especially when donning the spider man mask.

The Great (Food) Bank Heist - Peters Fraser and Dunlop (PFD) Literary The Great (Food) Bank Heist - Peters Fraser and Dunlop (PFD)

I have tried to score the above as how I might have voted as an 8 year old - as an adult, it was rather lacking in substance, but then I'm about 17*, not 8! I really liked how they were trying to save the food bank for other people to not starve and for his mum so she wouldn't sell her treasures to pay for food.This 103 page middle grades book has diverse characters (none are Muslim), and is a great story, a great educational tool, a great empathy check, and a great resource for how to get involved to start helping food banks, and breakfast clubs, all while being funny, relatable, kind, and engaging. 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.