The Great (Food) Bank Heist

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Nelson's friends Krish and Harriet make for interesting characters and bring a lot of diversity into the book. I enjoyed reading the way Nelson is so responsible and caring, and how determined he is to solve the thief problem.

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

It shows that people standing up and doing the right thing, of helping others and fighting against these awful things is not only the right thing to do, it's the moral thing to do.Now the UK being a developed country, it hardly seems possible that there would be people struggling to get a decent meal three times a day, but apparently it is a reality that many prefer to ignore. Nelson is hungry too, but they can’t afford to use up the last food in the house, so Nelson plays a game with his sister instead. He's hungry all the time, he's in pain, and he can hear his sister crying herself to sleep at night because she's so hungry.

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

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. It was very interesting on how they caught the thieves who were stealing food that were going to go to the food Bank.For children seven through 12 with no prior expectation of the book, they will be emotionally effected by the reality shown and feel empathy and compassion for characters that will hopefully translate into their real life. 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. Also, the mystery behind the thief was completely pointless as the villain was not somebody you knew. 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. I have to say I really like the friendship between Nelson and his two friends, and I like what happens when they make a plan to try and catch whoever is stealing the food from the food bank.

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

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. 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. 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.The book throws light on the issue in a way that little kids would relate to and might be inspired to even do something about. 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. There are some very funny moments especially with Nelson’s friend Krish, and I love what happens at the end, with things resolving well for everyone. 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.