The Great (Food) Bank Heist

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The book isn't all sadness though, as the story ends on a note of hope. 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. 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.

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

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. The book is also filled with some great illustrations, an example of which you can see on the book's cover. Artist Elisa Paganelli provides artwork throughout the book, and these select moments help to highlight key parts of the stories. 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. These moments not only help to break up the text for younger readers, but really put you into the story too. 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. 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. 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 intriguing mystery is underpinned by a wealth of information about food poverty, expressed in a straightforward manner which is easy for children to understand.

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

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. This is such a fun and interesting story which highlights an important issue in a great way. Nelson and his sister Ashley are hungry. There’s hardly any food left in the house and Nelson’s mum has to regularly go to the food bank because they just don’t have enough to eat. Nelson loves the food bank, and dreams of all the wonderful foods that he hopes to get there, but after he visits the bank with his mum, there’s a problem, they don’t have as much food as they usually get at the food bank and it seems someone is stealing the food meant for them and others in need. But who could be stealing from a food bank and can Nelson and his friends stop them? The most impressive thing is the creation of a group of characters who were believable, funny and also moving at times. 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. 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.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. 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. I love that it shows how the family has food insecurities on a day-to-day basis and how never feeling full affects so much of the characters' attention. I also love that it shows their mom works, she is a nurse and works really hard, they don't steal or load up on food that is donated, they are very grateful for all assistance given and their friends don't judge them. It shed light on a different narrative that many children perhaps don't think about: that people they know and are close with, might be hungry. I think the maturity of the kids is a lesson to adults reading the book too, that reminds us that kindness and assistance doesn't need to come with judgement or arrogance. The characters are all really likeable, they aren't perfect, but even though the book is short, you feel your heart being affected by them in their handling of the mystery and the larger concept of hunger. 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. 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.

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

A short sweet adventure story about a boy’s determination to save himself and his family from food shortages. “The great food bank heist” highlights the the unheard plight of hungry families and the importance of food bank donations.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. 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 kid's favorite day of the month is the day they go to the food bank and get to withdraw things to eat. But someone has been stealing the food meant for food banks and every month they are getting less and less to go by. Until Nelson decides to take matters in his own hands and find out who the thief is. Like the other two books, the kids are the heroes of this book too. Nelson's friends Krish and Harriet make for interesting characters and bring a lot of diversity into the book. They are shown to be caring and thoughtful people and it broke my heart to read how Nelson felt he had to keep the fact he had breakfast at breakfast club, from them as he was ashamed. This felt too real, and it hits hard how kids feel the need for secrets if they feel ashamed.

The Great Food Bank Heist | BookTrust The Great Food Bank Heist | BookTrust

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. 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. 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 enjoyed the moment when Nelson risks his life when standing in front of the van and found it to be a suspenseful and unexpected moment. However, the driver could have easily reversed the van and sped off. 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 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.