The Night Bus Hero

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But I can't help reducing the stars rating that would be entitled to her writing due to the fact that the bullying is not explained (he's old enough and is conscious of what he does). From the beginning, it's clear that Hector thinks very little of most people, and often does what he does just to annoy them. Búra predsudky, pozýva k otvorenosti, (a napriek určitým logickým nepresnostiam v príbehu) učí priateľstvu a láske. Hector’s parents have little time to pay him attention after school – in fact the only attention that really feeds him is the incitement of his two friends, who cheer him on as he makes school life miserable for others. Nesympatický, arogantne pôsobiaci chalanisko či skôr na prerod čakajúci antihrdina, boriaci sa s typickými "problémami" 10-ročných i s charakterotvornou absenciou či nezáujmom zo strany rodičov, napriek odmietaniu sa čoraz väčšmi zoznamujúci s preňho známym, no predsa vzdialeným fenoménom bezdomovectva?

There is a bit of a Scooby Doo feel to this part of the story, but it does help to lighten the mood a little, without taking away from the main messages of the story.Told from the perspective of a bully The Night Bus Hero explores the themes of homelessness while celebrating kindess, friendship and the potential everyone has to change for good. Onjali Q Rauf (winner of the Blue Peter Book Award and Waterstones book prize for The Boy at the Back of the Class) has written a gripping, realistic, and relatable tale with a strong moral at its heart, perfect for children aged seven and up. Hector’s parents have little time to pay him attention after school in fact the only attention that really feeds him is the incitement of his two friends, who cheer him on as he makes school life miserable for others. But it’s this choice that gives the story so much impact; his growth can be greater because of his starting point.

Seeing a homeless man asleep on a bench next to his trolley full of what appears to be trash, Hector decides to steal the hat the old man always wears.This isn't exactly a 'story of redemption' but it does take in several angles and does so successfully, threading Hector's growing understanding of homelessness with a confusing friendship with someone he's bullied, and even a mystery/crime plot as they attempt to prove who is committing the thefts. Scenting a way of getting both rewards and recognition, he determines he needs to find out more about this homeless man, Thomas, from Mei-Li, who volunteers at the local soup kitchen. This story highlights the topic of homelessness and explores the spectrum of attitudes that people hold towards homeless people, as well as exposing a number of common prejudices. There is more to Hector than meets the eye, and the same with Mei-Lei, and the homeless characters of Thomas and Catwomen.

And to do that, he needs to enlist the help of Mei-Li, but will she help someone who she clearly does not like? I have to admit that this does make him a slightly difficult character to cheer on though, at least in the beginning!I loved Hector's character development and although his behaviour was unacceptable, it was clearly a cry for help due to neglect from his busy parents and a need to be liked, no matter whether that is bad or good attention.

She's not afraid of a challenge, and yet again makes a warming and insightful plot out of disparate elements that work together nicely. 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. Hector's character arc was superb and he really did shine through in the end which was heart-warming to read. And also that someone has been stealing statues and framing the homeless by leaving special marks that only they would understand.She is smart, but also brave and principled, and written with such passion that you can’t help but feel immediately supportive and defensive of her. I genuinely don’t wish to spoil anything for other readers by going into much more detail than that though! But because Hector is telling the story we soon realise that he is dealing with troubles of his own, and as we know, most bullies are troubled humans. Help your child develop kindness and empathy with these middle grade books that inspire compassion: whether that’s towards animals, friends, or people in very different situations to your own.