This was our summer night reading. A choice of Louis on one of our way to the bookstore/stationery in the area, WHSmith.
A captivating story with an incredible message for kids and big people: being good is much more rewarding than being bad, in every respect and Hector, the main character in the story learned that…
Content Warnings: Bullying + Homeless
Hector is a bully who doesn’t really care about anyone and thinks his parents don’t care about him. His teachers don’t seem to like him (he certainly hates them), he doesn’t particularly like the teacher’s “pet”, Mei Lei, and he devotes his time to being mean to other children and making them give him candy.
He has so little sympathy for a local homeless Thomas (who is taking up space in the park, including a bench that Hector would like to sit in) that he ends up pushing Thomas’s cart that contained his possessions in the park lake without any remorse and without caring about the pain it would cause...
When a number of London statues are suddenly stolen, including the Paddington Bear and the statue of Eros at Piccadilly Circus, Hector is convinced that the crimes were committed by homeless people led by Thomas – but as soon as he reported Thomas to the police, he realizes he is terribly wrong. With the help of his enemy Mei Lei, Hector must race out of time to ensure that justice is done – but that’s not the only thing he needs to change.
A brilliantly written and totally captivating story that will help children understand and think deeply about real human beings whose lives are affected by lack of abode β and also, more generally, about the power of kindness, friendship, empathy and how everyone has the potential to change it for The Better. Onjali Q Rauf (winner of the Blue Peter Book Award and the Waterstones Book Prize for The Boy at the Back of the Class) wrote an exciting, realistic and relatable tale with a strong moral in his heart, perfect for children aged seven and over.
The best thing about this book is the message: no one is evil at all and we are all entitled to an opportunity. And the main thing, we should not judge the book by the cover. Nobody’s going to end up on the streets because yes… there’s always a reason. And this book reminded me of my greatest fear: being homeless and going to live on the street… π
Follow Onjali on Twitter, she does an amazing job with her NGO Making Herstory, did you know that you can donate tablets or kindles that you no longer need and that are in good condition for children and young people who have no possessions?
Did you like the suggestion? π