
The Great Food Bank Heist
by Onjali Q Raúf, illustrated by Elisa Paganelli
Interest age: 6 to 11
Reading age: 7+
Published by Barrington Stoke, 2021
About this book
Nelson loves Voucher Thursdays as Mum takes him and his little sister Ashley to the food bank, the best place in the world. They swap their vouchers for bags of food, generously donated via the local supermarket and distributed by friendly volunteers, who don’t make them feel embarrassed for not having enough money to buy it themselves.
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.
This heartwarming book with touches of humour is marvellous on so many levels. It is dyslexia-friendly, with a specially-designed typeface and clear layout on thick paper to avoid confusing the eye, while engaging black-and-white illustrations add detail to the story.
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.
About the author

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