book cover

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

  • Adventure
  • Chapter books
  • Funny

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

Onjali Q Raúf 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. In her spare time, she delivers emergency aid convoys for refugee families surviving in Calais and Dunkirk, and supports interfaith projects. She specialised in Women's Studies at the University of Wales, Aberystwyth and Oxford University. The Boy at the Back of the Class is her first novel.

Watch our interview with Onjali Q Raúf

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