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The Night Bus Hero

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( 2,009 ratings, 251 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
The Night Bus Hero by Onjali Q. Raúf follows the story of a young boy named Hector, who initially spends his time bullying classmates and strangers. When he is falsely accused of causing mischief linked to London's night bus and begins investigating, he gains insights into the world of those less fortunate, especially the homeless man he once tormented. The adventure leads to powerful lessons on friendship, empathy, and understanding.
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Format: Paperback / softback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This story may appeal to you if you enjoy heartwarming tales of redemption and change, centred around themes of empathy and friendship. It's perfect for young readers who are intrigued by tales of unlikely heroes or enjoy narratives where characters find unexpected allies and discover a sense of community and belonging.

Book Hero thinking about your next read

From Onjali Q. Rauf, the award-winning and best-selling author of The Boy at the Back of the Class, comes another incredible story, told with humour and heart. Told from the perspective of a bully, this book explores themes of homelessness, while celebrating kindness, friendship and the potential everyone has to change for the good.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

The boy's an absolute menace.

He's a bully. A lost cause!

Why can't he be more like his sister?

I've been getting into trouble for as long as I can remember. Usually, I don't mind—some of my best, most brilliant ideas have come from sitting in detention. But recently it feels like no one believes me about anything—even when I'm telling the truth! Everyone thinks I'm just a bully. They don't believe I could be a hero. But I'm going to prove them all wrong...

Meet Hector: a bully whose dastardly antics spiral out of control when, after school one day, he decides to bully a homeless man in the local park.

But as London's most famous statues and emblems go missing and its homeless communities are pointed to as the thieves, has Hector managed to pick on the leader of them all? And if so, what can he do in a world that won't believe a word he says?

Written in lockdown when—for the first time in history—London's homeless community were gifted shelter, The Night Bus Hero explores themes of bullying and homelessness, and the potential everyone has to change for the good.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

The Night Bus Hero by Onjali Q. Raúf offers a compelling and brilliantly structured narrative where a school bully narrates the tale, bringing a fresh perspective. This thoughtful and often humorous book challenges reader expectations with its portrayal of themes like homelessness and redemption, proving that no one is beyond hope. Raúf's storytelling is praised for its depth and ability to explore serious issues while remaining engaging for young readers.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781510106772

Publisher: Hachette Children's Group

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 15 October 2020

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Orion Children's Books

Audience: Children

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 30.0mm

Width: 128.0mm

Height: 198.0mm

Weight: 279g

Pages: 304

About the Author

Winner of the Waterstones Children's Book Prize in 2019, the Blue Peter Book Prize 2019, and other international accolades since, Onjali Q Rauf's first book The Boy at the Back of the Class was inspired by a baby met in the refugee camps of Calais, France, whilst on an aid convoy for her organisation, O's Refugee Aid Team. Telling the story of a group of friends befriending a refugee boy at school with depth and humour, it continues to be a must-read for children and adults around the world.

Rauf's second release went on to win the Diversity Book Award for Children's Fiction (UK) 2020. The Star Outside My Window drew on her experiences as founder and CEO of Making Herstory - an organisation working to help women and children flee the impacts of male-led domestic violence. Her ongoing works with homeless communities, food banks, homeless shelters, as well as her personal experiences of racism, sexism and bullying, led to the releases of The Night Bus Hero, The Great Food Bank Heist and ultimately, The Lion Above the Door.

Following an influx of enquiries from children about how to aid refugees and the homeless, or fight for the environment and the rights of women and girls, Rauf wrote her first non-fiction title Hope on the Horizon, as a personal guide to budding young activists everywhere.

In 2023, a deep love for funny sayings coupled with that of travelling, led to the release Where Magic Grows: a collection of of seven original fairy tales in which Rauf celebrates the peoples and cultures of such lands as Syria, Egypt, Japan and India.

Rauf was recognised for her services to literature and women's rights in the 2022 New Year Honours.

Twitter: @OnjaliRauf / @MakeHerstory1 / @O_Refugee

Website: www.onjaliqrauf.org

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    Miss, do you really think we can all help? Even me? - Tammy, 8 years old. Growing up, there is so much out of our control, so much we can feel helpless about, and so many terrible things we have to watch grown-ups doing to our world. But when it comes to understanding and righting wrongs, it's always children who...
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  • The Girl at the Front of the Class
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  • The Letter with the Golden Stamp
    'I can't remember how old I was when I first started collecting stamps. But I've got a whole shoebox full of them now. Mam used to help me collect them ... Before she got so ill that she lost her job, her friends...everything. Now it's my job to take care of her and protect her - and my little brother...
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    Ever since I can remember, people have stared at me and my family. Dad tells me it's because we're 'special'. But if we're so special, how come nobody ever looks like us in the books at school? Not even the books about world wars ... As the only Singaporean boy not just in his school, but in the tiny English...
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  • The Game I Will Never Forget
    Just after his tenth birthday, the last thing Zak expects to hear is that his mum is having a baby and he has to give up his room for an ageing old grandmother who is coming to live with them! With the help of his friends and a series of cheeky pranks, Zak is convinced it'll be no time before...
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  • The Boy At the Back of the Class
    WINNER OF THE BLUE PETER BOOK AWARD 2019 WINNER OF THE WATERSTONES CHILDREN'S BOOK PRIZE 2019 SHORTLISTED FOR THE JHALAK PRIZE 2019 Told with heart and humour, The Boy At the Back of the Class is a child's perspective on the refugee crisis, highlighting the importance of friendship and kindness in a world that doesn't always make sense. There used...
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  • The Great (Food) Bank Heist
    Written with great empathy and Raúf’s trademark humour, this moving story gives a child’s-eye view of the increasing problem of food poverty. On Thursdays, Nelson, Ashley and Mum head out to the bank. But not just any old bank – the food bank. With its shining tins and packets of food stacked from floor to ceiling, Nelson thinks it’s the...
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  • The Star Outside My Window
    I've always wanted to be a Star Hunter. But I don't want to be the kind that looks for old stars that have already been burning for millions of years. I want to find the brand new ones - the ones that have only just been born and are searching for the people they've left behind... Following the disappearance of...
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  • Where Magic Grows
    Have you heard of the bird that turned to stone? Or of the extra-specially-super-deliciously-fantastically naughty boy who got a frog stuck in his throat? Has anyone ever told you of the Captain of the Nile who only has six toes? No? Well, tuck yourself in, and let Onjali Rauf entertain you with her first collection of never-before-told fables of magic...
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