Hector spends most of his life getting into trouble, both at home and at school; in fact, it's safe to say that he's a bully, and the worst kind - he terrorises children for their sweets and money, he's rude to his nanny and he doesn't care about how others feel about the way he treats them. But then, when Hector tries to move a homeless man from his bench in the park, things go wrong and suddenly Hector is worried about the consequences. At the same time, life for the homeless people of London is taking a turn for the worst as parts of famous monuments are being stolen and the homeless are being blamed. But then Hector sees the homeless man from the park involved in a theft and reports it. But is he sure that he has the right person? What if he's wrong?
Having thoroughly enjoyed Onjali's previous books, The Boy at the Back of the Class & The Star Outside My Window, I was very excited to receive a proof copy of The Night Bus Hero and I most certainly wasn't disappointed. Onjali has a knack of writing books that tackle serious issues in an age appropriate and sensitive way, and she's done it again with this book. Told from the point of view of Hector, this book gives a real insight into what it's like to be a bully. We generally see books written from the point of view of the victims, yet we rarely see how the bully is feeling and Onjali allows us to both dislike and then begin to like Hector as the story progresses. He learns that his actions have consequences and also that the homeless are still people with lives, feelings and a past - something he clearly hadn't thought about (Thomas and Catwoman are wonderful characters). We see him struggle to negotiate friendships and also his desire to tell the truth.
Kindness, looking beyond first impressions, friendship & family are all explored within this wonderfully written book that readers will not be able to put down. A great book that will help readers to see that there is always more to people than we may first see.
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