This week I was fortunate to receive an eARC copy of Heroes Like Us: Two Stories by Onjali Q. Raúfroes from NetGalley. This review is based on my own personal opinions.
Summary
Heroes Like Us is a collection of two stories in which children make a difference and become heroes.
The first story, The Day We Met the Queen, takes place after the events of Raúf’s previous novel, The Boy at the Back of the Class. After a group of friends help their refugee friend, Ahmet stand up for other refugees, the Queen of England wants to meet them. Not everyone is happy about this, including politicians and Brendan-the-bully, who aren’t above sabotaging the kids’ big day.
The second story, The Great Food Heist is about a boy whose family is struggling to make ends meet after his father leaves. His mom works hard and does everything she can to make the best of a difficult situation but putting food on the table is a constant struggle. They’ve been getting by with programs at school and using the local food bank. But, when someone starts stealing from the local food bank, Nelson and his friends are determined to catch the thieves.
My Thoughts
These stories send a great message to kids about how anybody can become a hero, if they are willing to stand up for what is right. Sometimes books with these themes can become a bit preachy and are more appealing to adults than kids. However, these stories have a lot of humor and action that engage kids. What kid wouldn’t love reading about stink bombs being set off in the middle of an assembly?
I had not read The Boy at the Back of the Class but was still able to follow the story with no problem. I intend to read it now because I want to know more about these characters. I think it would’ve made it a little more meaningful, so I would recommend reading it first.