I waited for him to shout and scream. But he didn’t. Instead, he took off his yellow hat and his shoulders began to shake. That was how I knew that he was crying. He’s got so little sympathy for a local homeless man Thomas (who is taking up space in the park, including a bench Hector would like to sit on) that he ends up pushing Thomas’s trolley containing his only worldly possessions into the park pond without a single thought of how much hurt that would cause. Our narrator this time is the school bully. And while he's telling the story so we do feel a connection with him, he's - well - a bully. And pretty horrible to other children at school. I enjoyed this story very much - the tranformation of the main character, Hector, from nasty bully to hero was relatively simplistic, but effective and powerful. Hector is a bully. He steals from the other kids, and torments them with physical and verbal abuse. But then an act of revenge against Thomas, a local homeless man who dared to defend himself, goes very wrong and Hector realises he could get in serious trouble this time. Especially since it was witnessed by Mei-Li, the “teacher’s pet” from his class.

I've been getting into trouble for as long I can remember. Usually, I don't mind 'cos some of my best, most brilliant ideas have come from sitting in detention.His partner in not-crime is Mei-Li, who helps at her father’s local soup kitchen and so acts as the connection between Hector and the homeless community. She is smart, but also brave and principled, and written with such passion that you can’t help but feel immediately supportive and defensive of her. The compassion she shows to the homeless is a welcome contrast to Hector’s sullenness. I've been getting into trouble for as long I can remember. Usually I don't mind 'cos some of my best, most brilliant ideas have come from sitting in detention. Your class will count the syllables in each line of the haiku poem and see whether they were written correctly.

I also have a wider knowledge of the homeless after reading this, and I don't think I could ever walk past a person on the street in the same way again. I am grateful for this insight into the challenges and terrors that these people face in their daily lives and have even more respect for them than I did before. Hector is not your normal choice for a protagonist. Rather than someone who is boisterous and sometimes misbehaves, Hector is an actual bully. But it’s this choice that gives the story so much impact; his growth can be greater because of his starting point. I have to admit that this does make him a slightly difficult character to cheer on though, at least in the beginning! Of course, Hector’s interactions with the community lead to personal growth. He is still frustrating, and thoughtless or hurtful at times, but he begins to understand how his actions affect others. Raúf handles his development in a very natural way, taking care to show gradual change without overwriting his actual character. Unfortunately, I did not enjoy this book. It's written in the perspective of a bully and though the ending seemingly redeemed the main character, Hector, to the majority of the audience, I couldn't forget the first few stages of the book. I really enjoyed Onjali Q. Rauf's 'Lion above the door' and was disappointed with this book. Night Mayor Franklefink has vanished from the Transylvanian Express - and it's up to you to solve the case! Part of the Solve Your Own Mystery seri...

But recently it feels like no one believes me about anything – even when I’m telling the truth! And it’s only gotten worse since I played a prank on the old man who lives in the park. I couldn't put it down once I got it because it was so exciting and engaging. Such a wonderful book! Three reading comprehension activities linked to chapters four, five and six of The Night Bus Hero. Each chapter has a comprehension activity that includes 20 questions that work on different skills as well as also having the answers included separately. A wonderfully heartfelt story filled with nuance, empathy and hope from award-winning author Onjali Rauf. This story highlights the topic of homelessness and explores the spectrum of attitudes that people hold towards homeless people, as well as exposing a number of common prejudices.

What an emotional book. For becoming a bully, to a hero. He was the main bully at his class with Will and Katie and were bullying kids. This isn't exactly a 'story of redemption' but it does take in several angles and does so successfully, threading Hector's growing understanding of homelessness with a confusing friendship with someone he's bullied, and even a mystery/crime plot as they attempt to prove who is committing the thefts.

Getting in trouble is what Hector does best. He knows that not much is expected of him. In fact, he gets some of his most brilliant prank ideas while sitting in detention. But how far is too far? When Hector plays a prank on a homeless man and is seen and shamed by a schoolmate, he reaches a turning point. He wants to be viewed differently and decides to do something that will change his fate for the better. But will anyone take him seriously?

Can Hector and Mei-Li get to the bottom of these crimes? Can Hector’s new understanding help him be less of a bully? Could Hector turn out to be a bit of a hero? Meanwhile, at home, Hector learns his father is working on a new film about homeless people. And also that someone has been stealing statues and framing the homeless by leaving special marks that only they would understand. This comprehension is based on chapters 2 and 3 of ‘The Night Bus Hero’ and is aimed at Lower Key Stage 2, Year 3 and Year 4 classes.But recently it feels like no one believes me about anything - even when I'm telling the truth! And it's only gotten worse since I played a prank on the old man who lives in the park.