The Booksellers Association has announced The Night Bus Hero by Onjali Q. Raúf as its Children’s Book of the Month for October. 

From the winner of the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize for The Boy at The Back of The Class, The Night Bus Hero follows a young boy who everyone has written off as a bully, but is determined to prove he can be a hero. The Night Bus Hero is published by Orion and is available in bookshops now. 

Author Onjali Q. Raúf commented, “Every Indie bookshop is a visible axis around which infinite worlds, imaginings and hopes rotate, gifting tales old and new to souls in search of a word-home. Such has been my experience of the Indie book world since childhood. So it makes me so very deeply happy that The Night Bus Hero - a tale centring on homelessness - has found its very first word-home in the open arms of the magic-makers that are our Indie booksellers. To have it be their Children's Book of the Month is simply beyond a dream.”

Gill Edwards, bookseller at The Little Ripon Bookshop said, “Onjali Q. Rauf is a skilful writer who addresses serious, topical issues with humour and compassion. She encourages her readers to question a character’s actions and motives, promoting empathy and championing kindness. Most importantly though, she tells a cracking story that children want to read with characters they recognise. The Night Bus Hero is a tremendous Children’s Book of The Month for Indies.”

Independent bookshops around the UK and Ireland will be promoting The Night Bus Hero throughout October, both in-store and on social media. The Booksellers Association will be supporting the promotion of the Children’s Book of the Month through social media and promotional material. 

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