Jamal Lights Up the Street
When the power goes out across town, Jamal and friends become the neighbourhood’s superheroes.
It was a stormy Tuesday evening, and Jamal was about to start dinner when, FLICK! All the lights went out. The fridge stopped humming. The street went dark. ‘A power cut!’ said Jamal.
Jamal found a torch and looked out of the window. All the houses were dark. Rain drummed on the roof. ‘I wonder if everyone’s okay,’ he said. He thought of Tomas the turtle, who lived alone at the end of the road.
Jamal phoned Mateo and Freddie. ‘Let’s be the Night Heroes,’ he said. ‘We’ll check that everyone’s all right.’ They grabbed raincoats and torches, and set off through the puddles.
They knocked on every door. At the first house, a family had run out of candles. Jamal gave them one. At the second, a baby was crying in the dark. Mateo sang a soft song until the baby calmed down.
At the end of the road, Tomas was sitting in the dark with a blanket. ‘I didn’t want to bother anyone,’ said Tomas. ‘You’re no bother,’ said Jamal. ‘Come to the village hall. We’re all gathering there.’
Soon the hall was full of neighbours. There were glow sticks and fairy lights everywhere, glowing in every corner, and somebody had a kettle on a camping stove. Everybody sat on blankets. There was a star-spotting game and lots of laughing.
Then, with a soft click, the lights flickered back on. But nobody wanted to leave. ‘Switch them off again!’ laughed Freddie. And the whole hall went quiet, and looked at the stars through the windows.
On the way home, Jamal looked at the lit-up houses. ‘It’s nice having lights,’ he said. ‘But I think the best lights tonight were all of us.’ Tomas squeezed Jamal’s hand. ‘Super neighbours,’ he said.
The little lesson
Real superpowers are caring for your neighbours and working together.
Let’s talk about it
- What would you do in a power cut?
- How did the neighbours help each other?
Finish stories to collect Jamal as a sticker in your Sticker Book.
More Superheroes stories
Faye the Sidekick
Captain Zoe has a bad cold and can’t use any superpowers. Sidekick Faye has to save the day!
Maya Forgets the Cape
It’s Cape Day at school, but Maya forgot to bring a cape. Can a hero be a hero without one?
Rocco’s Hero Without a Cape
It’s Cape Day at school, but Rocco forgot to bring a cape. Can a hero be a hero without one?
You might also like
Harvest Day at Kiki’s Farm
Everyone is growing something for the harvest festival. Kiki’s pumpkin is the biggest yet, but it won’t budge.
Tara’s Silent Ocean
Tara the whale wakes up unable to sing. Her ocean friends lend a hand, or a fin.
Poppy’s Old Boots in the Attic
In the attic, Poppy finds a pair of dusty old boots with a name inside.