The Boy at the Back of the Class
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"I really liked this book because I never read a book about refugees before so that was new to me. I really l
My 8 year-old son enjoyed this book so much that he wanted to write a review. To be honest, I was surprised when he picked it up at the bookstore and started reading - he usually prefers graphic novels or sillier books like Captain Underpants or HiLo. But he didn't want to put this book down and pleaded with me to buy it. When I read the description, I couldn't say no. Here is his review:"I really liked this book because I never read a book about refugees before so that was new to me. I really liked the characters. They are super funny! I was really worried because there is this kid from Syria named Ahmet in third grade, just like me, but he doesn't know English, lost his dad, lost his mom, his cat is dead AND no one knows what happened to his sister!
But then he made some really good friends and they protected him from Brenden the bully.
One day two of his best friends, the main character ("me") and Tom went to see the Queen to give her a letter saying that they shouldn't close the border so that Ahmet could find his family. So the main character ("I") stuck his hand out to give one of the guards their letter when they were changing guards -- which was really brave. I was really excited when "I" went to give the letter to the guard - because guards always carry big heavy spiky things that could've cut his hand really badly!
One cool thing was that the author never tells you the main character's name. I read this book in one day because it grabbed me and I was really attached to Ahmet and it's like a cliffhanger every chapter."
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It begins, as the first chapter says, with an empty chair. It is the beginning of a new term and there is one spare place in the class – which is soon to be taken by a new boy; A
This is a very topical novel, which addresses some difficult issues in a way which will help children understand them. With the refugee crisis a virtually nightly news story and many adults, and world leaders, showing low levels of tolerance; this shows the resilience of children to make up their own minds about things.It begins, as the first chapter says, with an empty chair. It is the beginning of a new term and there is one spare place in the class – which is soon to be taken by a new boy; Ahmet. Ahmet has just moved to London, the lady who picks him up after school doesn't look like his mum, he won't speak to anyone and the school bully has his eye on him… However, in a troubled, and unsettled world, this lonely and scared child has a group of friends, in his new class, who are determined to make him their friend too…
This is a heart warming and touching novel. It is honest about characters being fearful about people they do not know and situations they do not understand. It also shows the pure openness and honesty of children, who are non-judgemental and caring. There is a little touch of the 'BFG,' about this, which felt a little like a nod to Dahl. This would be a wonderful book to read to a class in school, or to open up discussions about refugees. It also has a great sense of what individuals can achieve and of how a little warmth and kindness gives back so much more happiness than hate.
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obviously the writing is catered for kids so you can expect that. But with this one honestly I didn't really feel that.
Also Included in my May Wrap Up video: youtube.com/watch?v=4xNv-3x6pEs
The story had a full arc there was that initial intrigue and as that sort of dies down and you grasp the context of all
Sometimes when you read middle grade as an adult you have to take it with a pinch of salt as it can feel a bit childish, the scenes jump quite quickly, the pace is quicker than adult fiction,obviously the writing is catered for kids so you can expect that. But with this one honestly I didn't really feel that.
Also Included in my May Wrap Up video: youtube.com/watch?v=4xNv-3x6pEs
The story had a full arc there was that initial intrigue and as that sort of dies down and you grasp the context of all the characters then there's a build up of an adventure and the story has a second wind.
This story is about immigration, I like how the main character isn't the refugee boy himself but one of his class mates so you're able to take on the view that other children in the class take towards this boy.
5 stars!
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My rating strategy:
5 stars = An all time favourite, I could tell you about this 10 years later.
4 stars = Loved this, really gripping/fun/exciting, will remember long term.
3 stars = Definitely enjoyed, might forget quickly though, but happy to read more by the author.
2 stars = Likely to have some good points, but it didn't properly captivate me.
1 star = Not my cup of tea at all, wouldn't return to the author.
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Everything changes for a group of nine year olds, when new boy comes to their class. As they find out later, Ahmet is Syrian refugee with heart-breaking experiences. They try to befriend him and help him as much as they can. And whoa, their adventures will become legendary.
It is such a nice and heartwarming story told from a perspective of 9 and 3/4 year old girl talking about very i
I am so in love with this story. After I finished, it left huge smile on my face and my heart little bit bigger.Everything changes for a group of nine year olds, when new boy comes to their class. As they find out later, Ahmet is Syrian refugee with heart-breaking experiences. They try to befriend him and help him as much as they can. And whoa, their adventures will become legendary.
It is such a nice and heartwarming story told from a perspective of 9 and 3/4 year old girl talking about very important issues of today. The best part is that the story is told with that beautiful uncompromised child's view of the world. They love, they cherish and they don't judge.
I wish this book gets translated and children everywhere can read it with their parents. I wish I had some children to read it to, but to be honest, I would probably cry a lot while reading it to them :D Happy tears, of course :)
This book really was incredible.
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I have enjoyed both reading the book and listening to the children's conversations about it.
It was heartwarming listening to their discussions about refugees, they were very empathetic and sympathetic towards the refugee boy in the book.
Reading this book with the children and discussing it with them have made the whole book 10 times better.
I only picked up this book as it was part of the English curriculum at school.I have enjoyed both reading the book and listening to the children's conversations about it.
It was heartwarming listening to their discussions about refugees, they were very empathetic and sympathetic towards the refugee boy in the book.
Reading this book with the children and discussing it with them have made the whole book 10 times better.
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I had this book in Dutch a few months, maybe longer, but couldn't get into it. Thankfully, one of the libraries finally added it in English to their collection. Of course I had to bring it home to see if this time I could read it. And well, I loved it. It was a beautiful written book with a very likeable character.
I just adored how our MC immediately decided to become friends with Ahmet an
One day the chair in the back of the class is filled by a boy, Ahmet, and our MC decides to become friends.I had this book in Dutch a few months, maybe longer, but couldn't get into it. Thankfully, one of the libraries finally added it in English to their collection. Of course I had to bring it home to see if this time I could read it. And well, I loved it. It was a beautiful written book with a very likeable character.
I just adored how our MC immediately decided to become friends with Ahmet and that she brought him fruits and sweets to make him happy. That was just so adorable and sweet. I loved how her friends also wanted to become friends and did the same thing. I loved how easily they embraced Ahmet in their group and how they were there for him to help him out.
The plans of the kids were dangerous but also very sweet. It is very brave of them to do those things for Ahmet. They could have let the adults handle it but instead they decided it was time to do it themselves before it was too late. Sure, I wouldn't encourage any kids their age to do the same thing, but this is fiction. I had a laugh that they also had presents with them for the Queen, they really take no chances.
The author wrote the kids really well. Sometimes with children's books the kids don't come across as the age that is mentioned, but these kids were their age.
I liked how the parents and the teachers took their time to explain what was happening to the kids, especially the MC's mom was perfect with this. She showed some newspapers, she explained, and also talked with her daughter on what she thought about this. And after the event with the big plan I loved how the adults protected the kids and patiently told them what to do (No comment!) and what not to do.
Ahmet, oh he was just such a wonderful character though I had some tears due to what he has experienced. His story was just so sad (though I had a laugh because of the innocence of the MC and her reactions to the story). I loved seeing him get more and more comfortable with his new environments, and how hard he was trying to learn English. I was happy to see him open up more and find his place in this new home.
I loved that the mom and MC had (Extra) Special Adventures. Meaning they had a whole day to do all sorts of things, whatever the MC would like to do. From finding a special fruit to getting stationery and other stuff for school. It was just the sweetest thing, especially since mom worked so much due to dad dying years and years ago.
The ending had me in tears that was just so beautiful and it just made me smile.
The book also had a few illustrations here and there. I do think something went wrong on the formatting of a few of them. I had a few pages that just cut off halfway and on the next page would have the illustration.
I have to say that I was surprised when I read "your daughter" on page 226, saw her name on page 293 (Alexa) and when I saw the girl joining Ahmet at the last page. I thought that our MC was a boy! I am sorry. Given everything I just thought this was a little boy who was talking. I am sorry if this is terrible, but it is how it is.
Again, as I have said in other books with teachers in them, if you hate kids or if you don't want to be a teacher, then find another job. Mr. Irons was a horrible horrible person who shouldn't be allowed anywhere near children. The things he did, and the things he didn't. Holy crap. He should have been fired a long time ago. I am sure someone has seen this behaviour for years. I cannot imagine it magically popped up.
The bullying also put me off from things and along with the teacher caused me to give this book 0.5 stars less. I am sorry, I am a big no no against bullying, and then especially when bullies seem to get away quite often with the crap they pull. I am happy with the ending, HOWEVER, I would have liked some more repercussions for the boys. Because bullies will be bullies.
But in overall, this was a gorgeous book about refugees, finding a home to belong, feeling safe, friendship, and more. I would recommend it.
Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/
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Ahmet is a refugee from Syria who has been separated from his family. He speaks Kurdish, but not English and some kids (and one teacher) in school are making him feel unwelcom I sobbed through the last 20 pages of this #mglit book about four elementary kids opening their hearts to a new student in their class. I love how kids are so good at cutting through politics to get to the heart of an issue. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 for this beautiful story by #onjaliqrauf ; this would make a wonderful read aloud!
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Ahmet is a refugee from Syria who has been separated from his family. He speaks Kurdish, but not English and some kids (and one teacher) in school are making him feel unwelcome. Four friends decide to welcome Ahmet into their circle and when they find out his parents are missing, they go to drastic measures to help their new friend. .
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This is a wonderful readalike to Wonder. I love the messages of having the courage to stand up to bullies and the importance of being an ally for people in need. ❤️❤️
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"...the entire world is full of hearts searching for a place to call home. But refugees are different, because they don't just look for a home. They look for peace, too."
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Book 67 for #30booksummer #mgbooks #bookstagram #bookreview #booksbooksbooks #librariansofinstagram #librariesofinstagram #middleschoollibrarian #theboyatthebackoftheclass #refugeeswelcome #refugeecrisis #syria ...more
It's the story of a group of school kids who are intrigued when they meet Ahmet, a new boy, who is also a refugee. These school kids have no idea what a refugee even is, and when they learn more about Ahmet's story they are determined to help him.
Now, my 9yo daughter is a strong reader so I knew she could handle this book. I wasn't s
My 9yo twins kindly got given copies of this book from school, to read during lockdown. I thought I'd read it alongside them, so I could ask them questions about it.It's the story of a group of school kids who are intrigued when they meet Ahmet, a new boy, who is also a refugee. These school kids have no idea what a refugee even is, and when they learn more about Ahmet's story they are determined to help him.
Now, my 9yo daughter is a strong reader so I knew she could handle this book. I wasn't so sure with my son as he's never read anything close to the size of this book, but I thought he could give it a try. Astonishingly after a few days of 30 minute bursts he got into bed, and read the remainder of the book - (over 150 pages!!) in one sitting! He stayed up well past his bedtime, and then rushed in to see me and exclaim just how brilliant the book was, what happened to the characters, and how much he enjoyed it. I was absolutely gobsmacked, and also delighted. As an avid reader I've tried for so long to explain to him the feeling of joy when you can't put a book down. And through this book he finally got that. Hurray!
And despite him trying to ruin the plot for me I finished it tonight, and have to agree. What a fantastic book; incredibly topical and thought provoking, really interesting characters, written in the first person which definitely made those characters seem so genuine and realistic and an absolutely brilliant ending, where I was grinning away but also breaking my heart a little at the knowledge that not everyone has a happy ending.
So, this is the best book my son has ever read. If that's not acclaim I don't know what is.
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"Sometimes words hang around longer than people, even when you don't want them to."
This book warmed my heart and reminded me of Wonder in different ways. It talks about refugees, their struggles and their lives, in such a way which can be easily understood by kids. The author has done a really good job, in world-building. He told an important story which shows the real face of many societies without overburdening kids.
This story is told from a child narrative, who wants to befri
Actual Rating 4.5"Sometimes words hang around longer than people, even when you don't want them to."
This book warmed my heart and reminded me of Wonder in different ways. It talks about refugees, their struggles and their lives, in such a way which can be easily understood by kids. The author has done a really good job, in world-building. He told an important story which shows the real face of many societies without overburdening kids.
This story is told from a child narrative, who wants to befriend with this new kid, Ahmet. Ahmet is from Syria and doesn't speak English. There are theories and rumours and school bullies. They want to save their friend after knowing his heart-shattering story.
I know it is middle grade but I'll recommend it to all the grown-ups. It is never late to read a thing or two about Humanity from a child perspective. Humanity isn't that complicated if you'll try to make things simple. This book is filled with all those small acts of kindness which seem small but can make a huge impact.
I loved the way this book tackles many issues in a light and easy way. The diversity, curiosity, bullying in school, built-in rules of schools, different families, friendship, generosity, kindness and so many things.
"Sometimes I think everyone likes to believe a lie even when they know it's a lie because it's more exciting than the truth."
I'll recommend this book to everyone.
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I remember asking her, when we were a little older, if she was happy living in the states, where there was no war. She told me that if the war ever stopped, she and her family would return, because that was their home, and they missed it.
I lost touch with her, but in my life, I met
When I was in the fourth grade, a new girl came to our class, a refugee from Lebanon. We didn't understand quite what that meant, when we were first told, just as Alexa and her friends don't quite understand either.I remember asking her, when we were a little older, if she was happy living in the states, where there was no war. She told me that if the war ever stopped, she and her family would return, because that was their home, and they missed it.
I lost touch with her, but in my life, I met other refugees including my wife, who escaped from Cuba after the Bay of Pigs.
No one, as my wife likes to say, leaves their home because they want to. No one wants to be a refugee. And in this book, it is clear that Ahmet would have loved to stay in Syria. His sister died in the crossing of the Mediterranean and his mother and father are missing.
This is not a downer of a book, however. Alexa, who is narrating, has some funny observations, and is curious about Ahmet, and wants to help him, to the point of trying to find a treat that he used to have in his homeland.
Sometimes I think people like to believe a lie even when they know it's a lie, because it is more exciting than the truth.
Alexa makes it her mission to be a friend to Ahmet, and in doing so, she tries to find a way to help him find his parents.
This is a fun engaging book, and it breaks down the refugee crisis for middle-grade readers. Very compassionate, and well written.
Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.
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Fantastic middle grade focusing on refugees with plenty of facts mixed in with some humour. An absolute stunner.
The book starts off with there being an empty seat at the back of the classroom and the main character Tom tells about all the children in his class. Then one day a child was in the empty seat at the back of the classroom with a red rucksack. Throughout the book we're trying to figure out who th
It is interesting because I have read other reviews and descriptions of this book they label Ahmet as the main character and even though this book is a story about him, it was told through Tom his friend.The book starts off with there being an empty seat at the back of the classroom and the main character Tom tells about all the children in his class. Then one day a child was in the empty seat at the back of the classroom with a red rucksack. Throughout the book we're trying to figure out who the new boy is as he doesn't talk.
There are multiple themes that appear in the story; bullying, discrimination, racism, death, sing parents, and refugees. This is what I really enjoyed about the story as the themes merge effortlessly into the story. I thought it was a clever move, that we weren't told that Ahmet was a refugee until mid-way through the books. This allowed us as a reader to create our own opinion on Ahmet for his character and not have label with a possible negative stigma attached to him until we knew his character. I really enjoyed this book, I felt as the reader as I was part of their friendship group trying to the solve the problems they were facing, whilst thinking and reading about Tom issues and activities he did when at home with his mother.
This book was impactful for me as an adult, it really highlights the struggles and issues refugees face when seeking asylum with an illustrated map to represent Ahmet journey (crossing waters on a little boat, to climbing over border walls armed by weaponised soldiers, to the unlovable camps refugees live in during their journey through numerous foreign countries). Heart-breaking stories told by Ahmet about the sacrifices that were made during his journey. This book doesn't shy away from the horror refugees have to go through, even when they have reached their destination. - in this case England.
I would definitely recommend reading this to a KS2 class, as it is so insightful, gripping and humorous like their trip to Buckingham Palace and the gifts they had for the Queen. It teaches children numerous life lessons about the world around us, that we as a teacher or even parents don't get around to talking about to their children but are important to be aware of.
I'm definitely going to be reading more of this authors work, as it it was great to read a piece of children's literature that spoke about real issues in the world we are currently facing.
For more info about that you can go check Gavin's tweet :https://twunroll.com/article/12819081...
But, apart from this terrible fact, when it comes to the book, I must say that my heart felt for every single sentence and for ahmed's life that unfortunately it's still the reality for a lot of childre
Unfortunately even though this book is extremely important and was really beautiful, I can't give a rating to it because of the author's attitude when it comes to trans people, especially trans women.For more info about that you can go check Gavin's tweet :https://twunroll.com/article/12819081...
But, apart from this terrible fact, when it comes to the book, I must say that my heart felt for every single sentence and for ahmed's life that unfortunately it's still the reality for a lot of children and adults out there.
...more Ahmet's story involved exploring the experiences refugee children face and their immense bravery in such devastating circumstances. This is really important for children to learn about so that they can understand children who are refugees and come from different backgrounds. The 7 questions at the end of the book provide great talking points to encourage greater reflection on this topic. The book also handles racism very sensitively, as Alexa realises that some people like Mr Greggs and Mr Fry are too nasty to even try to educate, but some people like Josie's parents are really nice people who are just scared about becoming friends with people who are different to themselves. This is a really key message for children, teaching about the importance of kindness and acceptance of difference – as the book says, it would be boring if everyone was the same and we all come from different backgrounds with different experiences. This links well with stereotypes, misinformation and prejudice along with inequalities.
Friendship and bullying are key themes throughout and they provide clear contrasts to show the hugely positive impacts friendship has, and the negative implications of bullying. This could provide a good talking point in PSHE. Families is another theme, with many different types of family incorporated into the story, once again representing diversity in many contexts. Alexa's father died when she was young and the love and loss is evident through little touches such as the birthday card she has out every year from her dad. She lives with her mum who although struggles with money, provides such warmth, love and happiness that they still try to have a great time whilst saving by using their imaginations and going on 'adventures'. This could link in to work with money in maths. Ahmet's family is key throughout and shows that even though they are missing, and his sister died, he still loves them dearly and hopes to find them in the story. The kindness many people showed to all the characters, such as the shopkeeper, Stan the taxi man, the Coldstream Guards and Ahmet's foster mother, shows that whilst some people like the reporters may make things difficult, there are far more nice people in the world, which is a really positive message for children.
There are many cross curricular links in the book, including geography with the many countries and cultures explored in the story, which could be studied through maps, differences in cultures, language (could consider language barriers and inclusion) and different foods. There could even be a themed day at school with visitors from different countries within the school community. History also featured, through the links to wars including World War Two, along with letter writing and writing 'special appeals' with limited characters which could be studied in English.
This book was very enjoyable, with the fast-paced adventure and extra little details which provided the characters and plot with extra depth to make it an excellent read. There are so many opportunities for discussion and learning, and it tackles such an important topic in a sensitive, engaging way. I would definitely recommend this as a class read for upper KS2, although mature readers in lower KS2 could also enjoy it. ...more
I think this is a particularly useful text to teach the concept of char
An interesting perspective on how we treat and perceive others who are 'different' to us. The text is a nice introduction into teaching children about refugees and their lives. Whilst it doesn't go into details, it touches upon events such as travelling away from family, living without family and horrendous living conditions that refugees face. The author writes exceptionally well, in a way that emotionally hooks the reader.I think this is a particularly useful text to teach the concept of characterisation. Ahmet (the protagonist of the story) is of primary age himself, and so I believe the book would appeal to children in year 4/5, as they are the same age as the children in the book.
I experienced this book being used in a mainstream primary school with high levels of English as an additional language. The book was used as a class read and at the end of the novel, the children were crying and clapping. This to me, emphasising the power that the author's writing has in inspiring young people. One reason perhaps the book appealed is through the strong themes of family, friendship and determination which underline the book and which all children can relate to. We follow Ahmet's journey and feel for him the whole way due to the strong characterisation that is developed.
There are many teaching opportunities while using this novel:
Receptive context:
Hire a refugee tent to teach children about the concept.
Other similar refugee/ asylum seeker texts (No Ballet Shoes in Syria, Pie in The Sky, The Bone Sparrow etc.)
Backpack- children to post likes/ dislikes/ patterns/ puzzles (Chambers Sharing's)
Map on the wall- as a class plot the different destinations that Ahmet has travelled from.
English:
Write a speech about refugees/ to raise awareness of refugees and their experiences.
Write a diary entry in the perspective of Ahmet about how he feels.
Language:
Get children to talk in the same language as Ahmet- how does it make them feel?
PSHE:
Discussions about what makes each of us 'us'- our likes, dislikes, hobbies, families. Understanding that we are all different and that it is okay to be different.
Text an excellent tool for educating children about being kind and caring for others (even when they are different in some kind of way).
Friendships.
Different family types.
History/ Geography:
Deepen children's understanding about history of refugees/ asylum seekers etc.
Geography- understanding where Syria is.
Research to understand what living in Syria is like and compare the study to the UK.
Look at London and potentially do a day trip to London and the Buckingham Palace to give children a real life experience to bring the book to life. They could stand where the characters stand in the book and deepen their understanding of travelling to London (via train/ tube). If not possible, give children experiences through you tube/ take them to a more local city so they can put themselves in the perspective of the protagonists in the texts, which will support their writing.
Drama:
Acting out key moments in the text- freeze frames to capture these moments.
Thought tracking to gain a deeper understanding of the different characters and how they are feeling.
Tableaux- scene in London. Children become different parts of scene- traffic, people, transport etc - create a sound scope. Children close their eyes and capture the scene through their senses.
This was especially the case with The Boy At The Back of the Class, which I think has done
Edit: I loved Onjali's books and was about to read her new one, but saw she had recently written an anti-trans speech for the awful org Women's Place UK. Her speech was misinformed and cruel, and suggested equal rights for trans people increases danger to cis women, which is statistically false. Gutted because part of the reason I love her writing is how beautifully she writes about kindness and acceptance.This was especially the case with The Boy At The Back of the Class, which I think has done such brilliant things for getting kids to understand the plight of, and empathise with, refugees. I'm sure it has helped create a lot of new friendships, and I know she does great work for refugees outside of writing too. But I hope Onjali can get the right info and extend her kindness and generosity to trans and nb people too, otherwise I can't continue be a fan of her work.
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Completely gorgeous. Well deserving of all the praise + prizes. Grandma wept at it
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I read this with my 11 year old son, who's views are included in this review.
Things we liked; not knowing the main character's name, learning about refugees and discrimination.
Things we liked less; they seemed older than 9 years old in the way they talked, acted and travelled alone so much (to school, London) and the overly happy ending was too cheesy apparently.
I think the book dealt with refugees in a great child friendly way, it wasn't overly upsetting, and handled discrimi
⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3 ok starsI read this with my 11 year old son, who's views are included in this review.
Things we liked; not knowing the main character's name, learning about refugees and discrimination.
Things we liked less; they seemed older than 9 years old in the way they talked, acted and travelled alone so much (to school, London) and the overly happy ending was too cheesy apparently.
I think the book dealt with refugees in a great child friendly way, it wasn't overly upsetting, and handled discrimination in a way children can understand.
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*Please note: this review is meant as a recommendation only. If you use it in any marketing material, online or anywhere on a published book without asking permission from me first, I will ask you to remove that use immediately. Thank you!*
A warm, sweet and hugely empathetic story about children from a London school fighting to help their refugee friend. It's gently adventurous and funny and it will make you sob at the end. One of the best things I've read about the refugee crisis. (8+)*Please note: this review is meant as a recommendation only. If you use it in any marketing material, online or anywhere on a published book without asking permission from me first, I will ask you to remove that use immediately. Thank you!*
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This compelling story about friendship, adventure and danger was an absolute page turner. But it also has so many curriculum links. Children could learn in History about refugee children, who they are, what makes them a refugee, and children could study the different wars where children have been refugees. In PSHE you could look at the importance of friendship and honesty as well as what it looks like when you're not a good friend and how that could make you feel. The children could take the letter that the children from the story wrote to the Queen, and in English they could correct the mistakes in the letters using different SPaG focusses. But there is opportunity for a variety of writing styles, newspaper reports, Buckingham Palace drama rein action, and conversations with the Queen. In Geography children can look at where refugees come from, especially Syria. They could have a look at how far away it is and do a comparison to a familiar distance. They could also consider the food that grows in Syria that we eat and therefore think about food miles and sustainability. In drama there are many opportunities for hot-seating, role on the wall and conscience alley at different points in the story. Children could learn some new phrases in Kurdish to help understand how Ahmet felt when he came to school. This has a fantastic link with the book Beegu which has similar characteristics but also in some ways, the first Harry Potter book when Harry meets his friends who seem to know some spells and have some idea about Hogwarts, and Harry has no idea. I also thought that the sections at the end of the book called 'Pieces of your own puzzle' was such a lovely touch. This book would be lovely to share with a refugee child, if ever there was one in my class, and the puzzle section would be such a good idea to fill out and help them feel included in class. I loved this book (The Boy at the Back of the Class), it was an absolute page turner and one I couldn't wait to see what happened next. I can't wait to share this with children in the future. ...more
Yet Alexa and her three friends have nothing but compassion for Ahmet and try their best to not only help him feel welcomed b
Told from the perspective of 9 year old Alexa, The Boy at the Back of the Class centres around the arrival of a young boy, Ahmet who is a Syrian refugee. Having lost his sister to the sea and no longer in contact with his parents, Ahmet is isolated and stigmatised by some members of the school including a member of staff (something that I thought was very good to put in).Yet Alexa and her three friends have nothing but compassion for Ahmet and try their best to not only help him feel welcomed but through an elaborate plan, try and help reunite him with his parents. What follows is a narrative in which a young outsider from the refugee narrative, our protagonist Alexa, learns much about refugees and, perhaps more importantly, the deep national divide that stands between those who want to welcome and support those fleeing from war and oppression and those who do not.
For a debut, Raúf novel walks a fine balance between engaging readers in a gently exciting narrative whilst introducing them to the refugee agenda. What I thought the author handled very well was the fact that we had more than just 'good' and 'bad' characters; one of Alexa's friends, affected by the opinions of her parents, is unsure whether to really believe Ahmet's plight or not but is soon educated by our resourceful protagonist.
Raúf, much like in Cottrell-Boyce's The Unforgotten Coat is also careful to try to not tell the refugee story either. Instead she hopes, through the story to help readers understand it. This also comes through quite beautifully in Alexa wanting to understand and embrace the culture from which Ahmet has come from. At times, the politicisation of the novel may have been a little too forced as to almost be didactic in its agenda but I cannot deny that it invites a welcome and much-needed perspective for young readers and would offer a lot of worthy debate and discussion too. This is a writer who is knowledgeable and informed yet respectful and reflective.
...moreHer first novel, The Boy at the Back of the Class, has sold
Onjali Q. Rauf is the founder of Making Herstory, an organisation mobilising men, women and children from all walks of life to tackle the abuse and trafficking of women and girls in the UK and beyond. In her spare time she delivers emergency aid convoys for refugee families surviving in Calais and Dunkirk, and supports interfaith projects.Her first novel, The Boy at the Back of the Class, has sold over 100,000 copies and won multiple awards. Her second book, The Star Outside My Window, publishes in October 2019.
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The Boy at the Back of the Class
Source: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39884333-the-boy-at-the-back-of-the-class
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