The Boy at the Back of the Class
Author Onjali Q Rauf
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Story
Ahmet is an eight-year-old refugee from Syria. He has just joined the class and at first, he seems strange to the rest of the children. He is quiet, shy, and never seems to smile. But gradually, the children get to know him, and they learn how he came to be there and what he was escaping. When they hear that his sister died in the crossing and his parents are missing, they hatch a plan to get help from the Queen...
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Why we chose it
The Boy at the Back of the Class tells the story of a refugee through the eyes of a child in his class. A story full of kindness friendship and humour.
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What a young reviewer said
I really enjoyed this bittersweet and delightful book. (Lucy, age 12)
Story Reviews
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This is an extraordinary book from the perspective of a nine-year-old called Alexa. One day her teacher introduces a new student called Ahmet, a refugee from Syria who has been evacuated to London and now has joined her school and is being fostered. Alexa wants to welcome the new boy and so do her friends Michael, Josie and Tom. Ahmet learns a bit of English and shares a presentation with the class about how he fled from Syria and left his family behind. Alexa and her friends want to help him reunite with his family and start THE EMERGENCY PLAN…. I really enjoyed this bittersweet and delightful book.