The Boy at the Back of the Class by Onjali Q Rauf

"Refugee children have been forced to run away - because bad people have made it impossible for them to stay. Those bad people drop bombs on their houses and destroy all the beautiful parts of their cities. And the places where the refugees used to live have become so horrible and so scary that they can't live in them any more."

As a way to prepare for reading The Boy at the Back of the Class I recommend you read  The Colour of Home.

A new boy arrives in our narrator's class.  The kids discover Ahmet is a refugee from Syria.  Mum explains a refugee is someone who has had to leave their own country because of dangerous bullies. That sounds so unfair and now so many questions need answers:

My 11 questions (from the narrator)

1. Where did you have to run away from?
2. What language do you speak?
3. Who's the woman in the red scarf?
4. Do you have any brothers or sisters?
5. What did the bullies do to make you run away?
6. Did you get on a boat like the people on the news?
7. What sports do you like best?
8. What's you favourite fruit?
9. How far did you have to walk to get away from the bullies?
10. Do you like it here or do you miss your old home more?
11. Do you have a best friend?

Some answers come easily but other answers are heart-wrenching.

The group of three friends decide they have to help Ahmet especially when they discover the border gates are closing in the UK at the end of the week. They are desperate to reunite Ahmet with his parents who may be now in France but who can they turn to? The Prime minister? The chief of the High Court? The media? What about asking the Queen?

Full of innocence and hope, humour and determination, this book reflects how children view and feel about the Refugee situation. Kids BookReview

Through their sensitivity, curiosity, ingenuity, bravery and innocent niceness, they make a massive impact on Ahmet’s life, friends, class,school, community and wider world. Book Trust

A story about friendship, kindness, and adventure that is centered within the refugee crisis. Kirkus

Listen to the author reading from her book from Chapter 8 then find the book and read the whole chapter. I am sure you will never look at a pomegranate in quite the same way ever again.

Here is a big shout out to the librarian in this story - Mrs Finnicky (what a great name).

"I like Mrs Finnicky because she always gets excited when you ask her anything. She tells people off for not looking after their books properly, just like Mum. She has a large sign on the counter that says: 'Books are like people. Look past their covers, and they'll take you on a Great Adventure!"

I am not a huge fan of books which use the technique of the naive protagonist but in this book it created just the right tone, authenticity and emotional impact. I read this whole book in one sitting and by the end I was in tears along with all the teachers. This book reminded me of Two weeks with the Queen by Morris Gleitzman.  Here are three cover designs (original, recent and one from the UK edition). You can see 18 other covers on the Morris Gleitzman web page.

I won't say why (perhaps you can guess) but this book also reminded me of this classic:

I would follow or pair The Boy at the Back of the Class with Welcome to Planet Omar.