The Boy at the Back of the Class

Told with heart and humour, The Boy at the Back of the Class is a child’s perspective on the refugee crisis, highlighting the importance of friendship and kindness in a world that doesn’t always make sense.

There used to be an empty chair at the back of my class, but now a new boy called Ahmet is sitting in it.

He’s nine years old (just like me), but he’s very strange. He never talks and never smiles and doesn’t like sweets – not even lemon sherbets, which are my favourite!

But then I learned the truth: Ahmet really isn’t very strange at all. He’s a refugee who’s run away from a War. A real one. With bombs and fires and bullies that hurt people. And the more I find out about him, the more I want to help.

That’s where my best friends Josie, Michael and Tom come in. Because you see, together we’ve come up with a plan. . .

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Recent reviews

  • This is a really good book and it also fills you in on what life was like for refugees. This book is brilliant and adentoures. READ IT!

    9 November 2022

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Authors

  • Awards

    Winner of the 2019 Blue Peter Best Story Award and the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize for The Boy at the Back of the Class.

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