The Boy At the Back of the Class by Onjali Q. Raúf
Release: July 12th 2018
Format: Ebook
Publisher: Hachette Children’s Group
Source: Netgalley
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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 eight 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 the truth is, 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 be his friend.
That’s where my best friends Josie, Michael and Tom come in. Because you see, together we’ve come up with a plan.
About the Author
Onjali Q. Raúf is the founder and CEO of Making HerStory, a UK nonprofit that works to fight human 
trafficking and gender-based abuses and crimes.
She lives in the UK, and you can find her on Twitter at @OnjaliRauf. The Boy at the Back of the Class is her debut novel.
The Boy At the Back of the Class Review:
There are times when a middle grade novel comes along, and does such a brilliant job of talking about important topics like struggles of refugees on foreign land. The Boy at the Back of the Class is a book that I feel everyone should read.
The highlight of the story, is the main character and narrator, Alexa. There are so many small things which I admired about her. She is curious, inquisitive, and doesn’t hold barriers to befriend someone different from her. She wants to learn more about Ahmet to help him, and has wonderful friends like Josie, Michael and Tom. Also, I found myself laughing out loud in some scenes like when Alexa winks at Ahmet with both eyes. She also shares a beautiful bond with her mother, and I loved the part where they went around town looking for a pomegranate.
The author has done a terrific job for her debut novel. The story has action, adventure, humor, drama, a little bit of everything for this genre. She also wrote Ahmet in a wonderful manner. Ahmet is a character that your heart goes out to as soon he appears in the story. I got teary eyed when he presented life and family back in Syria, and how they escaped. The author also tackles the issue of bullying. She wrote Brendan and Mr. Irons nicely, where you love to hate them. Moreover, I also loved all the Tintin references, as it is one of my favorite comics from childhood.
The illustrations by Pippa Curnick add so well to the story, and reminds me of the illustrations by Nick Sharratt (who did the illustrations on the Tracy Beaker books by Jacqueline Wilson). Overall, I loved everything about this book!
