Today we have another C Reads review. Read Cameron’s intro here and a previous review here.

Today you’re reviewing The Boy At The Back Of The Class. Why have you chosen this book?

I didn’t really have any choice because mum and my sister wanted to listen to it when we were in the car. My mum says her friend recommended it because he thought we would like it. But now that I’ve listened to it I really really like it.

What is The Boy At The Back Of The Class about?

So it’s about a 9-yr old refugee boy called Ahmet who joins a new school in Britain because he’s had to leave his country called Syria and he’s lost his family. The main character Alexa and her friends give Ahmet sweets and play with him and help him settle in. They become friends with Ahmet and stand up to the school bully. They go out of their way to help him find his lost family before the border gates close.

TBATBOTC cover.jpg — The Boy At The Back Of The Class

Orion Children’s Books, 2018

Onjali Raúf

Who is your favourite character in this book, and why?

Tom is my favourite because he has a funny accent. <FR note: we listened to this via Audible and the narrator – Imogen Wilde - did an excellent job with Tom’s bi-coastal American accent!>

What’s your favourite bit of the book?

Probably the birthday part at the end, because lots of things happen and it’s exciting.

Is there anything you didn’t like about this book?

I didn’t like how they were nine years old but sometimes they acted like they were 4 – like when they have the Greatest Idea Ever, it sounded a bit childish.

How does The Boy At The Back Of The Class make you feel?

It made me more aware about the conditions that refugees live in, and I thought that people in the book were joking when they said refugees shouldn’t be allowed into our country. When I realised they were serious I was so cross I wanted to hit something. <FR note – all words are reviewer’s own. We’ve had a chat about appropriate reactions and coping strategies for anger!> I was sad when I found out about Ahmet losing his family. It made me think that people like Donald Trump who say “you look different or act different so you can’t come here” are acting like 2 year olds.

Why should someone else read this book?

Because it’s like a rollercoaster - good things happen and then bad things and then more good things. It’s also really funny. I think everyone my age should read this book because it helps them be more kind to other people.

Fee Reads note

We listened to the audiobook over the course of a few car journeys, finishing it a few days ago while on the A9 en-route to a weekend in Aviemore. From a parent’s point of view I loved the book, although almost had to pull over a couple of times as there are too many caravans on that road for a driver’s eyes to be leaking as much as mine were. The kids-view descriptions of families pulled apart were almost harder to hear for their pragmatic tone and factual nature.

I really was entertained by the story, especially the kids’ trip to Buckingham Palace and encounter with the guards. The Boy At The Back Of The Class is an excellent family conversation-starter about many topics - particularly inclusion and how we react to difference. Raúf balances reality and fiction beautifully to tell an age-appropriate story which is entirely necessary for today’s society.