The Boy At the Back of the Class

Reviews

Amazing book that celebrates diversity, immigrants, curiosity, creativity and children’s power to make a difference . Content warnings of racism, xenophobia, child death, separation, and war.

amelietherin

Great book , a group of children show support to a Syrian refugee

tracyt219

I really enjoyed the different characters in this book. There are issues that all children can relate to - friendships, bullying, being a new child in class. Through the gentle story, children can be introduced to the situation of refugees and how / why people might want to come t a different country. This is done thoughtfully.

cpotter

Great way of opening discussions to do with identity and immigration on a child’s level and to develop their understanding of the issues around these topics.

melandra22

A wonderful book full of insights into the struggles of refugees.

librarybishop

I thought it was a little boring in the middle, a bit slow and repetitive. Really heartwarming though. About the power of friendship and taking risks.

mrsthielker123

A must read! This is a heartwarming masterpiece that tackles the global refugee crisis with child-like innocence and absolute sincerity. It is a crucial anchor text for Years 4 - 6. It is an unmatched tool for cultivating a culture of kindness, addressing complex current events, and teaching the power of student-led advocacy.

missmcgin

My class loved this book. We looked forward to story time everyday :)

hannmorri84

Themes of loss. A powerful read.

karmenlawson

Insightful novel highlighting how our actions impact on others.

klamb174

I really want to like this book more than I do. It is so wonderful and important to have a story that explains the refugee crisis to children but as a book, it just didn't work for me. The implausible events towards the end just didn't fit with a story that was otherwise trying to be quite realistic and believable. The characters were also a bit 2 dimensional.

anastasiakrupnik

A wonderful, heart warming and emotional story about friendship, adventure and empathy. So many important themes to explore throughout the story, I would highly recommend everyone reads this book.

kitkatkatie

After finishing The Boy at the Back of the Class, I wanted to buy a pomegranate. It made me realise how deeply Ahmet’s story stayed with me – carrying his loss, memories, and hope beyond the final page.

Ellie2026

A great book about the power of friendship. It is also about deep issues like the refugee crisis and how individuals are treated. It is a great book for challenging stereotypes. Would recommend for 8 to 10 year olds.

tchavda1

Loved this book! Incredibly moving and refreshing to read a story from an alternative perspective. A lovely tale of friendship and kindness

tammysue87

I loved this book. Moved me to tears. Reflected on how difficult things can be for children with EAL as they join a school in a new country with limited ability to communicate.

laurano

An amazing, thought provoking book that makes the reader think about things from a different perspective. It highlights the importance of friendship and the innocence of children and how to them, it doesn't matter about the colour of skin or where someone comes from. I would recommend this to any reader from Y4 upwards.

caragunson

Really good - have already lent it out to a reluctant reader in year 7.

lizziemartin

I thought this book was a really easy but interesting read. I read it all in one go and really recommend it. I enjoyed how the writer's identity isn't revealed until the end of the story. The themes of the book are very pertinent to my school and class at the moment.

bethanylong

A lovely, heartwarming read on kindness and empathy

mrsnreads1111