The Boy at the Back of the Class

Winner of the 2019 Blue Peter Best Story Award.

Winner of the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize 2019.

There used to be an empty chair at the back of the class. Now a new boy called Ahmet is sitting in it. He’s nine years old, just like the others in the class, but he’s very strange. He never talks and never smiles and doesn’t like sweets – not even lemon sherbets! But Ahmet isn’t really strange. He’s a refugee who has run away from a war. A real war, with bombs and fires and soldiers who hurt people. And when Ahmet’s classmates find out the truth, they decide they want to help. Which is why they’ve come up with a brilliant plan…

• An uplifting refugee story with a message of kindness

• Told in a child’s voice full of heart, hope and humour

• The debut novel of activist and campaigner Onjali Rauf

• Perfect for fans of Once and The Unforgotten Coat

“Raul’s book is at once tearjerking and chuckle-inducing and will go a long way to restore faith in human nature.” Sunday Post