The Boy at the Back of the Class

May 15, 2019
A story about friendship, kindness, and adventure that is centered within the refugee crisis. When Ahmet arrives in the narrator's classroom three weeks after the first day of school, he is silent and doesn't join all the kids for recess. Weeks later, and with the help of an assistant teacher, he gets additional support to learn English and understand what's being taught through translation into his native Kurdish. He gradually adjusts to his new environment and shares his displacement story from Syria to the U.K. and what happened to his family, from whom he's been separated. With persistence and kindness, four classmates succeed in becoming Ahmet's friends. But it is when they learn of an approaching deadline to reunite him with his family that they decide to take action immediately. They plot to engage the queen of Britain herself and end up in newspaper headlines and stirring national debate about refugees. Raúf provides well-crafted addenda about refugees, ways to help, and questions to think about, but readers looking for deep characterization will spot great but lost potential in that most of the novel's are one-dimensional, presenting only as good or bad people, with the narrator's group of friends (a multiracial bunch) squarely among the former. An engaging debut novel that simplifies the refugee experience, crisis, and reaction to it for young readers--consider it a starter book. (Fiction. 9-12)

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Starred review from June 1, 2019

Gr 4-6-When a new boy named Ahmed joins Alexa's class at her London school, all of the students have questions: Why does the new boy never go to lunch or recess with the other kids, and why doesn't he talk to anyone? Everyone has different theories, but when Alexa and her friends are waiting after school to give Ahmed some fruit and other small gifts, they overhear two adults saying that Ahmed is a refugee and no one speaks his language. Gradually, as they befriend Ahmed and speak to him through the assistant the school hires to translate, they piece together his story: how he and his family escaped from the bombs in Syria, how his little sister drowned in the sea, and how he was separated from his parents and doesn't know how to find them again. When Alexa learns that the United Kingdom is about to close its borders to refugees, she and her friends embark on a bold and dangerous plan to persuade the Queen to intervene on Ahmed's behalf. Filled with engaging characters and a compelling plot, this moving novel adroitly portrays the plight of refugees from Syria and other parts of the world. In her quest to help Ahmed, Alexa is forced to confront not only the school bully but also the bigotry of her neighbor and other adults, some of whom imply that Alexa herself and her Indonesian mother don't belong. She also learns that her own grandmother was a refugee during World War II who not only evaded the Nazis but helped others escape as well. Information about refugees and ways to help are included, as well as discussion questions and an author's note explaining how the novel was inspired by the true story of Alan Kurdi, a three-year-old refugee who drowned during his family's escape across the Aegean Sea. VERDICT This moving and timely debut novel tells an enlightening, empowering, and ultimately hopeful story about how compassion and a willingness to speak out can change the world.-Ashley Larsen, Pacifica Libraries, CA

Copyright 2019 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

June 24, 2019
When Ahmet, a Syrian refugee, begins attending a suburban London school, he doesn’t speak with anyone, but as he gains support through an assistant teacher, a group of students get to know him as a soccer player and friend. As the tensions surrounding refugees and the closing of the country’s borders intensifies, Ahmet confides in his new mates that he lost his sister in the journey across the sea and was separated from his parents before his flight to London. With the clock ticking to reunite Ahmet with his family before the borders close, the determined friends go directly to the prime minister and the High Court of Justice to make their plea. Political and cultural undertones are undeniably present in Rauf’s timely debut, but it’s the themes of kindness, empathy, and tenacity that resonate strongest. Rauf excels at tapping into the thoughts and concerns of contemporary children, providing wholly believable characters who use their voices to help others and create change, as well as offering a safe space for readers to explore and better understand the refugee crisis. Ages 8–12.

July 1, 2019
Grades 3-5 An unnamed, ungendered nine-year-old's world changes when a new boy joins the child's London classroom. The mysterious boy is soon revealed to be a Syrian refugee named Ahmet, separated from his family prior to finding shelter in the UK. The protagonist decides to befriend the reclusive boy, while others in the community are more hostile towards refugees. When it's announced that the UK will close its borders to those seeking asylum, the protagonist fears that Ahmet will never be reunited with his family, and thus a plan is formed to help him. Ra�f's debut sets out to educate young readers on the refugee crisis, and in that sense it's successful. However, as a result of this didactic approach, the elements of fiction fall flat, and the choice not to describe the protagonist keeps readers at arm's length emotionally. Still, this book (which includes six back matter sections that educate further and prompt discussion) is a valuable resource for educators looking for an engaging way to introduce early middle-graders to the refugee crisis.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)