The boy at the back of the class by Onjali Q. Raúf

“There used to be an empty chair at the back of my classroom.” Right from the first punchy sentence, the writer starts the novel with a zinger. It makes the reader curious, and it echoes with the title. The narrator is a school child who is attending a primary school in London. We don’t know much about her or his gender (I don’t wait to do any spoiler there!). The author doesn’t give many details about the narrator until quite late in the story. However, we know that the narrator is excited about starting a new term for different reasons: getting a new stationery set, reading new books, being with Tom, Josie and Michael, enjoying the lessons with Mrs Khan who is the new teacher. She has made school become a whole lot more fun.

On the first day, Mrs Sanders, the headteacher comes into the classroom with a new boy. He is nine years old (just like the narrator) and looks very strange. She is introducing him. “This is Ahmet, and he’ll be joining our class from today. He’s just move to London and is new to school, so I hope you’ll all do your very best to make him feel welcome.” Ahmet never talks and never smiles but this attitude does not put off the narrator. “My goal was to give him at least forty winks a day because that’s what Mum says everyone needs.” When the narrator soon learns the truth about Ahmet, the reader will understand that Ahmet isn’t strange at all.

I absolutely love this book. The story takes place in a primary school and right from the beginning there are different rumours about the new boy. Has he done something wrong in his old school? Is he dangerous? The novel relates how easily, quickly students but also parents are telling false stories about Ahmet to other people. The plot focuses on bullying inside the school but also in some countries where “bad people drop bombs on houses and destroy all the beautiful parts of the cities.” The narrator is very naïve, and her perception of the refugee crises gives an opportunity to her mum to offer a reader a clear explanation of a complex situation.

It is a heart-warming story. It's about the refugee crisis but it also deals with lots of other heavy issues (bullying, grief, trauma associated to leave your home behind you because of the war…) but it also raises other topics such as the power of friendship, kindness and care towards others and living with a single mother... The mum’s narrator is working in a library. The book also focuses on the importance of reading. There are many quotes about reading habits and how we could stimulate children’s curiosity about books.

This novel is certainly at the top of my list. The illustrations inside really add to the story. They make the novel even more powerful and reinforce the child’s perspective of the plot. There are a lot of conversations so it’s a face-paced story. It's such a beautiful book. I would like all the children to read it.

In addition, the author’s note by the end of the novel explains that the writer will give a portion of all the royalties she receives to some wonderfully brave people who spend every single day trying to help save and rebuild the lives of refugees all over the world.

Heartwarming story ❤️