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Author: Rauf, Onjali Q., Curnick, Pippa

For National Curriculum Key Stage 2

Published on 12 July 2023 by Hachette Children’s Group (Orion Children’s Books) in the United Kingdom.

Paperback | 320 pages
128 x 197 x 27 | 288g

This special edition of The Boy at the Back of the Class comes with a gold foiled cover to celebrate the 5 year anniversary.

WINNER OF THE BLUE PETER BOOK AWARD 2019 WINNER OF THE WATERSTONES CHILDREN’S BOOK PRIZE 2019SHORTLISTED FOR THE JHALAK PRIZE 2019Told with heart and humour, The Boy at the Back of the Class is a child’s perspective on the refugee crisis, highlighting the importance of friendship and kindness in a world that doesn’t always make sense. There used to be an empty chair at the back of my class, but now a new boy called Ahmet is sitting in it.

He’s nine years old (just like me), but he’s very strange. He never talks and never smiles and doesn’t like sweets – not even lemon sherbets, which are my favourite!But then I learned the truth: Ahmet really isn’t very strange at all. He’s a refugee who’s run away from a War. A real one. With bombs and fires and bullies that hurt people. And the more I find out about him, the more I want to help.

That’s where my best friends Josie, Michael and Tom come in. Because you see, together we’ve come up with a plan. . .

With beautiful illustrations by Pippa Curnick