"I don't think any of us had ever heard a story like it before. And as sad and as scary as it was, it was even sadder and scarier because it wasn't just a made up story from one of our reading books. It was all real. Ahmet had survived everything his pictures had shown us and was here. With us. Knowing that made me feel sorry and proud and scared for him all at once; but most of all, it made me want to tell him he was definitely the bravest person the bravest person I knew."
The Boy At The Back Of The Class is a sweet story about acceptance, friendship, kindness and refugees.
****Spoiler Alert: the identity of the narrator is not revealed until the last chapter, but I've decided to use the narrator's name in my post.
On the third Tuesday, after school has started again, a new student arrives in Alexa's class. Although her teacher, Mrs. Khan introduces the boy as Ahmet, she doesn't tell the class anything about him. Alexa notes that Ahmet, quiet and shy, has eyes like those of a lion, and she notices his tattered red backpack.
Almost immediately, Alexa, who has three best friends, Tom, Josie and Michael, decides to befriend Ahmet, but there are few opportunities to actually talk to him as he's not out for recess and he isn't around at lunch.
After school rumours abound, with Alexa's classmate, Jennie stating that Ahmet was likely dangerous and couldn't come out during break. But when he reappears at the end of the day, Alexa can't resist in running over to Ahmet and offering him a candy she's been saving for him.
Rumours continue to swirl; he has a contagious disease, his family are super-rich and have sent him to the school for protection. But it is from two parents gossiping that Alexa overhears that Ahmet is a "refugee kid". That night she tells her mother what she's overheard and wants to know what being a refugee kid means. Alexa's mother explains that refugees are people who are forced to flee from their homes, often leaving everything they own and even the people they love, behind.
The next day in school Ahmet has Ms. Hemsi to help him. After school, Alexa and friends approach Ahmet with treats. They learn from Ms. Hemsi that Ahmet is from Syria and speaks Kurdish. Alexa is thrilled when she sees Ahmet taking a bite from the apple she's given him. But she's also very worried, because Brendan-the-bully has been watching Ahmet. And the very next day, Brendan does bully Alexa and her friends as they play football with Ahmet. Fortunately Ms. Khan comes to their rescue.
Ahmet experiences more bullying at school and gets into a fight with Brendan, when Alexa attempts to give him a pomegranate at lunch hour. In an attempt to help his classmates understand what he's been through, Ahmet gives a little presentation before the half term holiday. He tells the class that he is a refugee from Syria, whose family fled because of war. Ahmet reveals that his family travelled over mountains and rivers, carrying their cat, suitcases and his little sister. However, in a drawing of the boat they used to cross a big sea, the cat and his sister are missing. Ahmet's drawing of their life in Greece, living in a tent with people from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Eritrea show only himself and his father. Alexa figures his mother is sleeping in one of the tents. His journey continued to France and finally to England.
After hearing Ahmet's story and seeing the pictures he drew, Alexa has many questions. She wonders where his sister and mother are and what happened to his cat.When Alexa brings Ahmet one of her Tintin books to read, she discovers they have a similar love of the character. This prompts Ahmet to share that he doesn't know where his dad is, that he might be in France and that his sister Syrah is "in the sea" and that his mum is sick somewhere. This information deeply upsets Alexa and she's unable to sleep that night.
However that changes when Alexa overhears a man and woman talking on the bus on her way to school the next morning. The man indicates that the government is planning to close the border by the end of the month. Alexa is upset because she believes that this means unless Ahmet can find his mother and father before the border closes, he will never see them again. At school she tells her friends what she overheard, breaking her promise to Ahmet to keep the details of his family a secret. They decide to tell their teachers, Mrs.Khan and Ms. Hemsi. Although their teachers attempt to reassure them that everything is being done to help Ahmet, Alexa and her friends remain unconvinced. Together they begin to brainstorm ideas and form plans. Then Alexa has the "Greatest Idea In the World", a plan that involves skipping school, taking the train, and the Queen! But will it work? Can they help Ahmet find his parents and be reunited?
Discussion
The Boy At The Back Of The Class tackles the difficult and complex issue of refugees. Since the author Onjali Q. Rauf resides in England, this topic is approached from a British point of view.
The novel is based on the Syrian refugee crisis which began in March of 2011, when the government of Bashar al-Assad attempted to put down peaceful demonstrations - called the Arab spring- against his government. Millions of Syrians fled the country, to neighbouring Turkey, Lebanon, and Jordan. Many fled further, across the Mediterranean Sea into Europe and the United Kingdom. This journey was dangerous and thousands of refugees are known to have perished, including little three-year-old Alan Kurdi, whose body was photographed on a beach in Turkey. With the overwhelming number of refugees, many people in Europe were not welcoming and calls came to close borders.
In The Boy At The Back Of The Class, Ahmet is young refugee from Syria who has arrived in England without his family. While many of his classmates are curious about him, they remain distant. But one young girl decides to reach out and be his friend. When she learns his story, Alexa decides to try and help. Through the various characters in the novel, author Onjali Q. Rauf portrays how people view refugees.
The character of Alexa is open-minded, compassionate and empathetic. She immediately wants to befriend Ahmet, knowing that her friends will do the same. "After all, having four new friends would be much better than having none. Especially for a boy who looked as scared and as sad as the one now sitting at the back of our class." Alexa, who we learn is of mixed heritage with her mum being born in Indonesia and her father from Austria, is puzzled over people who don't like those who are different.
"The Deep Thought my brain had found was wondering how anyone could be scared of me just because I didn't look like them.Everyone in school looks different and likes different things --and has parents who come from all kinds of different places...I like looking like I have a suntan, and I like everyone being different. It would be too boring if everyone was exactly the same as each other."
The novel is populated with plenty of characters who are not friendly towards the refugees. There is Brendan-the Bully who torments Ahmet at school, Mr. Irons an upper level teacher who doesn't intervene to help Ahmet when he's being bullied, Alexa's Aunt Christina who complains about the benefits refugees receive and even neighbours who are not happy about Alexa's actions in helping Ahmet. The author highlights some of the objections towards refugees and repudiates them through her characters. For example, best friend and classmate Josie tells Alexa and their friends, " 'But my dad said Refugee Kids are dangerous, and that they lie and steal things,' said Josie, looking confused. He told me to stay away from the new boy and not to talk to him, because he was probably a criminal." However Alexa and Josie's friends, Michael and Tom reveal that their parents told them to be nice to the new boy. This causes Josie to rethink what her father has told her. "She didn't say anything, but I knew she was thinking that her dad must have made a mistake. There was no way the new boy could be dangerous or a criminal -- not when he was the same size as us and had just run away from bullies and a real war."
Through the character of Ahmet, the author shows the humanity of refugees. As Alexa and her classmates get to know Ahmet better, they see he is a kid just like them, one who likes to play football and who has a favourite food. The author also invites her readers to consider what it might be like to lose everything, your home, clothing, a favourite pet and a beloved sibling while fleeing from people trying to kill you. Rauf also points out, through Alexa's family history, that many of us were once refugees or newcomers to countries like Canada, the United Kingdom and America.
The Boy At The Back Of The Class is a thoughtful treatment of the refugee situation, encouraging young readers to think about what it might be like for someone like themselves to lose everything and have to flee their home. This novel is a good starting point for younger readers to learn about Syria, Middle Eastern culture and the conditions that brought about the refugee crisis. Readers don't know the identity of the narrator until the very end of the novel, although there are hints that it is a girl, but her name is never mentioned.
Since the author is British, young readers may also encounter an entire vocabulary they are not familiar with, for example, jumper for sweater, rubber for eraser and "takes the register" is a phrase for taking attendance. There are a few quirks in the novel, for example Alexa and her mother do not own a home computer and use an atlas to look up the location of Syria, and pomegranates are a fruit that can be found in any large grocery store in Canada but apparently not so in London.
Book Details:
The Boy At The Back Of The Class by Onjali Q. Rauf
London, England: Orion Children's Books 2018
297 pp.
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