‘The Boy at the Back of the Class’

This book offers young readers an introduction, through fiction, to the serious and heartbreaking reality of refugees who have to flee their homeland, who must brave untold hardships and separation from loved ones in hopes of finding a new home. The story’s protagonist, an unnamed first-person narrator, befriends Ahmet, a child newly arrived at school who is a Syrian refugee. The protagonist later organizes an effort to enlist help from the Queen to locate Ahmet’s missing family. The author, Onjali Q. Rauf, provides further information about the status of “refugees” and an age-appropriate explanation of how they differ from “migrants” or “immigrants” (who generally move to a new country by choice). Rauf also provides a list of organizations for readers who would like to help.

(I found this ARC among books that were donated by a library vendor.)