The Boy at the Back of the Class
![Illustration of a boy wearing a red backpack. Illustration of a boy wearing a red backpack.](https://www.colorincolorado.org/sites/default/files/styles/book_thumbnail/public/books/81XAxNZXfOL_backofclass.jpg?itok=T4CiHc3b)
There used to be an empty chair at the back of Mrs. Khan's classroom, but on the third Tuesday of the school year a new kid fills it: nine-year-old Ahmet, a Syrian refugee.
The whole class is curious about this new boy--he doesn't seem to smile, and he doesn't talk much. But after learning that Ahmet fled a Very Real War and was separated from his family along the way, a determined group of his classmates bands together to concoct the Greatest Idea in the World--a magnificent plan to reunite Ahmet with his loved ones.
This accessible, kid-friendly story about the refugee crisis highlights the community-changing potential of standing as an ally and reminds readers that everyone deserves a place to call home.
Age Level: Middle Grade
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers