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The Boy
at the Back of the Class
Illustrated by Pippa Curnick


One boy who has survived a journey no-one should ever have to make.
One friend who will do whatever it takes to help him find his family.
Meet Ahmet, a refugee boy from Syria, as he enters a classroom in the UK for the very first time.
And a narrator who, along with their best friends Josie, Michael and Tom, goes to extraordinary lengths to prove that true friendship has no borders.
Inspired by a baby boy encountered in the refugee camps of northern France and the countless s/heroes delivering frontline aid to families forced to flee the unimaginable, The Boy at the Back of the Class is a story for anyone wanting to know the truth behind the man-made refugee 'crisis'.
WINNER of the Blue Peter Book Award (UK) 2019
WINNER of the Waterstones Children's Book Prize (UK) 2019
WINNER of the Sakura Medal (Japan) 2020
WINNER of the Children's Cowbell Award (Switzerland) 2021
WINNER of the Prix Janusz Korczak Prize (France) 2022
SILVER AWARD for the Nielsen Bestseller Awards, Children's Category 2024
At least 50% of all royalties from each book sale goes towards the works of O's Refugee Aid Team.
(So thank you to everyone buying a copy from a local store or borrowing the book from the library!)








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