The Boy at the Back of the Class
Onjali Q. Raúf
A new boy, Ahmet, arrives and sits in the empty chair at the back of the class. He never speaks or smiles, and his classmates set out to find out who he is. They discover he is a refugee who has fled a war.
- Length
- About 53,000 words
- To read it
- About 36 days
- Stage
- Key Stage 2
Reading time at 1,500 words a day, the pace we start from until we know your child’s own.
Where it is taught
Why The Boy at the Back of the Class is on the list
- Year 4, Stretch. A step up in length or difficulty, for a confident reader.
Reading it here
What your child does with it
- 1
Choose it and set a finish date
You get a suggested target from the length of the book and your child's reading pace.
- 2
Check in along the way
A longer book has short check-ins every week or two, so it keeps moving and nothing is forgotten.
- 3
Answer two questions
When they finish: a review of the book, and a deeper question about how it works.
- 4
Get it marked, and redraft
Every answer is marked against the rubric for their year, with a reason for every score.