
Age rating and parents' guide:The Boy at the Back of the Class
by Onjali Q. Rauf
Ages 9–14
The Boy at the Back of the Class by Onjali Q. Rauf is best for children aged 9–14. It has mild violence, a few mildly scary moments, no romance and no bad language. Worth knowing: Refugee backstory.
A refugee boy joins Alexa’s class, and classmates work together to reunite him with his missing family.
Content ratings
How much of each a parent can expect, from none to strong.
- Violence
- Mild
- Scary moments
- Mild
- Romance
- None
- Bad language
- None
Worth knowing: Refugee backstory
Content checked by Dhiraj Bodade, co-founder of Bookstaken, on .
At a glance
- Early chapter book
- Easy to get into from the first page
- Plenty of illustrations
- Emotionally light
- A good pick for reluctant readers
Great for kids who like
- Realistic Fiction (School & Friendships)
- School life
- Friendship
Reading mood
- Thoughtful
Good to talk about
- Friendship
- Family
Books like The Boy at the Back of the Class
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A good book is the start. A mentor makes it stick.
In a free 1:1 session, a trained Bookstaken mentor reads with your child, asks what they think and helps the reading habit last.


