There used to be an empty chair at the back of my class…’ – so begins Onjali Q Raúf’s Blue Peter Book Award-winning debut novel The Boy at the Back of the Class. Onjali portrays the refugee crisis through the eyes of a child in a way that is accessible, warm and funny. Told with heart, humour and hope, this is a story about friendship and how naturally children celebrate, rather than fear, all our differences. The Boy at the Black of the Class is winner of the 2019 Waterstones Children’s Book Prize.