What grade level is The Boy at the Back of the Class?

The Boy at the Back of the Class is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades 3–6. It appears on 2 school reading lists across 2 states. Exact placement varies by school and district.

What curricula assign The Boy at the Back of the Class?

The Boy at the Back of the Class appears on reading lists for Battle of the Books (state reading programs), Rhode Island Children's Book Award. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.

Is The Boy at the Back of the Class banned in schools?

The Boy at the Back of the Class does not appear in PEN America's Index of School Book Bans 2022-2024. No documented multi-district removals on record, but individual districts may challenge titles locally.

What themes does The Boy at the Back of the Class explore?

Central themes in The Boy at the Back of the Class include empathy, friendship, immigration, courage.

The Boy at the Back of the Class

Name: The Boy at the Back of the Class
Availability: InStock
Author: Onjali Q. Raúf
ISBN: 9781984850782

by Onjali Q. Raúf

Listen free on Audiblestarts instantly Buy on Amazon

Audible trial: new members only. As an Amazon Associate, ReadingList earns from qualifying purchases and membership trials at no extra cost to you.

Assigned across 2 curriculum lists · 2 states

Grade placement varies by school — the median assigned book spans 4 grade levels (83% span three or more, across 13,258 source-cited assignments).

On reading-award lists:Rhode Island Children's Book Award Battle of the Books (state reading programs)

The Boy at the Back of the Class by Onjali Q. Raúf is assigned in US schools at grades 3–6. It appears across 2 curriculum references and 2 states, sourced from state DOE pages and AP/IB/Common Core syllabi. Every citation below links to the primary source.

This page shows where The Boy at the Back of the Class is assigned in US schools — curricula, states, grades, and the primary-source citations behind each placement. Not a summary or study guide.

Grade range: Grades 3–6
Age range: Ages 8–11
First published: 2018
Genre: Realistic Fiction
ISBN-13: 9781984850782

New to these terms? Reading levels by grade

More formats & details

Other formats on Amazon: Kindle · Audiobook

As an Amazon Associate, ReadingList earns from qualifying purchases and membership trials at no extra cost to you. Pricing, Prime, and trial terms shown on Amazon.

About this book

A new boy named Ahmet sits silently at the back of the class — a refugee separated from his family — so four classmates hatch a daring plan to help him. Onjali Q. Raúf's award-winning grades 3-6 novel tells a refugee story with humor and heart from a child's point of view.

Similar grade-level books

See all books like The Boy at the Back of the Class→ — matched on theme + reading level.

Why widely assigned

This Realistic Fiction title, typically at grades 3–6. Written in the 2010s; pairs with curriculum units on empathy and friendship; cited across 2 curriculum frameworks.

Themes

empathy · friendship · immigration · courage

Where this book is assigned

Was this page helpful?

Common questions

What grade level is The Boy at the Back of the Class?: The Boy at the Back of the Class is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades 3–6. It appears on 2 school reading lists across 2 states. Exact placement varies by school and district.
What curricula assign The Boy at the Back of the Class?: The Boy at the Back of the Class appears on reading lists for Battle of the Books (state reading programs), Rhode Island Children's Book Award. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
Is The Boy at the Back of the Class banned in schools?: The Boy at the Back of the Class does not appear in PEN America's Index of School Book Bans 2022-2024. No documented multi-district removals on record, but individual districts may challenge titles locally.
What themes does The Boy at the Back of the Class explore?: Central themes in The Boy at the Back of the Class include empathy, friendship, immigration, courage.

Why this book is on this list

How we classify

Each dimension below is sourced from a public reference. The full framework is documented on the classification standard page.

Lexile measure: Not classified — this book has no published Lexile measure.
Grade band: Grades 3–6 — drawn from state ELA frameworks and AP/IB syllabi citing this book.
Curriculum alignment: Cited in 2 curricula on this site (see “Where assigned” above for primary-source links).
State-level evidence: Cited in 2 states ELA frameworks or DOE list (see citations above).
Removal / banning records: No tracked removal or challenge records in cited sources.
Seasonal / contextual tags: Tagged for: book-club.