Compare and contrast Alexa’s and Ahmet’s characters. How are they characterized? How are they different or similar to one another?

Alexa is a naturally curious person. Explore how Alexa’s curious mind functions as a narrative device. How does the novel use Alexa’s journey of discovery to teach the reader new information about global politics and/or the refugee experience?

Alexa faces life challenges at home and at school. Which experiences are the most transformative, and why? How does Alexa develop during the course of her character arc?

Examine Brendan the Bully’s characterization and his actions in the novel. What is his role and wider significance in the text?

The Boy at the Back of the Class deals with the Syrian Refugee Crisis. Research the refugee crisis and the Syrian Civil War. In what ways does the novel accurately reflect the conflict and the refugee experience? In what ways does the novel fictionalize certain elements for the sake of the narrative?

Analyze the narrative and thematic effect of Alexa’s first-person point of view narration. How does this narrative point of view shape the story? What is the significance and impact of having Alexa tell the story instead of Ahmet?

Explore how Alexa’s love for her friends fuels the novel’s explorations of friendship and community. How does the novel examine the importance of both interpersonal and wider communal ties?

How does the novel explore different types of loss, grief, and/or loneliness? How does Raúf make these difficult topics more accessible for her middle-grade audience?