A book that everyone should read!

"The Other Boy" by Hamed Amiri tells the true story of a much younger Hamed and his family's long, perilous journey to the UK after fleeing Afghanistan.

It is a powerful read, and while appropriately written for younger readers, it really is a book that should be read by everyone.

I loved how the author doesn't just detail his journey, but also reflects on his feelings and actions as he initially struggles to settle in and feel accepted in the UK and as he learns to grow from his experiences and take responsibility for his future with the help of his brother Hussein.

While Hamed and his family went through a horrific ordeal, it is nonetheless, a story about choosing to have hope, about accepting help, about perseverance, and about family.

One night, Hamed and his family are forced to flee their home in Herat, Afghanistan. Hamed's brother, Hussein, urgently needs heart surgery and their decision to leave is made for them after the Taliban finds out about a speech Hamed's mother gave about the poor treatment of women and girls and their lack of education opportunities. The mullah - a local Taliban leader known as the Executioner - orders Hamed's mother to be killed and so the family starts to make plans. The family begins their escape in the boot of a car, their lives in the hands of traffickers, with no real idea of where they will end up.

This is an amazing story and one that I will definitely be sharing with the Upper KS2 children I work with. I was especially interested in how the book doesn't stop when the family reaches safety, but instead continues, telling us how difficult it was to settle and be accepted in the UK. I also really liked how Hamed takes responsibility for his future, despite the horrors he and his family have experienced. He makes a conscious choice to change his approach to living and I think this would be a really powerful message for children struggling with their education. Hamed and his family have every reason to feel bitter and angry about the awful hand they've been given but instead choose to put their experiences to a positive use, both for themselves and for others.

"You have to love life, even if life don't love you"

"Now, whenever anything happens that I find hard, I take that as a challenge"

The Other Boy by Hamed Amiri could be conceived as a difficult or challenging read for 10 -13 year olds in relation to the content but never has a book been so vital for younger people at this moment in time.

With a disturbing rise of extremism and far- right opinions filtering into social media and the world of children, Hamed Amiri 's incredibly moving and powerful story for younger readers as to how he and his family's escaped from the Taliban in 2000 and moved across Europe into England should be a compulsory read to inform and educate so many about lives unseen and to build a world of greater understanding and tolerance to each other. Never has a book been so vital at this moment.

This is a powerful read and Hamed's story will move adults and children alike- very few will have to suffer the hardship and abuse that he and his family went through to finally find a new life and new paths. The cruelty of people - especially traffickers - is terrible but through the adversity a light shines and perseverance and resilience abounds.

This is also the story and a tribute to Hamed's older brother Hussein who died of heart disease and battled bravely and inspiringly through the family's escape and integration into a new world- a beacon of hope and positivity. I did not know that Hamed written a book and a successful play about his brother - The Boy With Two Hearts. and will certainly read them.

I cannot recommend this book enough as a class read for upper key stage 2 and lower key stage 3- a book that need to be shared and talked about and one I'll be sharing with colleagues in schools in the hope that it will further the path of acceptance and kindness between humankind

Thank you Hamed for sharing your story.

Highly recommended

Thank you to Wren and Rook Publishers and NetGalley for the advance copy