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New Kid

 

(Picture from Goodreads.com)

1.       Bibliography

Craft, Jerry. 2019. NEW KID. New York, NY: Harper Collins Publishers. ISBN 978-0-06-269120-0

2.       Plot Summary

Imagine being in middle school with emotions and change running high. Now imagine starting at a new school; one you didn’t even want to go to. 7th grade Jordan Banks is experiencing just that. Starting at a predominantly white school, Jordan has to navigate the new school culture and trying to make friends while keeping his old friends and staying true to himself. He expresses himself through his art, allowing the reader a glimpse into what he sees daily.

3.       Critical Analysis

Craft immerses us in the world of Jordan Banks by creating his book in realistic graphic novel form. Readers’ see into Jordan’s home, school, neighborhood and even the visuals inside his mind. Jordan dreams of being like Batman, or even just hitting a growth spurt. Intimate scenes of making new friends, encountering school bullies, and fears of being judged for talking to an eccentric girl who might like him are prevalent. Along with the day-to-day are the deeper themes of being a minority kid at a mostly white school, prejudice from peers and teachers, and judgement from former friends.

 

The main character is a gifted artist, and his drawings blend into the narrative as way for him to cope with the world around him. The images pop off the page and are easy to follow with the text. The chapter titles are a fun play on popular books/movies and allow you to know what the chapter will be about. There are pages of black and white sketches throughout the story giving a range of artistic ability.



4.       Awards/ Reviews

*Winner of the Newbery Medal 2020
*Coretta Scott King Author Award 2020
*Kirkus Prize for Young Readers’ Literature! 

★“Possibly one of the most important graphic novels of the year.” — Booklist (starred review)

★“An engrossing, humorous, and vitally important graphic novel that should be required reading in every middle school in America.” — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

★“This is more than a story about being the new kid—it’s a complex examination of the micro- and macroaggressions that Jordan endures from classmates and teachers. Highly recommended for all middle grade shelves.” — School Library Journal (starred review)

★“This engaging story offers an authentic secondary cast and captures the high jinks of middle schoolers and the tensions that come with being a person of color in a traditionally white space.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review)

5.       Connections

*Middle school students who like graphic novels would like this book. It would be a good transition from picture chapter books to longer texts.

*There are themes of identity and the struggle to fit in that students will enjoy.

Other graphic novels for middle schoolers that deal with growing up/tough issues:

 

*Jamieson, Victoria. 2015. ROLLER GIRL. New York, NY. Dial Books. ISBN 978-0803740167

*Krosoczka, Jarrett. 2018. KEY, KIDDO. New York, NY: Graphix. ISBN 978-054502487

*Telgemeier, Raina. 2010. SMILE. New York, NY: Graphix. ISBN 978-0545132060

 

 

 

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