Title: New Kid
Author: Jerry Craft
Publisher: HarperCollins
Publication Date: February 5th, 2019
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Summary
All Jordan Banks wants to do is draw cartoons. But his parents have a different plan for his life. Instead of going to art school, like he wants, his parents enroll him in a prestigious private school for seventh grade: the Riverdale Academy Day School. On his first day, he notices one thing: he’s one of the few kids of color that go to school there. It’s there he gets to try lots of things he wouldn’t have before, but he’s not sure if he really fits in.
Not only does Jordan have to juggle all his new home and being the new kid, he has to figure out how to balance his life in private school with his life at home. And he has to figure out a way to show to his parents that he wants to pursue art instead of their plan for him. Will he have the courage to make his voice heard?
Review: New Kid
We received an ARC of this at work, so I picked it up! And I’m so happy I did. I want to try to expand my middle grade repertoire this year, and this book seemed like the perfect opportunity to do it. Not only is the story incredibly engaging, but it also looks at how racism works its way into every day life.
The artwork here is also stunning, matching the incredible story that goes along with it. Through Jordan, Craft examines what privilege means and the way that racial bias can affect people and families of color in what might considered “safe spaces.” I particularly liked the interactions with the coach, who was always doing his best to “not be racist” even though he was making references that were. The interactions throughout the book felt real, and it works both as a window for those that haven’t had these experiences and a mirror for those that have (an idea taken from Rudine Sims Bishop).
Between the beautiful art and the important messages, this is a book you should definitely include in your 2019 reads!
5/5 stars