New Kid

Written and Illustrated by Jerry Craft

Newbery Winner  

Jordan Banks transfers to a new school for seventh grade, and while this is normally a nerve wracking thing, its even more stressful for Jordan because he is only one of the few people of color at his school. Jordan tries to remain positive, but it's difficult when everyone including his teachers are staring at him, calling him the wrong name, and stereotyping him. Eventually Jordan makes some friends and finds a group of people that are able to appreciate him for who he truly is. By the end of the book, Jordan learns to speak up for himself against the bad and appreciate all of the good things that his new school has to offer. 

This graphic novel is the first one I have read and I really enjoyed it. It covered lots of heavy topics, like oppression, stereotypes, and bias against certain cultures but was able to discuss them in a way that brough attention without making it too heavy for children to read. This graphic novel is appropriate for middle school students. The vocabulary isn't complext but some of the subjects might not be understood by elementary sstudents. I would definitely have this in my classroom library depending on the grade I teach!