REALISTIC FICTION - New Kid

 

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Craft, Jerry. 2019. New Kid. New York: Harper, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers. ISBN 978006269120

Craft, Jerry. 2019. New Kid. (J. Del-Orden, N. Bullock, R. Miles, G. Lockard, P. Lusk, R. Soler, D. Bittner, P. Stroke, and M. Thompson, Narrators) [Unabridged Audiobook]. Audible https://www.audible.com/pd/New-Kid-Audiobook/0062885324?action_code=ASSGB149080119000H&share_location=pdp&shareTest=TestShare 

PLOT SUMMARY

In this amazing realistic fiction story, told in graphic novel form, Jordan Banks is an African-American seventh grader about to start a new school. His parents have moved him to a wealthy private school in hopes to offer him better opportunities academically than his public school could. Almost immediately, he feels like has to change to fit in just leaving the house. He learns that even though some individuals are not outright stereotyping, they have ways of showing that they each in fact do stereotype one another, especially those of color. Some kids are rude, but most are just ignorant or thoughtless in their actions. The only other African-American in the story is nicknamed “Oreo” by a bully as they are saying “he’s black on the outside but white on the inside.” The story highlights Jordan’s realization that not only do the stereotyping incidents come from other students but also the teachers. He is able to realize the issues at hand and takes a stand on the major ones. In the end, Jordan ends up bringing the classmates together and closer. Helping them realizes that no matter their skin color, they really are the same.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Jerry Craft does an amazing job grabbing the reader's attention with this realistic fiction book through the use of his illustrations. His plotline doesn’t necessarily cover one specific “big” conflict, but a lot of miniature conflicts that add up. However, Craft is wonderful at capturing what it really does feel like to be a new kid in a new school, but even more so a teenager that is African-American and issues that are associated with it from society.

This story puts a focus on racial prejudice in a way that middle schoolers can understand it, as well as the friendships that blossom through the book. One example that stands out is when the teacher calls the only two African American students by each other’s names without thinking or paying attention to who she is actually talking to. Craft does a great job at showing the budding friendship between Jordan and Liam, even though they come from different backgrounds. This theme really pushes the “don’t judge a book by its cover.”

I cannot say enough about the audiobook from Audible in this graphic novel. I was drawn in immediately with the opening music and stayed hooked for the entire hour and fifty-eight minutes. There are a total of nine narrators in this story, with some narrators playing multiple roles in the story. In the book when there were illustrations like an echo across the page, the sound of an echo was added to the sound on Audible. When he was portrayed as “small” in the drawings of his first day at school, the audio went lower and softer, leaving the reader on the edge about what would happen next. There was music for dramatic effect throughout the story following along with the illustrations in the actual book. 

REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

Booklist: “Don’t let the title fool you. Seventh-grader Jordan Banks may be the new kid at his upper-crust private school, but this remarkably honest and accessible story is not just about being new; it's unabashedly about race. Craft’s easy-going art and ingenious use of visual metaphor loosen things up considerably, and excerpts from Jordan’s sketchbook provide several funny, poignant, and insightful asides. Speaking up about the unrepresented experience of so many students makes this a necessary book, particularly for this age group. Possibly one of the most important graphic novels of the year.”

Kirkus: “Jordan Banks takes readers down the rabbit hole and into his mostly white prep school in this heartbreakingly accurate middle-grade tale of race, class, microaggressions, and the quest for self-identity. Craft skillfully employs the graphic-novel format to its full advantage, giving his readers a delightful and authentic cast of characters who, along with New York itself, pop off the page with vibrancy and nuance. Shrinking Jordan to ant-sized proportions upon his entering the school cafeteria, for instance, transforms the lunchroom into a grotesque Wonderland in which his lack of social standing becomes visually arresting and viscerally uncomfortable. An engrossing, humorous, and vitally important graphic novel that should be required reading in every middle school in America.”

Publishers Weekly: “Artwork by Craft interweaves the story with Jordan's sketchbook drawings, which convey the tension of existing in two markedly different places. The sketches show him being called "angry" for his observations, feeling minuscule in a cafeteria, and traveling by public transportation across different socioeconomic and racially segregated neighborhoods, changing his outfit and demeanor to fit in. 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.”

School Library Journal: “This book opens doors for additional discussion. Craft's illustrations are at their best during the vibrant full-page spreads. The art loses a bit of detail during crowd scenes, but the characters' emotions are always well conveyed. Jordan's black-and-white notebook drawings are the highlight of this work, combining effective social commentary with the protagonist's humorous voice. VERDICT Highly recommended for all middle-grade shelves.”

CONNECTIONS

• A good diverse book to share with students in the classroom would be a great resource to use in an ELAR classroom to discuss themes.
  
  

• Other realistic fiction books told in graphic novel form:

• Telgemeier, R. GUTS. ISBN: 9780545852500

• Bell, C. EL DEAFO. ISBN: 9781419710209

• Jamieson, V. WHEN STARS ARE SCATTERED. ISBN: 9780593162576
  
  

• Other books are written by Jerry Craft:

• Craft, J. CLASS ACT (Sequel to New Kid). ISBN: 9780062885517

• Craft, J. MAMA’S BOYZ: IN LIVING COLOR!. ISBN: 9780979613289