New Kid
by Jerry Craft
Published: 2019
New Kid tells the story of Jordan Banks, a twelve-year-old whose world is flipped upside down when he enrolls in private school. Written as a graphic novel, Jerry Craft is able to capture emotions, opinions, and bring the harsh reality of racial stereotyping into the light. Jordan dreams of bring a cartoonist, but in order to go to art school, he must promise his mom that he will attend Riverdale Academy Day School school. When Jordan begins school, it becomes clear that he is one of the few kids of color. Jordan makes some friends, but is immediately greeted with expectations, stereotypes, and preconceived notions about him solely based on his skin color. Within the book, Jordan wrestles with his identity. He tries to balance who he has always been, and who he is becoming based on the people he is surrounded by at school. This text has received many highly acclaimed awards such as the 2020 Newbury Medal as well as the Coretta Scott King Award.
About the Author:
Jerry Craft grew up in Washington Heights, NYC, just like Jordan Banks. Much of Jordan Banks' story, is actually the story of Jerry Craft. He commuted to a private school in Riverdale, where he was also the minority, and wanted to be an artist. His sons were also sent to a private school in a more affluent community. Craft calls these thirty years of research that went into the creation of this text. Jerry Craft wrote New Kid because it was the book that he wished he had had as a kid. He wrote this book for the kids who feel lost and underrepresented in books, as well as in schools. Inspired by how his kids viewed Diary of a Wimpy Kid, as well as how he was a reluctant reader, he aimed to create a graphic text with humor, that also made readers feel seen and validated. He wanted to push the visuals within the text to tell an equally as compelling message. Craft is one of only a handful of syndicated African American cartoonists in the US. Now, Craft is the author of the first graphic novel to be awarded the Newbury Medal.
Response:
New Kid has opened my eyes to the harsh truths of being a minority. Jerry Craft does a beautiful job shedding light on the harsh truths that people do not want to acknowledge. Through Jordan, readers are exposed to situations they may have witnessed, such as calling someone the wrong name solely because they shared physical features with someone else, or assumptions about athleticism or interests. The Article, What If I Offend Someone by Laura Darolia discusses the concept of a socially just classroom that consists of critical literacies. She writes about valuing different perspectives, while also exploring sociopolitical issues (Darolia, 2018). New Kid is a great text to add different perspectives, as well as address sociopolitical issues within the classroom. The contrast of Jordan's friendships with Liam, his caucasian guide to RAD, Drew, the fellow African American new student, and Kirk, Jordan's oldest friend in Washington Heights. Jordan recognizes how his actions and personality are altered and changed based on the friend he is engaging with. When his grandfather asks him about this, or why his friends do not all hang out together, Jordan is unable to put into words why. This text does an amazing job of getting readers to stop, think and reevaluate how they view life, and others without making the text too heavy. For example, when Jordan travels to school each day from Washington Heights, he takes the bus. From this experience alone, readers see first hand the pressures and expectations Jordan is facing. Jerry Craft described this switch as changing worlds completely, and that concept is perfectly portrayed through Jordan's consistent change of outfit based on the stops the bus takes. Situations such as these, go unnoticed constantly, but the Jordan's of the world suffer greatly because of them. Exposing older students to this text, such as middle school, will teach them about acceptance and the struggles that other students face in an approachable and engaging way.
New Kid has opened my eyes to the harsh truths of being a minority. Jerry Craft does a beautiful job shedding light on the harsh truths that people do not want to acknowledge. Through Jordan, readers are exposed to situations they may have witnessed, such as calling someone the wrong name solely because they shared physical features with someone else, or assumptions about athleticism or interests. The Article, What If I Offend Someone by Laura Darolia discusses the concept of a socially just classroom that consists of critical literacies. She writes about valuing different perspectives, while also exploring sociopolitical issues (Darolia, 2018). New Kid is a great text to add different perspectives, as well as address sociopolitical issues within the classroom. The contrast of Jordan's friendships with Liam, his caucasian guide to RAD, Drew, the fellow African American new student, and Kirk, Jordan's oldest friend in Washington Heights. Jordan recognizes how his actions and personality are altered and changed based on the friend he is engaging with. When his grandfather asks him about this, or why his friends do not all hang out together, Jordan is unable to put into words why. This text does an amazing job of getting readers to stop, think and reevaluate how they view life, and others without making the text too heavy. For example, when Jordan travels to school each day from Washington Heights, he takes the bus. From this experience alone, readers see first hand the pressures and expectations Jordan is facing. Jerry Craft described this switch as changing worlds completely, and that concept is perfectly portrayed through Jordan's consistent change of outfit based on the stops the bus takes. Situations such as these, go unnoticed constantly, but the Jordan's of the world suffer greatly because of them. Exposing older students to this text, such as middle school, will teach them about acceptance and the struggles that other students face in an approachable and engaging way.
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