New Kid by Jerry Craft
Genre/Category
New Kid is a realistic fictional graphic novel. The category I am reviewing for is Pre-K-6th grade Coretta Scott King Winner.
Target Age Group
New Kid is recommended for middle schoolers aged 8-12.
Summary
In New Kid, Jordan faces hardships of fitting in at an unfamiliar school, trying to make new friends, dealing with mean upperclassmen, and, most of all, facing microaggressions and discriminatory remarks and acts from his peers and teachers. Jordan is not only the new kid at Riverdale Academy Day School, but throughout this narrative, he learns that he has discovered a new version of himself as well.
Justification
This Coretta Scott King Award winner has been on my TBR (To Be Read) list for a while. You've probably seen it displayed in your local library somewhere! I've heard great reviews from friends and was excited to have had a chance to sit down with it. This title is beneficial for young people who have been discriminated against, stereotyped, or made to feel different in a new place. There is a lot to learn from how Jordan encountered these hardships and navigated standing up for himself and others.
Evaluation
This book has a lot to it. To cover a few key aspects, I have chosen to evaluate the illustrations, themes, and characterization.
Illustrations
Being a graphic novel, the illustrations in New Kid do more than supplement the narrative. They provide a side-by-side visual aid to represent how Jordan's experience make him feel. When entering the cafeteria for the first time, instead of saying he "felt small," he is made to be the size of a milk carton against the other normal-sized kids. When his parents are fighting, he is drawn as a baby with a pacifer in his mouth. When he doesn't connect with another student, the two are drawn on different planets. All of these emotions could be expressed in words, but by seeing them drawn out, the reader can relate to times when they have experienced similar moments and how different, isoloating, and confusing they can be. Illustrations also offer visual representations of how other characters are feeling as well. One of the only other Black students, Maury is bullied by his classmates and called "Maury-O." Jordan's guide, Liam, doesn't understand the reference because he cannot relate to Maury's experiences. Jordan understands immediately, however, and explains they are calling him "White on the inside. Black on the outside" (Craft, 2019, p. 26). This metaphor could be explained in words alone, but the visual metaphor of Maury's saddened face on his head as a cookie provides a harsher depiction for the reader.
Themes
New Kid demonstrates that discrimination is complex and comes in many different forms. Jordan and other Black students at RAD experience daily microaggressions, stereotyping, and overt racism. Being in a new environment, Jordan also has to adapt and learn about the new sports and routines of his peers. Throughout the narrative, Jordan finds comraderie with his guide Liam, a wealthy white student who Jordan learns is also fearful of being judged. He also befriends Drew, another new student who experiences discrimination from his teachers and peers. Maury, who has been attending RAD since kindergarten and comes from a wealthy family, is still discriminated against because of his skin color. At the school book fair, a teacher gives Maury a book entitled The Mean Streets of South Uptown which he then gives to Drew. Throughout the narrative, Jordan learns important lessons for young readers to learn, one being the importance of finding true friends and standing up for oneself and others in the face of bullying and mistreatment.
Characterization
New Kid contains well-developed and dynamic characters that grow and transition throughout the narrative. Not only do the readers see Jordan's development, but also Liam's, Drew's, and Alexandra's. Despite being the new kid who feels out of place, by the end of the narrative Jordan goes out of his way to make Alexandra, a girl who has been outcast since she wears a sock puppet on her hand, feel understood and makes sure she knows she has a friend. Drew and Jordan are able to bond over shared experiences of mistreatment at their school and find ways to cope with it. Liam is able to trust Jordan enough to open up about his home life. The character development that can be traced throughout the narrative is a testament to the careful consideration that Craft has put into this novel.
Reference
Craft, J. (2019). New Kid. HarperCollins.