New Kid by Jerry Craft

How I Heard About It:   I remember walking through the exhibit halls of #NCTE18 in Houston and seeing a big display for this "upcoming" graphic novel.  I loved the cover.  Well, it took me almost a year to actually read it, but I sure am glad I did.  The story was awesome!  


What It Is About - FIVE Things You Need to Know:  
1.  *Meet Jordan Banks!  A fun loving, comic drawing, young man.

2.  *He would love to attend an art school to pursue his passion, but his parents decide to send him to a prestigious academic school.  




3.  *This doesn't sit well with Jordan for several reasons; one of them being he is one of the only students of color.  

4.  *As Jordan navigates the halls of school, he tries to balance his new school life, with his old life back in his neighborhood.  

5.  *The story is not only about Jordan being the "new kid", but also becoming a "new kid".  


What I Thought Of It - Five Observations/Reflections:
1.  *If you follow my blog, you know I'm not the biggest fan of graphic novels, but when I do read them, I absolutely love them.  This was the case with New Kid by Jerry Craft.

2.  *The illustrations were outstanding and I found myself pausing on a variety of pages to take the images all in.  

3.  *The chapter headings were named after television and movie titles and that was quite fun to experience.  

4.  *The journey that Jordan took was funny, heartfelt, and authentic.  I was completely engaged.  

5.  *Strewn throughout the pages, were samples of Jordan's own notebook with graphics and text.  The entire format of the novel was top-notch!  


Who Should Read It:
Jordan is a twelve year old boy, so any reader around that age would be perfect for the story.  I've had fourth graders read it and they loved it.  I actually think it crosses all ages.  I would even recommend it to adult readers.  Happy Reading!


Rating:   5 STARS out of 5 Stars