2020 NEWBERY MEDAL WINNER : New Kid by Jerry Craft
ABOUT THE BOOK
A graphic novel about starting over at a new school where diversity is low and the struggle to fit in is real.
Seventh grader Jordan Banks loves nothing more than drawing cartoons about his life. But instead of sending him to the art school of his dreams, his parents enroll him in a prestigious private school known for its academics, where Jordan is one of the few kids of color in his entire grade.
As he makes the daily trip from his Washington Heights apartment to the upscale Riverdale Academy Day School, Jordan soon finds himself torn between two worlds—and not really fitting into either one. Can Jordan learn to navigate his new school culture while keeping his neighborhood friends and staying true to himself?
REVIEW
Jerry Craft has created a masterpiece of a story with his book, New Kid. I'd been meaning to read the book since it came out, but I didn't get around to it until I heard that it won the Newbery Medal. 2020 being the first time a graphic novel won the Newbery, I was eager to see what made the book that good. I can now say that the book deserves in every way the awards it's been given. It's an interesting idea, a graphic novel being given an award for the writing. With most graphic novels, the focus is on the images. And the images in New Kid are superb, there's no denying that fact. But the story line, propelled along through the dialog is very strong as well.
Jordan Banks makes for a great main character. Jordan reluctantly begins his seventh grade year at the prestigious private school, Riverdale Academy. He would prefer to be going to an art school. Life at Riverdale is awkward at best. He's one of only a few students of color which leads to a number of awkward encounters with students and teachers. Racial microaggressions (occasions when people say or do things that are racially biased or insensitive) are only one of the challenges Jordan faces. He struggles with the academics in addition to learning his way around, and trying to balance his growing friendships. Even his old friendships aren't the same as before and require renegotiating.
I was thoroughly engrossed reading about the ups and downs of Jordan's life. Craft really does a great job of showing and not telling us about Jordan's frustrations and enjoyments through the comics that Jordan himself produces. This is the kind of book that children's literature needs more of, the kind of book that many young people will be able to relate to, regardless of gender or race. And for me, as a white female, it's a reminder that I need to pay attention to thoughts and feelings of the students I work with, especially when my own experiences don't allow me to relate fully to how they feel. An excellent book, one that I definitely find worthy of the Newbery Medal.
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