I had already written this post before Monday’s wonderful news that for the first time in history a graphic novel, NEW KID, had won this year’s Newbery Medal. Congratulations, Jerry Kraft. And Jerry created this year’s Multicultural Children’s Book Day poster.

Thrilled to be participating in this fabulous initiative for the fourth year. Bringing diversity to children’s Literature is a priority. Please enjoy my book review below and the link to hundreds of other reviews across the blogosphere.

Title: Middle School is hard enough without being the…NEW KID
Author & Illustrator: Jerry Kraft
Publisher: Harper Collins, 2019
Format: Graphic Novel
Ages: 9-13
Themes: middle school, new kid, cartoons, kids of color, fitting in, privilege, racism, micro-agressions, bias, African-american, diversity,
Awards: Newbery Medal 2020
*this book was gifted by the Publisher for this event
Opening:

Synopsis:
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? (Publisher)
Why I like this book:
An outstanding middle grade graphic novel about not only being the new kid in a new school, but about the ways privilege, bias, and racism play out. Jordan attends a wealthy school on financial aid and is one of the few kids of color there; he experiences incredible micro and macro agressions, and as a light skinned black boy, he sees racism play out in a variety of horrifying ways. There’s also a lot of spot-on commentary here about financial privilege, on gifting, and on judgement of those who are in the haves and those who are in the have nots.
I found Jordan to be a really cool kid, with good parents. I loved the differing perspectives of his mom and dad, and how even thought, at first, you are inclined to stand with the dad against the mom, at the end you realize that his mom had the hindsight that the rest of us were missing.
The art and humor in this novel are ace. Craft includes a ton of pop culture in this book, which will appeal to this age group. Each chapter references a movie in some capacity and puts Jordan into it (The Hunger Games, West Side Story, Fight Club, etc). Interspersed throughout the narrative are panels from Jordan’s own art, which depict more of his internal conflict.
While in some ways this is a slice of life novel rather than very plot driven, one key moment of tension in the story is when Jordan is forced to sit with “the weird puppet girl” and finally learns why it is she’s always wearing a weird puppet and doing weird things. He has a reckoning about his own biases, and he uses this as an opportunity to validate this girl’s experiences. He also learns to stand up and be a leader, calling out injustices where he sees them, even when it makes him sick to do so.
A great story full of funny, sharp social commentary. This is a must have in all upper elementary and middle school libraries and classrooms. This book is packed with bias and micro-agressions that are important for kids to read about and understand.
Multicultural Children’s Book Day 2020 (1/31/20) is in its 7th year! This non-profit children’s literacy initiative was founded by Valarie Budayr and Mia Wenjen; two diverse book-loving moms who saw a need to shine the spotlight on all of the multicultural books and authors on the market while also working to get those book into the hands of young readers and educators.
Seven years in, MCBD’s mission is to raise awareness of the ongoing need to include kids’ books that celebrate diversity in homes and school bookshelves continues.
MCBD 2020 is honored to have the following Medallion Sponsors on board
Super Platinum
Make A Way Media/ Deirdre “DeeDee” Cummings,
Platinum
Language Lizard, Pack-N-Go Girls,
Gold
Audrey Press, Lerner Publishing Group, KidLit TV, ABDO BOOKS : A Family of Educational Publishers, PragmaticMom & Sumo Jo, Candlewick Press,
Silver
Author Charlotte Riggle, Capstone Publishing, Guba Publishing, Melissa Munro Boyd & B is for Breathe,
Bronze
Author Carole P. Roman, Snowflake Stories/Jill Barletti, Vivian Kirkfield & Making Their Voices Heard. Barnes Brothers Books, TimTimTom, Wisdom Tales Press, Lee & Low Books, Charlesbridge Publishing, Barefoot Books Talegari Tales
Author Sponsor Link Cloud
Jerry Craft, A.R. Bey and Adventures in Boogieland, Eugina Chu & Brandon goes to Beijing, Kenneth Braswell & Fathers Incorporated, Maritza M. Mejia & Luz del mes_Mejia, Kathleen Burkinshaw & The Last Cherry Blossom, SISSY GOES TINY by Rebecca Flansburg and B.A. Norrgard, Josh Funk and HOW TO CODE A ROLLERCOASTER,Maya/Neel Adventures with Culture Groove, Lauren Ranalli, The Little Green Monster: Cancer Magic! By Dr. Sharon Chappell, Phe Lang and Me On The Page, Afsaneh Moradian and Jamie is Jamie, Valerie Williams-Sanchez and Valorena Publishing, TUMBLE CREEK PRESS, Nancy Tupper Ling, Author Gwen Jackson, Angeliki Pedersen & The Secrets Hidden Beneath the Palm Tree, Author Kimberly Gordon Biddle, BEST #OWNVOICES CHILDREN’S BOOKS: My Favorite Diversity Books for Kids Ages 1-12 by Mia Wenjen, Susan Schaefer Bernardo & Illustrator Courtenay Fletcher (Founders of Inner Flower Child Books), Ann Morris & Do It Again!/¡Otra Vez!, Janet Balletta and Mermaids on a Mission to Save the Ocean, Evelyn Sanchez-Toledo & Bruna Bailando por el Mundo\ Dancing Around the World, Shoumi Sen & From The Toddler Diaries, Sarah Jamila Stevenson, Tonya Duncan and the Sophie Washington Book Series, Teresa Robeson & The Queen of Physics, Nadishka Aloysius and Roo The Little Red TukTuk, Girlfriends Book Club Baltimore & Stories by the Girlfriends Book Club, Finding My Way Books, Diana Huang & Intrepids, Five Enchanted Mermaids, Elizabeth Godley and Ribbon’s Traveling Castle, Anna Olswanger and Greenhorn, Danielle Wallace & My Big Brother Troy, Jocelyn Francisco and Little Yellow Jeepney, Mariana Llanos & Kutu, the Tiny Inca Princess/La Ñusta Diminuta, Sara Arnold & The Big Buna Bash, Roddie Simmons & Race 2 Rio, DuEwa Frazier & Alice’s Musical Debut, Veronica Appleton & the Journey to Appleville book series Green Kids Club, Inc.
We’d like to also give a shout-out to MCBD’s impressive CoHost Team who not only hosts the book review link-up on celebration day, but who also works tirelessly to spread the word of this event. View our CoHosts HERE.
Co-Hosts and Global Co-Hosts
A Crafty Arab, Afsaneh Moradian, Agatha Rodi Books, All Done Monkey, Barefoot Mommy, Bethany Edward & Biracial Bookworms, Michelle Goetzl & Books My Kids Read, Crafty Moms Share, Colours of Us, Discovering the World Through My Son’s Eyes, Educators Spin on it, Shauna Hibbitts-creator of eNannylink, Growing Book by Book, Here Wee Read, Joel Leonidas & Descendant of Poseidon Reads {Philippines}, Imagination Soup, Kid World Citizen, Kristi’s Book Nook, The Logonauts, Mama Smiles, Miss Panda Chinese, Multicultural Kid Blogs, Serge Smagarinsky {Australia}, Shoumi Sen, Jennifer Brunk & Spanish Playground, Katie Meadows and Youth Lit Reviews
FREE RESOURCES from Multicultural Children’s Book Day
- Free Multicultural Books for Teachers
- Our New FREE Teacher Classroom Physical and Developmental Challenges Kit http://ow.ly/kcbZ30p3QWz
- Free Empathy Classroom Kit for Homeschoolers, Organizations, Librarians, and Educators
- Free Understanding Developmental & Physical Challenges Classroom Kit
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This looks fabulous.
It truly deservedly won the Newbery!
I am sooo looking forward to reading this book!
I bet there are a ton of holds on it at the library.
Have heard so much about this book. I am delighted to see that it has received the Newbery medal! I need to get a copy! Enjoyed your enthusiastic review.
So glad that you were chosen to review this important book. I read very little middle grade, and almost no graphic novels, but after reading your review, I think this is one for which I’ll make an exception.