New Kid facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Author	Jerry Craft
Country	United States
Language	English
Publisher	HarperCollins
Publication date	February 5, 2019
Pages	256
Awards	Newbery Medal Coretta Scott King Award Kirkus Prize for Young Readers' Literature
ISBN	978-0-06-269120-0
Followed by	Class Act

New Kid is a popular graphic novel written by Jerry Craft. It came out in 2019. The story follows Jordan Banks, a 12-year-old African American boy. He experiences a big change when he starts at a fancy private school.

During his first year, Jordan has to get used to many new things. He also sees and experiences small, everyday slights called microaggressions. But he also makes new friends along the way. Jerry Craft based the book on his own experiences and those of his two sons. He wanted the book to show what it's like to be an African American kid today.

The book was a big hit with critics and sold very well. It won several major awards in 2020, including the Newbery Medal and the Coretta Scott King Award. It also won the 2019 Kirkus Prize for Young Readers' Literature. New Kid was the first graphic novel ever to win the Newbery Medal. The book's unique illustrations mix humor and serious moments perfectly. Its success was a big step forward for graphic novels in general. Two sequels have been released: Class Act in 2020 and School Trip in 2023.

Jordan's New School

Jordan Banks is a 12-year-old black boy who lives in Washington Heights. He loves art and drawing cartoons about his life. His biggest dream is to go to art school. However, his mom wants him to go to Riverdale Academy Day (RAD) School. She calls it "one of the best schools in the state." But RAD is not very diverse; it has only a few black students.

On his first day at Riverdale, Jordan feels overwhelmed. Liam Landers, a fellow student, is assigned to help him. Liam's family has gone to RAD for many generations. Jordan and Liam quickly become friends. Jordan also meets other students. These include Drew Ellis, another one of the few African American students. There's also Andy Peterson, a jock who isn't liked by many. And Alexandra, who always wears a sock puppet on her hand.

Adjusting to Life at RAD

Jordan faces some challenges as he tries to fit in at RAD. He sits at the wrong lunch table. He also doesn't know how to act when a friend from his neighborhood sees him with Liam. More problems come up when his advisor talks about students who get financial help. The advisor also calls Drew by the wrong name, DeAndre. Jordan soon learns that this kind of misnaming happens to other black students and teachers at the school.

Things slowly start to get better for Jordan. He has to pick a team sport. He chooses soccer, even though he struggles with the rules and the cold. He even scores an accidental goal in his first game. He also starts having honest talks with Drew. They discuss what it's like to be one of the few African Americans at RAD. Their friendship grows stronger.

Jordan's friendship with Liam also deepens. He visits Liam's house, and they play video games. For Christmas, Liam gives Jordan a pair of pink shorts. These shorts are a popular item that everyone at RAD wears. After talking with his grandfather, Jordan successfully gets his school friends and neighborhood friends to play video games together. However, when Jordan corrects his neighborhood friends' grammar, they give him the nickname "Private School."

Growing and Learning

Jordan's school life continues to have ups and downs. At first, he doesn't like his art teacher. She teaches modern art, which he doesn't understand. But later, he learns that modern art isn't so bad. He also finds out his teacher can paint regular art too.

One day, while waiting to be picked up, Jordan learns Alexandra's secret. She wears a sock puppet because she doesn't want anyone to see the burns on her hand. She got these burns trying to stop her younger brother from being scalded by boiling water. The burns aren't that bad. Jordan cleverly helps spread the word about Alexandra's hand. This helps her become more accepted by her classmates.

There's ongoing tension between Drew and Andy. It started when Drew beat Andy for a spot on the football team. Andy dares Drew to join the baseball team. Drew does, but he ends up sitting on the bench all season because he doesn't know how to play baseball. Later, Drew and Andy get into an argument in the cafeteria. Andy slips on an apple and falls. Drew is wrongly accused of pushing him. But Jordan and several other classmates speak up for Drew. This stops him from being suspended for two weeks.

The School Year Ends

As the school year nears its end, Jordan's modern art drawing is chosen for the yearbook cover. Drew, Liam, and Jordan have become really good friends. On the last day of school, Jordan even wears the pink shorts Liam gave him for Christmas.

Alexandra tells Jordan she was going to be mad at him for revealing her burn. But then she realizes he did it to help her. Drew is still unsure if he will return to RAD. He almost got suspended, even though he made the honor roll every semester. The book ends with Jordan spending time with his neighborhood friends as summer begins.

Behind the Book

Why Jerry Craft Wrote New Kid

Author Jerry Craft wanted to put as much as he could into New Kid. He wasn't sure if he'd get another chance to write a similar book. He said it was like "overpacking a suitcase" because he tried to include so much for different readers. He was thankful for the support from his publisher, HarperCollins.

Riverdale Academy Day School is loosely based on Ethical Culture Fieldston School. This is where Craft went to high school. Craft also found inspiration in shows like Schoolhouse Rock! and Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids. He hoped that both kids and adults would enjoy the book. His main goal was to create a character like Jordan who everyone could relate to. But he especially wanted to show a true and modern African American experience.

Craft believes his past work as a cartoonist helped him make the book funny. He felt it was important for the book to be humorous. He said, "I think that as a people we have gotten so complacent in misery that we almost expect it" when stories show African Americans. He felt his cartoon work also taught him how to talk about serious topics in a way that is easy to understand.

Jordan's Character and Real-Life Inspirations

The character of Jordan has traits from both Jerry Craft and his two sons. Craft also used his sons' experiences in private schools. He made big changes to the book after showing it to his college-aged children. His sons' experiences were key in helping Craft set the story in modern times, not in the past. Craft even talked with some teachers he had made fun of in the book. They told him they learned something after reading it.

The book and its audiobook version were released on February 5, 2019.

Important Messages in New Kid

Exploring Identity and Friendships

The book looks at important ideas like who you are, friendships between different races, and the impact of microaggressions. Jordan gets along better with Liam than with Maury. Craft wanted to show that friendships don't have to be based only on race. Elizabeth Bird, a writer for School Library Journal, said that Craft "gathers together every possible microaggression in his arsenal." She explained how well-meaning adults and mean kids can make school uncomfortable for minority students.

A Story of Growing Up

New Kid is also a classic coming-of-age story about growing up and school life. Author Katie Egan, also writing for School Library Journal, said that Craft "has taken the daily dramas of middle school life... to an arresting and devastatingly accurate new level." These dramas include cafeteria rules, social worries, and hallway chatter.

In the New York Times, author Victoria Jamieson pointed out that Jordan has to find his own way. He balances his neighborhood life with his school life. His parents show him different paths: his mom works in the business world, while his dad runs a community center. Jamieson also mentioned the good advice Jordan's grandfather gives him. The story mainly focuses on Jordan's struggle to fit in at a new school with very little diversity.

How the Book Was Made

The Power of Graphic Novels

The graphic novel format adds extra meaning for readers. It helps them understand what characters are thinking and feeling. For example, when Jordan first enters the cafeteria, he is shown as tiny, like an ant. This shows how overwhelmed he feels. The book uses different art styles. Jordan's sketchbook drawings are black and white. Other parts are full-color with fun details like emojis. Each new chapter starts with a funny two-page drawing. These funny parts help balance the serious parts of the story.

What Critics Thought

Critics felt that some parts of the book worked better than others. Elizabeth Bird noted that the book felt like a series of short events. She thought some parts of the story seemed unfinished or not very realistic. Gretchen Hardin, in School Library Journal, praised the black and white drawings. She said they showed Jordan's feelings very well. However, she also suggested that "the art loses a bit of detail during crowd scenes."