Jerry Craft’s new graphic novel, NEW KID, is honest, crammed with real moments, and it is an excellent commentary on you and you and me and the biases and vulnerabilities we all share.The main character, Jordan Banks, is a Black 12-year-old NYC kid about to start 7th grade at a prestigious academically-oriented private school that has little racial or economic diversity. New Kid By Jerry Craft HarperCollins, 2019 Grades 4 and up. Summary: Jordan Banks’ true love is art, and he’d love to be starting seventh grade at an art school, but his parents have a different idea. The young African American protagonist, Jordan Banks, is transferred to a new middle school, but Jerry Craft doesn’t just cover the standard new kid issues: making friends, getting lost in school, avoiding bullies, and learning teachers. I feel confident in predicting that this will fly off whatever library shelves it is placed on. Jerry Craft (born January 22, 1963, in New York City) is an American cartoonist and children's book illustrator best known for his syndicated newspaper comic strip Mama's Boyz. Seventh grader Jordan Banks loves nothing more than drawing cartoons about his life. About the Book. Perfect for fans of Raina Telgemeier and Gene Luen Yang, New Kid is a timely, honest graphic novel about starting over at a new school where diversity is low and the struggle to fit in is real, from award-winning author-illustrator Jerry Craft. Jerry Craft’s tale of an artistic black kid navigating a mostly white prep school, and Lincoln Peirce’s new series about a medieval girl who longs to be a knight. Jerry Craft’s graphic novel New Kid is a humorous teaching experience for any reader. Book Summary: Jordan is starting a new school. The main character, Jordan Banks, is a Black 12-year-old NYC kid about to start 7th grade at a prestigious academically-oriented private school… ... Pros: Jerry Craft tackles racism head-on, but with a light enough touch to make an entertaining and engaging story with a likable protagonist. Seventh grader Jordan Banks loves nothing more than drawing cartoons about his life. New Kid by Jerry Craft: New Kid. New Kid by Jerry Craft. Be warned, laughing out loud will occur while reading the text. About the Book. Seventh grader Jordan Banks loves nothing more than drawing cartoons about his life. In New Kid, Jerry Craft has taken the daily dramas of middle school life (cafeteria hierarchy, social anxieties, and tween hallway banter) to an arresting and devastatingly accurate new level. Jerry Craft is the winner of the Newbery Medal for his graphic novel New Kid.He has worked on numerous picture books, graphic novels, and middle grade novels. Jerry is the creator of Mama's Boyz, an award-winning syndicated comic strip. Jerry Craft credits his two sons, both in college, with helping him to write a better graphic novel. No offense to The Baby-Sitters Club series from back in my day, but what about books with characters that look like me and share in my experiences? The young African American protagonist, Jordan Banks, is transferred to a new middle school, but Jerry Craft doesn’t just cover the standard new kid issues: making friends, getting lost in school, avoiding bullies, and learning teachers. Unfortunately, his parents, especially his mother, … Grades 5 & up. Perfect for fans of Raina Telgemeier and Gene Luen Yang, New Kid is a timely, honest novel about starting over at a new school where diversity is low and the struggle to fit in is real, from award-winning author-illustrator Jerry Craft. Are you looking for a graphic organizer to help students conceptualize complex literary concepts, like character analysis?This standards-aligned INTERACTIVE MINI-BOOK asks students to go deeper into understanding seven of the characters in the novel New Kid by Jerry Craft… Smash Pages Q&A: Jerry Craft’s ‘New Kid’ The creator of ‘Mama’s Boyz’ talks about his new graphic novel, which just arrived in stores this month.