New Kid │book review

New Kid by Jerry Craft

Category: Coretta Scott King Award 

Age group: Middle grade

Format: Physical book

Summary: New Kid shares the experience of a young boy named Jordan who is starting a new school where there is not much diversity. Jordan wants to attend an art school, but his parents send him to a private school in a different neighborhood. At school, Jordan struggles to find someone he could relate to. At home, Jordan also feels like he does not fit in with the kids in the neighborhood since he now attends a prestigious school. The book shares Jordan's journey as he navigates being the new kid and building friendships.

Justification: New Kid had been on my to be read list for a few years now. I get asked for this book often at the library I work at, and I figured it was time for me to read it myself.

Evaluation: For this book I will be evaluating the cover/illustrations, layout, and the accuracy. The front cover shows the main character Jordan, it is fairly simple, he is seen looking down at his sketchbook, next to the title New Kid. As the reader reads the book, they will learn the role the sketchbook plays in the book, as the author included pages from Jordan's sketchbook to be part of the story. The illustrations were full-color and filled with details. I enjoyed the drawing style the illustrator used. 

The layout was good. I liked that the reader could follow along easily and not lose their place in the story. There are chapters along the way and a page break separates each of the chapters. As I mentioned before, Jordan's sketchbooks becomes part of the story, I thought that was a special detail the author shared. Since Jordan was sketching thought-out the book, readers could see what it is he was drawing. 

The author did a good job in showcasing the accuracy of what a young boy might face when going to a school where he is the minority. Jordan faces microaggressions from his teachers and ignorant comments from other students that make him feel uncomfortable. 

References: Craft, J. (2019). New kid. (J. Craft, Illus.). HarperCollins.