New Kid is a must read graphic novel written by Jerry Craft. The story is about a young African American boy, Jordan Banks, trying to navigate life in the prestigious Riverdale Academy Day School. Many of us can relate to his experience of standing out, getting picked on, and just in general, not fitting in. New Kid has been regarded as an honest and realistic book by many. It also uses humor in sensitive topics to make an enjoyable read for everyone. The novel has even won the Non-Violent Change Coretta Scott King Award along with the John Newbery Medal for the Most Distinguished Contribution to American Literature for Children for its excellence.

To help you understand why you should read New Kid more, picture this: It’s your first day in a new school. Everyone knows each other. You just moved in and are just different. Think about how everyone is looking at you, as if they’re screaming insults in your face, but also saying nothing at all. After all, they don’t have to. Everyone in the room is thinking about you and how weird the “new kid” is, and you know it.

Practically everyone has been in this situation before We all remember having to talk to new people for the first time and always having to go to uncomfortable places we’ve never been before. As we reminisce, we can now think at least a little fondly of those times and maybe even laugh at the awkward people we used to be. If you can do that, you’ll enjoy New Kid, a graphic novel by Jerry Craft. This novel is about a young boy named Jordan Banks, a seventh grader going into a new school. He goes through our similar experiences, using his drawings to try and survive the year.