New Kid by Jerry Craft
Published by HarperCollins on February 5th 2019
ISBN: 0062691201
Pages: 256
Goodreads

Jordan’s parents send him to a new middle school that they feel will be terrific for him academically and socially. But Jordan doesn’t want to go, he’d rather go to art school. Once Jordan gets there he finds that because he is Black , teachers mix him up with other black students not seeing him for who he is. And that’s just one of the problems he has. There is actually quite a bit of humor in here (like the black and white sketches of Jordan going to and from school that showed the changes he made in his persona to fit into the different settings). I agree with a Goodreads review I read that it is great to have a book that exposes racism but still manages to have humor. Also, I liked Jordan. Is his character realistic? Maybe not, but he’s the kind of kid that you hope is out there. Humor can be such a good way to see things when done in the right way, and I think this novel does get it right.

Cream

Ages 9 and up. Mary Lehmer, Youth Services Librarian, Freeport Community Library, Freeport,ME