New Kid
A graphic novel about starting over at a new school where diversity is low and the struggle to fit in is real.
Seventh grader Jordan Banks loves nothing more than drawing cartoons about his life. But instead of sending him to the art school of his dreams, his parents enroll him in a prestigious private school known for its academics, where Jordan is one of the few kids of color in his entire grade.
As he makes the daily trip from his Washington Heights apartment to the upscale Riverdale Academy Day School, Jordan soon finds himself torn between two worlds—and not really fitting into either one. Can Jordan learn to navigate his new school culture while keeping his neighborhood friends and staying true to himself?
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Jerry Craft
Before Jerry Craft ever earned a Newbery Medal or found his name on bestseller lists, he was a kid in Washington Heights sketching comics that reflected a world he recognized—funny, heartfelt, awkward, and real. Long before graphic novels were considered literature, Craft believed they could be more than superheroes and sound effects. They could be mirrors.
Craft writes the kind of stories he wishes he had growing up—stories where kids of color aren’t sidekicks or cautionary tales, but complex, hilarious, fully human leads. In New Kid, his breakout middle grade graphic novel, readers meet Jordan Banks, a quiet, artistic kid navigating a private school where he doesn’t quite fit in. It’s not a tale of trauma—it’s one of subtle microaggressions, laugh-out-loud moments, and the daily balancing act of identity, friendship, and growing up between cultures.
New Kid
Middle school is hard enough without having to feel like an outsider in every hallway. That’s the quiet current running beneath the New Kid series—a graphic novel journey that doesn’t just speak to young readers, but listens to them.
Told through expressive panels and a voice that feels refreshingly real, this coming-of-age story centers on Jordan Banks, a kid who loves drawing more than just about anything. When he ends up at a prestigious private school far from his Washington Heights neighborhood, Jordan finds himself juggling two worlds: one that looks polished on the outside and another that feels like home—but where he’s starting to feel invisible.
New Kid consists of three books — series is set to expand with the upcoming release of one more book. The current recommended reading order for the series is provided below.
