Companion Book Series

Students grades 4 -8 and into high school

New Kid

Companion Book to I’m New Here

I'm New Here

Winner of the Newbery Medal, Coretta Scott King Author Award, and Kirkus Prize for Young Readers’ Literature! 

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. 

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?

This middle grade graphic novel is an excellent choice for tween readers, including for summer reading.

New Kid is a selection of the Schomburg Center's Black Liberation Reading List.

Lesson Plans and Activities

Create Your Own Storyboard
Story Board That
PBS Lesson Plans
SEL and Culture
Read-Play-Learn
World Stories - 33 Languages
Walk with Amal
LTA and Walk with Amal

Supplemental Resources

Media Curriculum with Our Friends at Adobe Express

Lesson Plan and Rubric
Tutorial
Editable Template
Adobe Express K-12 Education
Story Guide
Adobe Express Templates

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