Crafty Moms Share: New Kid -- Multicultural Children's Book Day Review

Disclosure: I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Are you getting excited for Friday? It is hard to believe Multicultural Children's Book Day 2020 is almost here. Today I get to share another amazing book with you for it. But before we talk about the book by Jerry Craft I need to also mention that Jerry Craft is the artist who designed this year's poster! You can see it to the right as well as after my review and before the information about Multicultural Children's Book Day. Thank you, Jerry, for creating such a beautiful poster!

Today I am sharing a graphic novel about being the new kid in middle school. It is called New Kid and is by Jerry Craft. Jordan is not only entering middle school but he is switching schools. Instead of going to the neighborhood school he is going to a private school that has many wealthy white kids. All Jordan wants is to go to art school, but his mother is insisting on this new school. The first day is he is picked up by his guide and his father in an expensive luxury car. Jordan already feels like he doesn't fit in and Liam, his guide, seems to be asleep in the back seat. The story of the school year unfolds. Jordan struggles with middle school, his race and friends. There is also the tension from his friends from his neighborhood. It is hard to bridge the two worlds.

I love how throughout the book the reader gets insight into the different lives of the various students and how each is different. Jordan is worried about race and so is his friend Drew. Liam is worried about being judged for his family's money. I also love how the reader can see how the kids feel when someone makes a racist comment even if the white person doesn't mean anything by it. For example the white kid who keeps joking with Ramon about Mexican food even though Ramon has told him many times since kindergarten that he is Nicaraguan. Throughout the book the reader also gets to see Jordan's sketches and cartoons. These give even more information on the feelings and thoughts.

After years of working with a diversity club in high schools and teaching diverse students I saw so many amazing things in this book. It reminded me of discussions in my diversity training courses as well as discussions I have had with students. These are the discussions and things we all need to realize no matter what race, gender, etc. we are. We are all different but we are also all human and deserve kindness and respect. This book shares that in such a fun way and is an easy read. I know kids who love graphic novels will enjoy this one and hope it will be in classrooms as well as libraries so more kids can read it. It is well done and brings home the lessons of multiculturalism and race. There is a teacher guide with discussion questions and project suggestions available. I would love to see teachers read this book as well. Some of the teachers at the new school are trying to be politically correct but do not realize how wrong they are doing it. I think this book would help open some eyes of teachers to how their behavior could be seen as offensive even when they do not mean it to be. For some ideas from my own diversity training please read this post. Also read my post about my why for talking about race.

Multicultural Children’s Book Day 2020 (1/31/20) is in its 7^th year! This non-profit children’s literacy initiative was founded by Valarie Budayr and Mia Wenjen; two diverse book-loving moms who saw a need to shine the spotlight on all of the multicultural books and authors on the market while also working to get those book into the hands of young readers and educators.

Seven years in, MCBD’s mission is to raise awareness of the ongoing need to include kids’ books that celebrate diversity in homes and school bookshelves continues.