And I'm rereading it. Because. It's Friday. No reasons.

A middle grades graphic novel, just awarded the Newbery Medal of 2020, the first comics story to ever win that award, one school year in the life of would-be artist Jordan Banks, who lives in Washington Heights on the upper west side of Manhattan, but whose parents enroll him in a posh private school in Riverdale, in the Bronx. Culturally, financially, these are two very different places, and Jordan and some other new students of color encounter some challenges, mainly on racial lines, in their

I really enjoyed this and I will most definitely be recommending this to middle graders for a long time. I think this is a story that many kids will be able to see themselves in, or recognize someone in their life going through the same things the characters went through.

Jordan is the new kid in seventh grade. And he's not going to art school like he wanted—he's going to a fancy new private school where he's one of a handful of students of color. He's not sure if he's going to fit in...but he's going to try.This was such fun to read. Jordan's world-view and how he frames things are hilarious and introspective, and his drawings are just the cutest things on the planet. I loved that he was able to expand his mind, and even though he still wanted to go to art schoo...

Cute. A relatable story about how it feels to be the only black kid somewhere and the spark of joy you get when you see someone else who looks like you and microaggressions. Also, amen to the segment about how MG/YA books are marketed to black kids. You have got drugs, poverty, rap, and basketball for black books vs. lily-white adventurer books. Thank God, it's slowly changing.

2020 Newbery winner, my committee year!

A FANTASTIC middle grade graphic novel. A necessary addition for any school/classroom library. Approaches subtle & overt racism in an accessible & understandable way for the audience, while not holding back, through the lens of the new kid at school.

This is a must have in all upper elementary and above classrooms. This book is packed with bias and micro aggressions that are important for kids to read and understand -especially kids that live in areas with little to no racial diversity. I cannot wait to hand this off to my students and see what they think.

"I wish I was Batman. Not just for the cool reasons. I could fit in anywhere! One minute he's at a board meeting [as Bruce Wayne]. And the next, he's in the most dangerous part of town. Completely fearless! Unlike me, Batman is always in control of EVERYTHING!" -- Jordan Banks, on page 166Witty and plausible graphic novel starring protagonist Jordan Banks, a thirteen year-old who is just starting 7th grade as a transfer student (hence the title) at a private school nicknamed 'RADS' in New York C...

What an AMAZING comic!

I haven't read a graphic novel in ages but I LOVED this one. So endearing and smart.

The first graphic novel to win a Newberry Medal. Jordan Banks is a 12-year old from Washington Heights in upper Manhattan. He'd like to go to art school but when he gets into a private school in the Bronx, his parents force him to go. This took me a little while to get into. It's very NYC school-centric at the beginning, which is its own beast I've not seen anywhere else. But once it gets going, it's a charming book. Jordan sketches out what bothers him in his sketch book, giving us insight on w...

One million stars.

Gaps. Sometimes they’re all that I can see.Imagine you have a brain that allows you to retain information in compartmentalized slots. You have chosen the field of “librarian” so this trait is useful in your day-to-day work. As you read children’s books over the course of a year, you categorize each one. You note similarities, differences, and books that don’t strike you as like anything else out there. And you continue to keep track year after year, building up your knowledge, tracking what you’...

This book was a joy to read. I looked forward to it. A kid from an inner city school longs to go to art school, but his parents want him to have opportunities and they send him to a prep school that's private where he is a minority among wealthy kids. It's the classic fish out of water, having to find your way in school story. It's well done and he makes friends and eventually he likes his new school. He has to figure out how to fit in to all the different parts of his life. This might be part o...

Stunning! The first of (I hope!) many graphic novels to be recognized with a Newbery Award, and it's absolutely deserving of the honor! Well written, well drawn, poignant and funny, I couldn't put it down, reading into the wee hours. My 11yo has also read it and loved it, and next it will go to the 15yo!

This is going to be THE most talked about graphic novel in the new year. This is a story that needs to be read and then talked about. Every single chapter had me shaking my head yes. Swipe right to see just two pages of serious truth that readers and teachers alike need to be reading. Out February 2019

I read a review of this book that said this was an unrealistic representation of middle school, and I’m just 🧐🤔 at that statement. I taught in middle school for 8 years and this is literally all of the issues that I have seen in the halls, cafeteria, restrooms, locker rooms, and even in my classroom. This book is perfect to me because it encapsulates so many important elements of adolescence while also tackling racial and social justice issues. It is humorous but laugh-out-loud funny. It’s poign...

These kids! I love when I walk away from book and feel I know the people that have filled its pages - not because the author told me, but showed me. Craft is often subtle in his character building and this book is all the stronger for it. One of few books that showcases race and micro-aggressions without the heavy drumbeat of righteousness.

I wasn't really planning on picking this up, but I found it as an ebook and graphic novels never take too long to read. I really liked that it tackled so many aspects of racism (especially getting into specifics given that the protagonist, Jordan, is light-skinned - you can tell Craft really knows how to write about race and convey more than the minimum), mostly for black communities but there were students from other backgrounds.I wasn't a fan of the art - it really reminded me of 00s webcomics...