New Kid

Fiction | Graphic Novel/Book | Middle Grade | Published in 2019

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Summary

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapters 1-3

Chapters 4-6

Chapters 7-10

Chapters 11-14

Character Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

Themes

Finding Confidence in Middle School

New Kid is a coming-of-age tale where the protagonist develops confidence, adapts to new environments, and builds lasting relationships. Jordan describes his internal self as being in a perpetual state of free fall as he goes to a school where he feels he doesn’t belong. He endures direct bullying and microaggressions that target his race, class, and even height. He wears a hooded jacket throughout the story both because of the cold weather and to hide himself from others, and he is reluctant to remove it even while playing soccer. His main avenue for self-expression is his sketchbook, which contains smart observations that he only shows to a select few.

Children often seek confidence by envisioning themselves as heroes. Jordan shouts the phrase, “I am Batman!” when he wants to be tough, whether it’s playing soccer or just going to the bus stop (55). This is because Batman is strong, intelligent, and rich, and he helps others and fits into any situation. Jordan’s real-life hero, though, is Gran’pa, who helps him become compassionate.

Despite his reservations, Jordan builds relationships with RAD students Liam, Drew, and Alexandra. And while he was afraid that his neighborhood friends would abandon him because of his new school, his old friend Kirk helps him remain connected to his roots.

Jordan’s confidence comes to the forefront with Drew and Alex’s confrontation and his own clash with Ms. Rawle. After passively absorbing his frustrations, Jordan takes a stand to protect his friend, which earns the respect of students and faculty. When Ms. Rawle brings his sketchbook into question, Jordan doesn’t let her push him around. He defends his perspective and counters his teacher’s attempt to trivialize his pain. Even in the fact of all this, Jordan keeps an open mind. At the end of the year, he signs Andy’s yearbook, and he finally removes his hoodie, showing he is a stronger, more confident person.

Maintaining a Black Identity in School and at Home

Both Jordan and Drew face unique challenges as Black students who travel far away from their neighborhoods to attend the majority-white Riverdale Academy Day School.

Jordan’s neighborhood and previous school have majority African American populations, but he is already aware of how skin color can be a target because classmates would crack jokes about his lighter skin. He is also familiar the taunt “Oreo,” which targets Black people who behave too formally. But RAD presents unique challenges. While Jordan doesn’t face life-threatening forms of racism, he deals with uncomfortable situations with people who rarely interact with Black people. Classmates glance at him in situations during discussions about slavery, civil rights, and financial aid, and they compare their suntans with his skin—a reversal of the “not Black enough” dilemma. Teachers mistake him for other African American students, and Mr. Roache becomes overly apologetic after saying potentially insensitive things at the soccer game.

Meanwhile, Jordan feels he must hide his school life from his neighborhood friends. When Liam picks him up on the first day of school in a fancy Hummer, Jordan tries to hide so that his friend Kirk won’t see him in the car. Jerry Craft also depicts Jordan as a lame golf player after he corrects someone’s grammar in a basketball game, showing how he worries that his neighborhood friends will think he’s snobby now. Even Jordan’s parents add stress to this situation. His mother pressures him to remain at RAD so he can succeed later in life, while his father feels his son shouldn’t have to acclimate to White society. However, Chuck then overcorrects with an attempt to “return [Jordan’s] soul” after seeing Liam’s mansion (158).

Drew, who has darker skin and lives with his grandmother, faces his own struggles. He is an honor student and school quarterback, but most students avoid talking to him. Ms. Rawle mentally associates Drew with a former problem student, so she constantly mis-names him and singles him out for talking to Jordan just once. Because of her prejudices, as well as the way Andy taunts students of color with no consequences, Drew hates the school. Without the emotional release Jordan has with his sketchbook, Drew pushes back against his adversaries until he nearly suffers a suspension.

Jordan’s character development throughout New Kid gives him the confidence to build friendships with a range of students and even stand up to Ms. Rawle. In the end, staying at RAD is less of a problem for him than it was at the beginning. While Drew also decides to stay at RAD, it is more out of respect to his grandmother. Neither’s perspective is inherently wrong; they are both understandable conclusions.

Balancing Friendships Across Social Class

Though Jordan’s mother and father have jobs that require college education, the Banks family is not wealthy. At Jordan’s age, his main understanding of social class is that his dad only buys him budget sports games with outdated rosters. But once he goes to RAD, Jordan discovers the financial gulf between him and other students.

His introduction to the world of wealth comes when Liam’s father arrives in a fancy Hummer, followed swiftly by Jordan seeing several African American chauffeurs driving white children to school. The school itself startles him, as it’s a sprawling campus with three gyms and buildings named after donors. Soccer and baseball are alien to him because he doesn’t live in an area with enough space to play them—let alone upper-class pastimes like squash and lacrosse. Likewise, Jordan has little interest in the offered art class because of Ms. Slate’s focus on abstract art, which is often seen as a status symbol and investment opportunity for the wealthy.

Social class forms a barrier between Jordan and Drew and the other students. While Jordan is initially happy to see Maury, another Black student, he doesn’t understand his elitist hobbies. Maury later hands the Mean Streets of South Uptown book to Drew, suggesting that Maury’s understanding of Drew is as limited as that of the teacher who gave him the book in the first place. The wealthy students all go on vacations to ski resorts and tropical islands over the winter holidays while Drew jokes about going to “Walmart! And not just a regular one, a SUPER Walmart” (170)! Many classmates stare at Jordan and Drew in class because they are both on financial aid; however, when the school expels Collin, a white student, for violating the terms of his aid, his status becomes an unspeakable subject.

On the other end of the spectrum is Liam, who feels his family’s wealth distances him from other students. Andy stops hanging out with him after Liam’s family moves to a big mansion, and Liam’s friendship with Maury ends in part because of their changing tastes. He wants Jordan to see him as a normal kid, even if he can buy deluxe-edition video games without a second thought, and he changes the subject whenever Jordan asks about his family’s involvement in RAD.

For Jordan’s part, he is nervous about having Liam meet Drew until Gran’pa encourages him to bring “the Three Musketeers” together (113). Their first meeting on the relatively neutral playing field of Xbox Live helps Jordan connect the different worlds he lives in. He builds an understanding with Ashley, who knows little outside her own culture, and Ms. Slate’s enthusiasm about abstract art challenges his assumptions about the medium. While class remains an obstacle for him, Jordan realizes he can build relationships that cross this boundary.