New Kid (2020)

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

Jordan Banks is an African-American seventh grader from Washington Heights in New York. Not Only is he just starting his middle school career, but his parents have enrolled him at a wealthy private academy called Riverdale. He doesn't know anyone there, and all but a handful of the students and staff are white. 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? 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.

Winner of the 22020 Newbery Medal