Class Act
sequel to New Kid
by Jerry Craft
Graphic Novel
Realistic Fiction
Tween
* * * * Stars (Great!)
It’s a new year and students have returned to Riverdale Academy Day School for more adventures. The school is attempting to be more diverse and to bring awareness about and sensitivity to issues surrounding diversity. Some of these endeavors are more successful than others. Jordan Banks, who featured prominently in Jerry Craft’s previous book, “New Kid,” is upset because his friends are all morphing into teenagers, while he’s still trapped in a kid’s body (when is he going to get some hormones??), but he is often the most mature of them all. His good friend Drew Ellis is trying to parse some feelings he has about racial and socio-economic inequality and stereotyping as well as keeping a potential love interest at bay. Can they all remain friends under these pressures? This covers a lot of timely and important topics in a sensitive way, and really shows the hard work that the characters have to put in when working through them – questioning their gut reactions and feelings and then talking to one another about them. They take a chance on having difficult conversations. Well-written and well done.
Reviewed by YA Librarian
