new kid by jerry craft

[spacefem]

I heard an episode of This American Life about the fight against critical race theory in public schools. One of the topics was a book - New Kid by Jerry Craft. It's about a Black kid who starts attending a private school in new york city that's full of rich white kids. It's a graphic novel and it's being banned/challenged all over the place. I went on a kick a few years ago to read a string of books from the ALA challenged list and it was great, so I picked up New Kid.

The story is an endearing one. It's true that some of the white kids are say really insensitive things to him, but others befriend him. He ends up supporting the other outsider kids and bringing all his friends together, he has a lot of good conversations with his parents and grandparents about fitting in, and draws his thoughts down in a notebook. I guess that's my favorite thing about this book... for a middle schooler, the main character is oddly good at putting his perspective into words in a way that we should all celebrate. It still comes across as authentic, I just know from personal middle schooler experience that some kids are good at processing their thoughts and others would just say "I don't like this school" but have no way to say why. The saddest part of the book is when a teacher finds his personal sketchbook, reads through it without asking, and says she feels attacked. He'd drawn about how insignificant he feels to be called the name of the other black kid, and she tells him that he should feel special and appreciate being different. Jordan has a pretty good comeback, asking her how often she seeks out places where she's different, which is awfully smart for a middle schooler.

The podcast interviewed a Texas mom who tried to cancel an author visit to the school, saying that she didn't want her kids to read the book. The book is semi-autobiographical, a lot of what Jerry Craft wrote is based on events from his life. The Texas mom said that it's not right for kids to read what he's saying "Because you don't harm future generations of children because you went through a bad experience. You don't poison the minds of my children even if it happened. You do not poison the minds of other kids and make them feel like they have to make concessions for being white."

Diversity 101 taught me that privilege isn't something the world is asking us to get rid of, it's just something we should be using for good. The teacher COULD have had a more tolerant response to Jordan's journal instead of making it all about her. The school jerkwad COULD have listened when other students said his "jokes" weren't funny. There are kids who stick up for Jordan, and other kids who need his help, but he doesn't ask any of them for concessions.

I own this book - which is rare for me, but the waiting list at my library was long and this way my kids can read it. I don't think it will make them feel bad about being white. Hell... the hardest part for me would be explaining to my kids why it's being banned. THAT'S the conversation that will make us all feel bad about being white.

Comments

[fbhjr]

Some times I wonder if the folks wanting things banned have really read the material, or only seen highlights of it someone else picked out…

[spacefem]

this lady interviewed said she'd read it, but she screwed all kinds of things up when she re-told the story. something tells me she wasn't reading it from an unbiased place.

[oracne]

They see what they're looking for, a lot of the time. While squinting a lot.

[dadi]

My mind reels at this book banning thing. One would think that happens only in Russia or China....sigh...

[spacefem]

seriously. I don't know how it's not a red flag.

to be fair, the books are being "challenged" or removed from school curriculum, which I will admit is different than petitioning the government to make a book illegal. ALA uses the word challenged. As a little free library steward, I remove some books under the headline of "curating" because space is limited.

But I think this book should really be in school curriculum and kids should learn about racism!

[smittenbyu]

I listened to that podcast, too and to that mom who was trying to ban the book - those are not one bad experience in the past. they still happen TODAY. We live in an area where there are always someone new coming and going. And such books are such a helpful way of being seen, heard, represented.

I do wonder if all the parents up in arms have actually read the books they are demanding to be banned. sigh.

[spacefem]

oh gosh yes! it's a VERY real experience. and think about how crazy it is... people criticized the 1619 project because it's bringing up all this past BS, they're like "well I never enslaved people so why is everyone bringing up stuff that's not happening?" so here's this modern book published in 2019 about things kids might really be experiencing, and they don't want to hear it?

it was such a good episode because it really pointed out just how low the threat level is.

[lepid0ptera]

Just reserved it at the library, thanks for the recommendation!

[lydamorehouse]

Sounds like an interesting, deeply UNharmful book. I'll have to see if I can get a copy too. Thanks for the review!

[arrctic]

I love This American Life but don't often get a chance to listen to it. and this book sounds amazing! I'm going to pick it up for myself and my daughter as soon as I can. Thank you for bringing it to my attention.

also to that mom that was interviewed...wtf. grow up. that makes me so angry. i guess we should all just walk around with blinders on if that's the attitude we have to take. so so wrong.

[solteronita]

Banned/challenged books are the best books. I intend to have my kid read as many of them as possible! :P

I worked in public libraries for a long time and it's ridiculous how many "concerned" parents want certain books to be unavailable to everyone because of their own selfish sensitivities.

[spacefem]

those poor concerned parents! it would be so hard for me to listen to them with a straight face. like, I'd just get a spray bottle of water like for a cat and shout "NO! BE GONE!" every time someone tried to complain about a book.

[greghousesgf]

sounds like an interesting book.

[adafrog]

*shakes head*

[adore]

I don't think it will make them feel bad about being white. Hell... the hardest part for me would be explaining to my kids why it's being banned. THAT'S the conversation that will make us all feel bad about being white.

Yup. Acknowledging privilege means acknowledging that you'll be able to make the road to change smoother for the less privileged instead of blocking them because you don't want to face it/'make concessions'/feel bad. And, well, if someone has suffered for your privilege, maybe feeling bad about your privilege is a good start.

People are way too comfortable switching off their empathy for the sake of maintaining their comfort.

[sallymn]

We touched on critical race theory in a previous unit of my studies, I realised I had so much to learn... that book sounds iteresting, thank you!

And of yes, banning what you don't want to know exists is... {sigh}

[siglinde999]

It sounds like a great book. How is a book that involves bullying because of skin colour any different than a book that involves hair colour? Can you imagine anyone banning Anne of Green Gables? It sounds to me that both are about bright, articulate and observant kids who make some friends, fail to win over others, and do some growing up. It seems to me that you don’t harm future generations of kids by exposing them to well written stories about bad experiences; you open them up to learning.

[lantairvlea]

Totally getting it and it's sequel now. I'm also working on reading "March" by John Lewis and plan on getting "They Called us Enemy" by George Takei. All good stories that deserve to be told and we should be teaching our kids. If we don't learn it we are sure to repeat it!