Maybe you’ve been the new kid…or maybe you’ve just felt like the new kid. Either way it can be a tough and isolating time.

Just to back up the news that kids graphic novels are a huge part of the comics market, here’s the cover reveal for another strong book. Jerry Craft’s NEW KID is coming out next February from HarperCollins, which talks about a young boy who is going through the pains of being new in town…and being caught between two different social structures.

Here’s the logline:

Seventh grader Jordan Banks loves nothing more than drawing cartoons about his life. But instead of sending him to the art school of his dreams, his parents enroll him into a prestigious private school known for its academics, where Jordan just happens to be one of the few kids of color in his entire grade. 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. Middle school’s hard enough without all the unspoken rules and expectations that come with being the new kid! Can Jordan learn to navigate his new school culture while keeping his neighborhood friends and staying true to himself?

Jerry Craft is probably best known as the creator of the comic strip Mama’s Boy’z but he’s worked on numerous picture books, graphic novels, and middle grade novels, including The Zero Degree Zombie Zone by Patrik Henry Bass. He’s won five African American Literary Awards and is a cofounder of the Schomburg Center’s Annual Black Comic Book Festival.

This sounds like another highly relatable title for middle grade readers. HarperCollins is getting back into the grapihc novel game after some time away, just another sign that the time is NOW for comics.

NewKid PB rgb

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2 COMMENTS

  1. Awesome. I’m looking forward to the book being released. I have read all of the Mama’s Boyz books and I really like Jerry Crafts style of writing and his illustrations. I have also read his book The Offenders and absolutely loved it. I’m excited about this new release.

  2. Congratulations to Jerry! He’s a great storyteller and an excellent speaker/presenter. It’s great to see all the hard work and travel paying off. Congratulations too to the folks at Harper Collins for getting back into the GN game, and for a brilliant partnership with Jerry.

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