2020 Newbery Award Winner: Jerry Craft's 'New Kid'

This year's Newbery Medal awardee is Jerry Craft's graphic novel, New Kid. The Newberry Medal is an annual award given by the American Library Association's (ALA) Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) division for the author of "the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children."

New Kid is written and illustrated by Jerry Craft and published by Harper. It is the first graphic novel to win the award. 

According to Krishna Grady, Newbery Medal Committee Chair, "This distinct, timely, and honest story respects children and gives its readers a glimpse into what it means to be other." 

The graphic novel explores themes such as race, class, and bullying.

Book Summary: "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 in a prestigious private school known for its academics, where Jordan is 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. Can Jordan learn to navigate his new school culture while keeping his neighborhood friends and staying true to himself?"

The story's film rights has also been bought by Universal Pictures with the author as Executive Producer.

You can read an excerpt of the book online.