We started this round of books being very familiar with New Kid, although none of us had ever actually read it. It's a book we often recommend to our reluctant readers, with highly positive reviews after. This year I recommended it to one of my more reluctant grade 9s, and he even went on to write an essay about it! Needless to say, my hopes were high, and it didn't disappoint. The art was beautiful and wonderfully interwoven with the story. The main character was relatable and funny, all while raising important issues. My colleagues concurred. They said "I liked the portrayal of his two worlds. The examples of micro-aggressions that are all-too-familiar, yet so glaringly wrong, could make for interesting conversations with young people. I like the interplay of the story with Jordan's art. I LOVE that it is an EASY sell to lots of readers." and "The art is cool and inspiring and the sarcasm is quite clever. There are a lot of hidden meanings that allow for good analysis and discussion.". Overall, it was a very enjoyable read!
The main reason my vote went to New Kid, however, was because I felt Field Guide was problematic. Norris' character was developed to be somewhat unlikeable, intentionally, I think, but I felt that the way his judgemental attitude was created left a lot to be desired. He overtly sexualizes Aarti (he makes a comment about her holding her arms to "make Bs into Cs") and dehumanizes the cheerleaders by referring to all of them by the same name. These events happened early in the novel and just left a bad taste in my mouth that I couldn't shake. Even though he has a redemptive arc in the end (although seriously, his mom was just going to drop her whole career and move back to Montreal??? And then he changed his mind???), I just felt that these particular actions weren't addressed strongly enough by the author. I would hesitate to put this novel in any student's hand, and that was really what put New Kid in the winner's circle for me this round.
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