New Kid 2/4

P. 69-139, Discussion Questions, Creative Project, Writing Prompt

Thank you for joining us for this month’s book club book on New Kid by Jerry Craft. If you would like to read along with your child, encourage them to start of a book club with their friends, or simply strengthen their reading and writing habits and comprehension, then subscribe now for receive weekly discussion questions, lessons, and prompts.

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Jordan may have some school days under his belt, but there is still a lot of adjusting to do. He is learning the lay out of a new building, the names/personalities of new kids and teachers, but more importantly, new social rules. Most kids go to a school and try to fit in. Jordan may not want to fit in this new social space, maybe he just wants to be accepted. We’ve already seen how hard that can be. There are a few things working against him. He lives in a completely different way from all his peers, his family works in completely different fields with different incomes, and he seems to be up against a lot of assumptions about him that he has no control over. But at least he is not the only one.

After mildly avoiding Drew, the two of them get the chance to connect. And the most powerful thing about this encounter is how comforting and safe it can be when someone is sharing or even just acknowledging what you are going though. Reading stories about different characters with different backgrounds and experiences puts us in a better position to be comfortable and safe place for others.