(1) 4-6 In his third graphic-novel outing (New Kid, rev. 1/19; Class Act, rev. 11/20), thirteen-year-old Jordan Banks no longer sees himself as the new kid at elite Riverdale Academy Day School; he's the "new and improved" kid ("Jordan 2.0"), and he has a big decision to make: continue at RAD or go to art school. He wants to pursue art, but he's afraid of having to start all over again. First, though, he and his friends are going on a class trip to Paris--along with nemesis Andy. This book by Coretta Scott King and Newbery Award–winning author Craft effectively uses brightly colored panels, speech bubbles, dialogue, and black-and-white sketchbook pages to portray the challenges of an overseas school trip for Black students as well as of this diverse group of students as a whole in navigating a new city and their own relationships. When one of the friends finally confronts Andy about years of verbal torture, the tone of the trip changes, and the students, including Andy, begin to take responsibility for how they want to be treated and how they treat one another, returning home with renewed commitment to making Riverdale a good school for everyone. Pair this with Santat's graphic-memoir treatment of a similar European trip, A First Time for Everything (rev. 1/23).

Reviewer: Dean Schneider | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2023

(1) 4-6 Puberty is on the horizon for thirteen-year-old Jordan Banks, who returns in this hilarious and heartfelt companion to New Kid (rev. 1/19), the Coretta Scott King and Newbery Award–winning graphic novel. Jordan is now a year older, and a tiny bit more secure in his second year at Riverdale Academy Day (RAD) School. He still has the familiar comfort of loving parents (whose preference is for Jordan to spend his upcoming high school career at RAD rather than transfer to an art school, as he desires); and pals Liam and Drew (when the two are not embroiled in their own tensions over social class). Jordan and his friends navigate microaggressions, well-meaning but sometimes inept teachers, colorism, absentee caregivers, and other complex issues. Along the way, the trio demonstrates vulnerability, ranges of emotions, and willingness to always crack a joke--after all, they are teenage boys. Jordan's friend Drew's coming-of-age as a Black boy in a predominantly white environment is very thoughtfully explored, particularly the tension of navigating how to be an academic achiever in a context that is reluctant to acknowledge him as such. In one especially telling moment during a school visit by Black and Latinx students from underfunded "sister school" Cardi De Academy that goes terribly wrong, Drew is asked if "they let you be smart here? Or do they try to melt your wings?" Craft adeptly balances poignant questions like these with laugh-out-loud moments in the lively illustrations, making Class Act a substantial snapshot of the interior life of boys, especially Black boys who are too often not afforded such attention, love, and care.

Reviewer: Kim Parker | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2020

(2) 4-6 Jordan, an African American seventh grader from Washington Heights, confronts both covert and overt racism in his first year at a prestigious academy, but he also develops supportive relationships with classmates of different races. Artist Jordan's sketchbook is shown in interludes throughout the engaging graphic novel's main narrative; Craft's full-color comics art is dynamic and expressive. A robust, contemporary depiction of a preteen navigating sometimes hostile spaces yet staying true to himself.

Reviewer: Patrick Gall | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2019

(4) 4-6 Craft relates his experiences during two summer seasons in the late 1950s playing semi-pro baseball as the only white player in the West Texas Colored League. Though the writing is unpolished, Craft recounts with immediacy both game moments and his unusual journey to overcome his own prejudices as well as those of his teammates and opponents. Vintage photographs add interest. Bib.

Reviewer: Luther B. Clegg