Class Act Book Review

 For my final review, here is a great graphic novel:

Book Review #18, Class Act

1.       Bibliography: Craft, Jerry. Class Act. Quill Tree Books; 2020. ISBN: 9780062885500.

2.       Plot Summary: In the sequel to New Kid, Craft focuses on Jordan’s friend, Drew, as he navigates middle school. Drew attends Riverdale Academy, an elite private school, where sometimes Drew feels out of place, just for being who he is. Drew questions friendships, addresses racism, and works hard in school in this realistic middle grade graphic novel.

3.       Critical Analysis: When I saw Jerry Craft speak at the Book Expo America a few years ago, I couldn’t wait to dive into New Kid. After binge reading it in a day, I couldn’t wait for a sequel to come out. Class Act features the same cast of characters from New Kid, but focuses mostly on Drew Ellis, an eighth grade student at Riverdale Academy. Drew is black and lives in the city, with his grandmother, which is very unlike most of the other students at his school. His good friend, Liam, is white and lives in a mansion. His family even has paid help, including Mr. Pierre, who drives Liam and helps care for him. Drew is a great character, very realistic. I taught eighth grade for five years, and he reminds me a lot of the students that I used to have. Drew is questioning a lot in life, and unsure about himself. He is very aware of race, especially how it relates at school. An easy going conversation between friends show occurs when the boys want to pick Avengers characters to dress up as on Halloween. Andy, an immature boy who sometimes has issues with the other boys, has a hard time seeing that the other boys want to portray characters that might not really look like them. For example, Drew doesn’t want to be Black Panther just because he’s black. He would rather be Thor, as that is his favorite. More awareness comes when the school adopts another school. The students all happen to be black, and describe their school as very different than Riverdale. Jordan questions his classmates’ privilege, especially his good friend, Liam. Craft does a nice job rounding out all of the characters. Even though Liam is white and privileged, he still does have his own problems. He looks to Mr. Pierre as a father figure, mostly because Mr. Pierre is around for him in a fatherly way. He doesn’t see his own parents that much. Liam is a nice kid, who just happens to come from a family of money. This does not stop him from trying to be a good friend, though, and wanting to spend time with his friends, or treat them well. A great contrast occurs between the sleepover that he throws, where his mom orders a healthy version of pizza, compared to the sleepover that Jordan throws with homemade pie and a trip to the Y for basketball. Jordan’s parents are present the entire time, interacting with the boys. At the end, Liam joins Drew on his balcony, loving the view of the city. Drew says, “I just wish people like Andy could see my view too.” Andy’s character never truly matures in the book, which helps, since readers then get to see characters from a variety of perspectives. It is realistic too, as the characters all hold varying views and react to situations differently. Mr. Roche’s character is a great device. Readers will be annoyed with him, but also see that sometimes he means well, even if it doesn’t come out that way. When he receives an award for diversity over a beloved black teacher, readers will be upset that he was chosen. Situations happen like this in real life all of the time- those that are deserving of something, but maybe are not so loud about it, sometimes do not get selected. The students also know that Mr. Roche could use some help in this area. The plot mainly goes through the days at school and home for Drew and his friends, just a slice of life, showcasing what it is like to be a middle school student, especially at a posh private school. Many themes come up in this book, such as questioning friendship, identity, race, money versus family, and perseverance. What does it really mean to be a good friend? Does more money make you a better parent? How can we fight racism at school? These are important questions that the book raises. Drew and his friends persevere with their problems, showing readers that there is power to facing problems and recognizing that there might not be easy answers. The book has a unique style belonging to Craft, which compliments New Kid well. It has lots of realistic drawings mixed with drawings of the characters’ thoughts and fantasy worlds. There is a lot of discussion about real world issues and concerns, such as diversity in school. It is great to see a book for young people that addresses these current events and issues, but also makes the book sometimes light and very accessible.

4.       Review Excerpts:

·         From Kirkus, “A well-Crafted, visually rich, truth-telling tale for our troubled times that affirms the eternal importance of friends.”

·         From Booklist, “Craft makes the story honest and believable and presents it as a powerful, if difficult to achieve, real-world possibility.”

·         From School Library Journal, “Lightning strikes twice as Craft again produces a funny and appealing yet sensitive and nuanced middle grade tale of inequity and microaggressions.”

5.       Connections: Use as part of a display on other realistic fiction graphic novel books:

·         Johnson, Varian. Twins: A Graphic Novel, Graphix, 2020. ISBN: 9781338236132.

·         Hale, Shannon. Real Friends. First Second, 2017. ISBN: 9781626727854.

·         Telgemeier, Raina. Guts. Graphix, 2019. ISBN: 9780545852500.

·         Holm, Jennifer L. Sunny Side Up. Graphix, 2015. ISBN: 9780545741668.

Have children create comic strips based off of their own school experiences.

Have children compare and contrast this book to New Kid, and then vote on a character to be the center of a 3^rd book.

Use this book as part of a book club for middle school students. Children can meet and discuss the book, and how it can relate to their lives.