We will read the book together and engage in rich discussion about how to envision and build the world you want to see. The premise of the book is VERY RELATED to our PSCS world. It highlights and centers the experience of BIPOC students attending a private school and the complexities and specific challenges that that experience can be.
“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?”
Jerry Craft, the author is a New York Times bestselling author-illustrator who has worked on numerous picture books, graphic novels, and middle grade novels, including the Newbery award-winning graphic novel.
It covers identity, privilege, power dynamics, overt and covert racism and the inner turmoil of being a student of color in a mostly white space.
I can’t wait to teach this class and SPECIAL THANK YOU to MAKO for recommending this graphic novel series to me which inspired this class.