Rachel Ruble: At first, I was surprised to hear that New Kid was in a book banning controversy, but upon further research I discovered it was being banned in multiple Texas school districts. Now this doesn't surprise me. The reasoning behind the banning was because they claim the book teaches critical race theory. I think this is ridiculous, when I read the book, I was really interested because it was covering a serious topic in a lighthearted way, so that the book could reach all audiences. The attempt to ban the book is really not surprising once I realized who was trying to ban it. I feel for the children in that Texas school district, as they might not get to experience a super important story, just because their school district made an unnecessary ban on an insightful.
I'm not surprised to hear it, but less so because of the teacher's reaction in the book to what Jordan was drawing in his sketchbook. It's wildly disappointing that large enough groups give banning these kinds of books so much traction. An attack on whiteness is an attack on America according to too many people. I saw that the book was being questioned in Texas, and given to the possible bans on Critical Race Theory courses, it doesn't come as that big of a surprised that Craft's graphic novel is being targeted. Despite placing such a positive light on the overcoming aspects of his school and him learning to have good friendships, people still dislike this book because of the race aspect. It says a lot about them and what their beliefs are on not only race but class.
Unfortunately, I was not surprised when learning this news. It was mentioned before I started reading the book, so while reading, that was on the back of my mind. It was confusing and frustrating to be reading such a genuine, lighthearted graphic novel knowing that people in Texas want it banned for teaching the critical race theory. I think New Kid shines light on a unique situation kids of color deal with, and far too many (particularly white) classmates, parents, and teachers have no grasp on. The crucial message in the novel is told in a light, simple storyline that people of all ages can follow and understand, which is why it baffles me that even this is being targeted by white republicans. Super annoying, but unfortunately not surprising!
Will Finnegan: A children's book about a young person of color? I'm not surprised it was banned, because the book had to do with critical race theory. The sad truth is, white conservatives don't like other stories being told to their children. Specifically, these parents don't want their children to even think that people of color are systematically disadvantaged.
The United States makes it very hard to be surprised at any situation. We just witnessed a Caucasian man not get acquitted for murdering two people. Based on past situations, I am not surprised that critics want a book banned that speak on common racial issues. America loves to keep their citizens blind about important lessons that our children especially need to learn. New Kid is a book that shakes up the ignorance in the world. Also, the graphic novel does a great job depicting the joy of an African American boy, as well as, the racial tension that sometimes is not recognized at a young age. The author has created a wholesome book that possibly cause children to be more curious about what is truly going on in the world. When you take a look at our country over the years, they have hidden a lot of the true history and racism that has transpired.
It doesnt suprise me at all to be honest. There is a lot of controversy around CRT these days in school and even though this book is a good way to discuss race in a classroom setting, a lot of people still want to ban it. They want to shut down discussion of race in general instead of having healthy discussions about race. Classrooms are the best place to do this in because it is a controlled (usually unbiased) forum that allows for kids to deveop their own opinions about it.
It doesn't surprise me that people wanted this book to be banned. Lots of schools in the U.S want to get rid of critical race theory, so when I heard about this book ban it wasn't new to me. I even heard about some schools wanting to get rid of critical race theory in history class which is crazy to me since its a big part of history.
I am shocked but, at the same time, I’m not. I am not surprised people would take issue with this book. Race issues have always been controversial and hard to talk about and make actual change with. Many of the people who want this book banned have not experienced what the main character was going through, nor will they ever get the chance to. As a result, it is tough to adjust people’s viewpoints to realize that they are part of the problem. On the other hand, I am sort of surprised because the text is overall light and doesn’t delve into the more difficult issues with structural racism. By banning the book, they would be silencing the author and invalidating the experiences of people who go through what the main character went through.
I wasn't really shocked when I first found out what the book was about but upon reading it I was a bit more confused. I know how our country is about about not shinning light on to certain issues, so from that standpoint I was not surprised that this book was considered for banning. I actually think the book offers a more comfortable path to understanding what it's like to be a person of color in predominantly white places. I don't understand why this book would make people uncomfortable, unless you related more to the antagonists of the story. I think New Kid is relatable and informative and not worthy of being banned.
I wasn't surprised at all. There has recently been a lot of coverage by the media recently of censorship in the south. However, after reading the book it became very frustrating to me. If a book makes you uncomfortable, then maybe just not reading it rather than banning it would be a more sensible approach. However, I find it difficult to believe that a book like new kid, a book so lighthearted and unaccusatory could be offensive or unsettling to anyone. It seems as if the subject of race in its entirety is a taboo in the south.
I was not surprised at all that New Kid was being banned in multiple school districts in Texas because of the teacher and other things that happen in the book. It's upsetting because it's a light hearted story about a young boy of color, the fact that kids could relate to this book but because some white people think its an 'attack' to them they can't read it. It's sad that books are being banned and that parts of history aren't being taught, it's an erasure to American History.
JT Holeman - I am not surprised especially being that the book was banned in the south where it is not rare that books about race especially those speaking on white peoples actions. This Even though I wasn't surprised, it's still ridiculous because there was such a lack confrontation so it shouldn't make anyone feel uncomfortable while reading. There were also white people that were good/protagonist characters.
I'm surprised there's a banned book list in America in general. The idea of banned books just seems so dystopian and foreign. For a children's graphic novel to be banned you would think that it would depict some pretty vile and obscene things but it doesn't. It simply puts you in the perspective of what it is like to be a minority in a predominantly white space.
Jake- I am surprised this book was attempted to be banned, but I'm not surprised at all that it happened in Texas. I picture it happening like this; a white mother in her parent teacher organization was bored and wanted the stir the pot, lobbied in her church for signatures and ran her mouth about how she believed it was inappropriate until she use her white tears to make the school board uncomfortable, thus cancelling the authors appearance. I think the banning attempt of the book was a racist act in itself to be honest. Conservatives stop at nothing to gatekeep/maintain their beliefs and values (racism and inequality), and that's what they tried to do with the book. Even if the author intended to outwardly write about critical race theory...what's the problem with that, is the argument that it doesn't exist, or that its inappropriate for young children to learn about, because I don't believe either of those to be valid arguments. So in conclusion the south lost the civil war, and they lost their attempts to ban a book as it was reviewed for 15 days and then put back on shelves, conservatives need to cut their losses and just mind their business.
Lisa Carlen- When I first found out I was very surprised because I thought it was a lighthearted, easy-read book but when I saw that it was trying to get banned in Texas, it made more sense I wasn't surprised at all. The idea of books being banned at all doesn't make sense to me in general though, it's almost like going against the freedom of speech.
Sadly, I was not surprised to learn that New Kid has been a highly discussed controversey, especially not in the conservative state of Texas. To me, this made me especially dissapointed because this book was supposed to be a light-hearted children's book that touches on extremely important lessons that people of color deal with in schools everyday. It is dissapointing that it was banned for teaching the Critical Race Theory. I also found it interesting because the Critical Race Theory has been such a topic of discussion in our a county in our very own state (Loudoun County). This book was made to bring light and allow people to understand the struggles that people of color deal with daily. Sadly, it is not talked about enough because of situations like this. It is interesting (but not surprising) that this took place in Texas because Texas policies have been a big point of discussion in our class throughout the semester. Even more alarming, Texas is in charge for creating the majority of our nation's textbooks.
Ayla Nees-Doeppe: Unfortunately, I was not surprised when I learned that New Kid was trying to get banned in Texas, the current politics of the state being very conservative. New Kid pointed out the flawed and racially unjust private school system in a simple but powerful way by showing how Jordan and the other children of color at this private school faced microagressions and flat out racism. We know that conservatives do not think the Critical Race Theory should be taught in schools and the book apparently offended someone. As someone above said, the banning of the book itself was a racist act. I think this book should have never even been considered for a ban and that it is important to teach the Critical Race Theory in schools starting at a young age. This country needs to do better and change especially when it comes to racial inequality in the school systems.
Walter Garrison - I was not surprised to learn of the book banning controversy that New Kid has stirred up. It is an unfortunate truth that there are many people in this country who are old fashioned and racist. Those people feel threatened by the idea that other perspectives are actually gaining traction in our society as we strive to move farther away from a deeply racist world. Those who want to speak out and make a fool of themselves are welcome to, because at least then we know who to avoid. The most unreasonable aspect of these book banning requests are that the book doesn't ever try to make any general claims about racism in our country. It is simply showing to the reader what it is like to be a black kid in the American educational system. I myself have witnessed microaggressions just like the ones displayed in this book in my own high school career.
It actually does surprise me a lot. The book was pretty tame, really! I assumed that the people that got it banned were probably white karen moms or something like that. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it and it approached racism in an insightful way with it being directly in your face but at the same time not, if that makes sense. I genuinely thought the book was funny and a must read for really everyone.
I am not surpassed that the book is being banned in Texas because the book teaches about critical race theory and Texas already has possible bans in place for critical race theory courses. If this was a book about a white young child there wouldn’t even be a question about this book being banned but it’s not and that’s why I am not surprised because things like this happen everyday in the US.
Stevie Watson Disappointed but not surprised. Any book that deals with race in a complex and critical way has faced challenges making it to schools. In this book, in particular, I think its “downfall” is that it examines the system. Racism isn’t one villain that is defeated by the end of the story. It is a systematic problem whether perpetrators are aware or not. The closest thing to a villain in this story is the teacher who can never get her two black students' names right, instead of calling them by names of black students she used to have, as well as assuming they are at fault in any situation. When she realizes Jordan’s feelings about this and towards her, she takes it as an attack rather than a valid criticism. Several teachers throughout the story commit microaggressions or slip-ups. None of them have negative intentions, they just don’t realize the effect their words and actions have on minority students. The book cause controversy because it criticized the system that it aimed to teach.
I was not very shocked to see that New Kid was under some hot water with parents. I think any book that address the problem of racism in our country will hit some parents and they will try anything to get it off the shelves so that kids are not aware of the problem. It is horrible to assume, but these complaints are probably coming from white mothers who have never faced this kind of problem in their own lives, but Jerry Craft did. I think that is a big difference from real fiction because Jerry Craft has said in interviews that the book is based off some events from his own life. Overall, I think that the book was really funny, especially since I am older and I could understand a lot of the inside jokes most younger kids would not understand. -Annalise Siridavong
It was extremely surprising to hear that New Kid was/is a banned book. When learning more about it, I was not as surprised to hear that it was banned in some Texas counties. Making assumptions about what type of people live where is not my style, but after watching videos about the school county board deciding on textbook contents, it was not hard to imagine why New Kid was banned. The reason behind this was because they thought it was teaching critical race theory. When reading the book, I could not believe it was banned and I find it completely ridiculous that a school board of any state could ban a graphic novel meant for younger kids. The main theme I got from this book was that even the smallest things that many people brush by are wrong, and it is up to us as the future generation to make sure these things other people consider minimal, do not happen at all. This should be a book available to any student of any state.
Rachel Ruble:
ReplyDeleteAt first, I was surprised to hear that New Kid was in a book banning controversy, but upon further research I discovered it was being banned in multiple Texas school districts. Now this doesn't surprise me. The reasoning behind the banning was because they claim the book teaches critical race theory. I think this is ridiculous, when I read the book, I was really interested because it was covering a serious topic in a lighthearted way, so that the book could reach all audiences. The attempt to ban the book is really not surprising once I realized who was trying to ban it. I feel for the children in that Texas school district, as they might not get to experience a super important story, just because their school district made an unnecessary ban on an insightful.
I'm not surprised to hear it, but less so because of the teacher's reaction in the book to what Jordan was drawing in his sketchbook. It's wildly disappointing that large enough groups give banning these kinds of books so much traction. An attack on whiteness is an attack on America according to too many people. I saw that the book was being questioned in Texas, and given to the possible bans on Critical Race Theory courses, it doesn't come as that big of a surprised that Craft's graphic novel is being targeted. Despite placing such a positive light on the overcoming aspects of his school and him learning to have good friendships, people still dislike this book because of the race aspect. It says a lot about them and what their beliefs are on not only race but class.
ReplyDelete-cindy
DeleteUnfortunately, I was not surprised when learning this news. It was mentioned before I started reading the book, so while reading, that was on the back of my mind. It was confusing and frustrating to be reading such a genuine, lighthearted graphic novel knowing that people in Texas want it banned for teaching the critical race theory. I think New Kid shines light on a unique situation kids of color deal with, and far too many (particularly white) classmates, parents, and teachers have no grasp on. The crucial message in the novel is told in a light, simple storyline that people of all ages can follow and understand, which is why it baffles me that even this is being targeted by white republicans. Super annoying, but unfortunately not surprising!
ReplyDeleteAbbe Casey
Will Finnegan:
ReplyDeleteA children's book about a young person of color? I'm not surprised it was banned, because the book had to do with critical race theory. The sad truth is, white conservatives don't like other stories being told to their children. Specifically, these parents don't want their children to even think that people of color are systematically disadvantaged.
Diamon Patterson:
ReplyDeleteThe United States makes it very hard to be surprised at any situation. We just witnessed a Caucasian man not get acquitted for murdering two people. Based on past situations, I am not surprised that critics want a book banned that speak on common racial issues. America loves to keep their citizens blind about important lessons that our children especially need to learn. New Kid is a book that shakes up the ignorance in the world. Also, the graphic novel does a great job depicting the joy of an African American boy, as well as, the racial tension that sometimes is not recognized at a young age. The author has created a wholesome book that possibly cause children to be more curious about what is truly going on in the world. When you take a look at our country over the years, they have hidden a lot of the true history and racism that has transpired.
It doesnt suprise me at all to be honest. There is a lot of controversy around CRT these days in school and even though this book is a good way to discuss race in a classroom setting, a lot of people still want to ban it. They want to shut down discussion of race in general instead of having healthy discussions about race. Classrooms are the best place to do this in because it is a controlled (usually unbiased) forum that allows for kids to deveop their own opinions about it.
ReplyDeleteIt doesn't surprise me that people wanted this book to be banned. Lots of schools in the U.S want to get rid of critical race theory, so when I heard about this book ban it wasn't new to me. I even heard about some schools wanting to get rid of critical race theory in history class which is crazy to me since its a big part of history.
ReplyDeleteI am shocked but, at the same time, I’m not. I am not surprised people would take issue with this book. Race issues have always been controversial and hard to talk about and make actual change with. Many of the people who want this book banned have not experienced what the main character was going through, nor will they ever get the chance to. As a result, it is tough to adjust people’s viewpoints to realize that they are part of the problem. On the other hand, I am sort of surprised because the text is overall light and doesn’t delve into the more difficult issues with structural racism. By banning the book, they would be silencing the author and invalidating the experiences of people who go through what the main character went through.
ReplyDeleteI wasn't really shocked when I first found out what the book was about but upon reading it I was a bit more confused. I know how our country is about about not shinning light on to certain issues, so from that standpoint I was not surprised that this book was considered for banning. I actually think the book offers a more comfortable path to understanding what it's like to be a person of color in predominantly white places. I don't understand why this book would make people uncomfortable, unless you related more to the antagonists of the story. I think New Kid is relatable and informative and not worthy of being banned.
ReplyDeleteI wasn't surprised at all. There has recently been a lot of coverage by the media recently of censorship in the south. However, after reading the book it became very frustrating to me. If a book makes you uncomfortable, then maybe just not reading it rather than banning it would be a more sensible approach. However, I find it difficult to believe that a book like new kid, a book so lighthearted and unaccusatory could be offensive or unsettling to anyone. It seems as if the subject of race in its entirety is a taboo in the south.
ReplyDeleteLuke Headley
I was not surprised at all that New Kid was being banned in multiple school districts in Texas because of the teacher and other things that happen in the book. It's upsetting because it's a light hearted story about a young boy of color, the fact that kids could relate to this book but because some white people think its an 'attack' to them they can't read it. It's sad that books are being banned and that parts of history aren't being taught, it's an erasure to American History.
ReplyDeleteJT Holeman - I am not surprised especially being that the book was banned in the south where it is not rare that books about race especially those speaking on white peoples actions. This Even though I wasn't surprised, it's still ridiculous because there was such a lack confrontation so it shouldn't make anyone feel uncomfortable while reading. There were also white people that were good/protagonist characters.
ReplyDeleteI'm surprised there's a banned book list in America in general. The idea of banned books just seems so dystopian and foreign. For a children's graphic novel to be banned you would think that it would depict some pretty vile and obscene things but it doesn't. It simply puts you in the perspective of what it is like to be a minority in a predominantly white space.
ReplyDelete- Phong Ngo
DeleteJake- I am surprised this book was attempted to be banned, but I'm not surprised at all that it happened in Texas. I picture it happening like this; a white mother in her parent teacher organization was bored and wanted the stir the pot, lobbied in her church for signatures and ran her mouth about how she believed it was inappropriate until she use her white tears to make the school board uncomfortable, thus cancelling the authors appearance. I think the banning attempt of the book was a racist act in itself to be honest. Conservatives stop at nothing to gatekeep/maintain their beliefs and values (racism and inequality), and that's what they tried to do with the book. Even if the author intended to outwardly write about critical race theory...what's the problem with that, is the argument that it doesn't exist, or that its inappropriate for young children to learn about, because I don't believe either of those to be valid arguments. So in conclusion the south lost the civil war, and they lost their attempts to ban a book as it was reviewed for 15 days and then put back on shelves, conservatives need to cut their losses and just mind their business.
ReplyDeleteLisa Carlen- When I first found out I was very surprised because I thought it was a lighthearted, easy-read book but when I saw that it was trying to get banned in Texas, it made more sense I wasn't surprised at all. The idea of books being banned at all doesn't make sense to me in general though, it's almost like going against the freedom of speech.
ReplyDeleteSadly, I was not surprised to learn that New Kid has been a highly discussed controversey, especially not in the conservative state of Texas. To me, this made me especially dissapointed because this book was supposed to be a light-hearted children's book that touches on extremely important lessons that people of color deal with in schools everyday. It is dissapointing that it was banned for teaching the Critical Race Theory. I also found it interesting because the Critical Race Theory has been such a topic of discussion in our a county in our very own state (Loudoun County). This book was made to bring light and allow people to understand the struggles that people of color deal with daily. Sadly, it is not talked about enough because of situations like this. It is interesting (but not surprising) that this took place in Texas because Texas policies have been a big point of discussion in our class throughout the semester. Even more alarming, Texas is in charge for creating the majority of our nation's textbooks.
ReplyDelete- Catherine Fishburne
Ayla Nees-Doeppe: Unfortunately, I was not surprised when I learned that New Kid was trying to get banned in Texas, the current politics of the state being very conservative. New Kid pointed out the flawed and racially unjust private school system in a simple but powerful way by showing how Jordan and the other children of color at this private school faced microagressions and flat out racism. We know that conservatives do not think the Critical Race Theory should be taught in schools and the book apparently offended someone. As someone above said, the banning of the book itself was a racist act. I think this book should have never even been considered for a ban and that it is important to teach the Critical Race Theory in schools starting at a young age. This country needs to do better and change especially when it comes to racial inequality in the school systems.
ReplyDeleteWalter Garrison - I was not surprised to learn of the book banning controversy that New Kid has stirred up. It is an unfortunate truth that there are many people in this country who are old fashioned and racist. Those people feel threatened by the idea that other perspectives are actually gaining traction in our society as we strive to move farther away from a deeply racist world. Those who want to speak out and make a fool of themselves are welcome to, because at least then we know who to avoid. The most unreasonable aspect of these book banning requests are that the book doesn't ever try to make any general claims about racism in our country. It is simply showing to the reader what it is like to be a black kid in the American educational system. I myself have witnessed microaggressions just like the ones displayed in this book in my own high school career.
ReplyDeleteIt actually does surprise me a lot. The book was pretty tame, really! I assumed that the people that got it banned were probably white karen moms or something like that. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it and it approached racism in an insightful way with it being directly in your face but at the same time not, if that makes sense. I genuinely thought the book was funny and a must read for really everyone.
ReplyDelete- Nadia Bryant
DeleteI am not surpassed that the book is being banned in Texas because the book teaches about critical race theory and Texas already has possible bans in place for critical race theory courses. If this was a book about a white young child there wouldn’t even be a question about this book being banned but it’s not and that’s why I am not surprised because things like this happen everyday in the US.
ReplyDeleteStevie Watson
ReplyDeleteDisappointed but not surprised. Any book that deals with race in a complex and critical way has faced challenges making it to schools. In this book, in particular, I think its “downfall” is that it examines the system. Racism isn’t one villain that is defeated by the end of the story. It is a systematic problem whether perpetrators are aware or not. The closest thing to a villain in this story is the teacher who can never get her two black students' names right, instead of calling them by names of black students she used to have, as well as assuming they are at fault in any situation. When she realizes Jordan’s feelings about this and towards her, she takes it as an attack rather than a valid criticism. Several teachers throughout the story commit microaggressions or slip-ups. None of them have negative intentions, they just don’t realize the effect their words and actions have on minority students. The book cause controversy because it criticized the system that it aimed to teach.
I was not very shocked to see that New Kid was under some hot water with parents. I think any book that address the problem of racism in our country will hit some parents and they will try anything to get it off the shelves so that kids are not aware of the problem. It is horrible to assume, but these complaints are probably coming from white mothers who have never faced this kind of problem in their own lives, but Jerry Craft did. I think that is a big difference from real fiction because Jerry Craft has said in interviews that the book is based off some events from his own life. Overall, I think that the book was really funny, especially since I am older and I could understand a lot of the inside jokes most younger kids would not understand. -Annalise Siridavong
ReplyDeleteIt was extremely surprising to hear that New Kid was/is a banned book. When learning more about it, I was not as surprised to hear that it was banned in some Texas counties. Making assumptions about what type of people live where is not my style, but after watching videos about the school county board deciding on textbook contents, it was not hard to imagine why New Kid was banned. The reason behind this was because they thought it was teaching critical race theory. When reading the book, I could not believe it was banned and I find it completely ridiculous that a school board of any state could ban a graphic novel meant for younger kids. The main theme I got from this book was that even the smallest things that many people brush by are wrong, and it is up to us as the future generation to make sure these things other people consider minimal, do not happen at all. This should be a book available to any student of any state.
ReplyDelete