Class Act is Jerry Craft’s 2020 sequel (though described by the author as a “companion piece”) to his multi-award-winning graphic New Kid published to universal acclaim the year before. While New Kid focused on the experiences of Jordan Banks as a black kid facing the culture clash of suddenly being thrust into an exclusive private school environment, Class Act transfers the focus of attention to Drew Ellis, who was also introduced as one of the few other black kids attending the same school in New Kid.
Class Act commences its story just a few months after the events which bring the previous novel to a close. Drew has moved onto the eight grade and holds fast to fantasies of transferring from the private school to art school in order to pursue his dreams. His mother, however, has different ideas and insists on his remaining enrolled at Riverdale Academy Day School. Among the things which is further complicating Drew’s life is the tension created when he takes over the starting QB position on the school’s football team from a MAGA-hat wearing white jock. Although met with positive reviews, more than a few too exception to this element of the story, suggesting the easy obviousness generating the conflict is at odds with the more subtle overall designs of the themes related to racism and privilege which dominate the narrative.
Although failing to hit on all cylinders with the awards crowd like its predecessor, Class Act has nevertheless managed to earn distinction on its own that is unusual for a sequel. In addition to be hitting the top spot on the New York Times bestseller list, Publisher’s Weekly named it the Best Book of the Year, Kirkus Reviews honored it as one of its Best Middle Grade Books of the Year, Forbes Magazine singled it out as one of the Best Graphic Novels of 2020.
