Jordan's Sketchbook (Symbol)
Jordan’s sketchbook is a symbol of free expression. Throughout the book, Jordan holds his tongue in social situations in which he feels overwhelmed and anxious. His sketchbook, however, is an outlet for him to satirize the events of his life; Jordan fills the book with comics that reveal elements of his personality that cannot be gleaned from his behavior. When the sketchbook falls into Ms. Rawle's hands, Jordan is upset that she interprets his comics in bad faith, suggesting that he has a bad attitude toward school and life. In this climactic scene, Jordan stands up for himself and his art when Rawle attempts censorship by trying to convince him to "embrace" the school and "allow it to embrace him."
Squash (Symbol)
In New Kid, the game squash is a symbol of class difference. An indoor ball and racquet game, squash is a game historically associated with millionaires, likely because of the cost involved in constructing the contained court. When Jordan tries to befriend Maury, the two quickly discover that even though they are both Black, the vast economic divide between their families has contributed to their having incompatible interests. For instance, Maury doesn't play video games and the only sport he plays is squash. Jordan, coming from a middle-class background, has never heard of the sport and so assumes he is talking about the vegetable. Ultimately, the confusion ends the boys' conversation and they realize they have nothing but skin color in common.
Drew’s Secret Santa Gifts (Motif)
In the lead-up to Christmas, Drew receives several disturbing gifts from his Secret Santa: cookies shaped like basketballs, a gift certificate to KFC, and a chocolate Santa. To Drew, the gifts are coded as stereotypically Black and so he assumes Andy is his Secret Santa. On the third day, Drew loses his temper and sets out to confront Andy about his racist provocations. However, it turns out that Ashley is the mysterious gift-giver. She gives explanations for each gift, and Drew realizes there was no racist intent. Ultimately, the motif speaks to Drew's defensiveness as the target of so many microaggressions. On edge and defensive, Drew cannot enjoy the gifts because experience has shown him he cannot let down his guard at RAD.
The Mean Streets of South Uptown (Symbol)
The Mean Streets of South Uptown, a satirical book within New Kid, is a symbol of the condescension and ignorance of the American publishing industry. During the book fair scene, a white teacher tries to convince Maury that he will relate to the book because it is about a Black boy growing up in poverty with a single mother. Maury hands the book back, politely explaining that his parents are together and his father is a wealthy CEO. Having pigeon-holed Maury as the book's target audience, the teacher is surprised to hear she got it wrong. Jordan and Drew, meanwhile, complain about how few titles interest them as middle-grade readers. The symbolic book is eventually given to Maury during Secret Santa; he quickly re-gifts it to Drew, who also isn't interested in a tale of gritty urban survival. As a joke, he gives it to Jordan on the last day of school. Jordan laughs, knowing the book is meant for his demographic but also that its sensationalized plot has close to zero resemblance to his own life.
Mixing Up Names (Motif)
Throughout the book, white teachers and students at RAD mistake Jordan for Maury and Drew for Deandre—two other Black students who look nothing like them. Even Mr. Garner, who has worked at the school for fourteen years, is mistaken for the coach—a fellow Black teacher. Drew and Jordan's first conversation involves bonding over their frustration at these ignorant microaggressions. Once the boys acknowledge it, Craft builds on the motif by having them purposely call each other by different stereotypical Black-sounding names to imitate the school's faculty. Ultimately, the motif shows how the few Black characters in the mostly white school learn to put up with inconsiderate treatment.
