Fae's Literary Garden

I wish I was Batman. Not just for the cool reasons. Or the fact that he’s rich. I wish was Batman so that I could fit in anywhere! One minute he’s at a board meeting [as Bruce Wayne]. And the next, he’s in the most dangerous part of town. Completely fearless! Unlike me, Batman is always in control of EVERYTHING! Although he never seems to have any friends. But luckily that not me anymore. And I really love how Batman always stands up for the little guys. Because usually that ” little guy is me”.

page 166

• Author: Jerry Craft
• Type: Graphic Novel
• Format I read in: Physical
• Source: Borrowed from library
• Genre: Slice of Life
• Total Pages: 256
• Date Started: April ’24
• Date Ended: April ’24
• Language: English

↳ warnings: none

↳ why i picked it: at my job, this book is on a poster of books for a certain award. while we sold this at the bookfair we hosted, we could only have it as an intermediate book, and given our records, sometimes it is decided some books aren’t worth the trouble. I still wanted to read it and figure out the why.

↬ summary

Jordan Banks is a seventh-grade student who gets the opportunity to go to a prestigious private school a bit away from home. He isn’t exactly excited about this, as he rather go to an art school, but his mom more than anything wants him to have opportunities that people like him don’t always have. As life goes on, he finds himself having to navigate experiences that on their own are overwhelming but together more. But more than anything, can he navigate the challenge of being now part of two different worlds?

↬ thoughts

I honestly really liked this a lot. I feel like every person that reads this can relate to at least one of the struggles that Jordan goes through. Whether it be being the new kid at school or having to navigate two different worlds. There is something you can see yourself in, and then see that Jordan, aside from everything, made it out alive. Especially as a kid I feel like this is such an important message. You will be fine, even when things are just a bit too much. One day at a time. That is one of the major things I got from it. I also got that we shouldn’t always close off opportunities just because initially we don’t want them. It happens often in the book Jordan is too fast to close the door on something that ends up being not so bad or even good for him.

A lot of things or lessons can be more obvious for adults, but for kids it might be comforting to have this as a guide. It also opens the kids’ eyes to microaggression and racism, especially to kids like the ones in Jordan’s new school. They are not used to it, so they see no harm on it, but for the kids that are used to it, matter of fact, it is their live 24/7, it is right on their face.

Kids like Jordan can feel seen, and other kids can learn what it is like to be in Jordan’s shoes and do better.

You can tell I have not much faith in the system when it surprises me this is not a challenged book and it is just in intermate level given the track history of the US and what is allowed and not, but I am glad we are still allowed to have books that are important like this one for our kids. Someday, hopefully, it will be in the library that I work at for kids to be able to read. Fingers crossed.

— much love, anto