Jordan and his friends embark on an international adventure in Class Trip, the third book in the New Kid series. The story is engaging and the negotiation of friendships and acquaintances realistic.

The book assumes you are familiar with the prior books, so there is little exposition. Those new to the series will want to start with the other titles before reading this one.

In typical Jerry Craft fashion, there are frank discussions of real-world issues. This is an excellent response to the pushback Craft has received from narrow-minded individuals looking to ban or censor his books for reasons that truly are not in the texts. This is a great story for the middle-grade set following Jordan’s adventures, but adult readers will appreciate all of the Easter eggs about other authors and titles.

Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins for this ARC in exchange for my review.

Absolutely delightful, and a worthy follow-up to the first two in the series. A little suspension of disbelief is necessary for some of the hijinks (who doesn't realize the tickets are wrong?) but it talks about a lot of important subjects straightforwardly and in a way that will appeal to kids.

School Trip was an amazing companion novel to New Kid. I loved the illustrations, the characters, the story line, and all the facts about Paris you learned while reading! This book would make a great addition to a school curriculum and I will be recommending this to all my students.

Along with the rest of the world, I loved the first two books in this series by Jerry Craft, New Kid and Class Act. This additional companion book follows the main character, Jordan, and his friends as they take a school trip to Paris. Funny and earnest, this graphic novel highlights the ups and downs of traveling abroad with classmates, especially the ones who aren’t your friends. I already can’t wait for the next one!

Jerry Craft's School Trip is perfect for middle grade readers who enjoy realistic fiction graphic novels. They'll love this book even more if they've read New Kid and Class Act, but I think readers would love this book and understand it without issue even if they haven't read the others in the series. A fabulous book about friendship, travel, dealing with racism, making big decisions, and learning to accept others who are different from us. A definite must read!

Thank you #NetGalley for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own

It's amazing how after 3 graphic novels surrounds the same characters that Jerry Craft can keep the stories fresh and not repetitive. School Trip dives into some really interesting themes around friendship and the choices we need to make as we grow. My main complain about New Kid and Class Act was I thought the female characters in those stories were used in a weird way. They were either odd or intense or in the background. While this made sense as they were written from Jordan and Drews point of views, I was happy to see some female characters get some depth in School Trip. School Trip is a great addition to any classroom and school library and a must read for fans of the first two books!

When my kids were born this was exactly the type of book I wanted for them. It touches on racism and stereotypes, but it also features diverse kids just being kids.

Jordan and his friends head to a class trip to Paris while he's trying to decide if he's going to leave the school to transfer to an arts focused school.

The school trip is full of missteps and mishaps, starting with the teacher chaperone list being horribly mixed up and the school credit cards not working. But the trip is a huge success and each student learns a little about themselves and others before they return.

Back with Jordan, Drew & Liam, we see the students of RAD FINALLY on their school trip to Paris. Even though it starts off a little bumpy, the trip becomes a trip of a lifetime for the students and teachers of RAD. While on the trip, the students and teachers learn more about each other and how they can make things better for not only themselves but those around them. My favorite was the “Thumbs-downer”. While not negatively admonishing someone for their behavior, it becomes a gentle way let others know, (Andy!), that what they are saying or how they are behaving, is not the right way.

I was so happy to see the kids finally get to take their trip to Paris. I think this book is my favorite out of the series! Once again, Jerry Craft addresses book banning, racism, bullying and more on a level that middle school kids will understand. I LOVED the nods to Raina Telgemeier! Every adult needs to read those books. I cannot wait to get copies in the library for my middle schoolers!

This book was just ok for me. I appreciated that it covered some important topics, but it was a little all over the place. Often I had to check that I didn't skip a page because I wasn't sure what was happening. The book had a good premise but I wish it had flowed a little better. I will still purchase this for my libraries, but his first two books are much better in my opinion.

I really liked this new addition to the New Kid series. I really enjoyed the plot and how we got to see more sides of the characters that we hadn't before. It's a great book!

In the third installment of this series, Jordan and his friends go to Paris on a class trip. Jerry Craft handles topics of racism, class and friendship with a healthy dose of humor and kindness. A must read for fans of New Kid!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of School Trip! I loved the first two books in this series and immediately requested it when I saw it on NetGalley! I loved this book just like I loved the first two! This book was so fun! Like the others, I loved the story and the artwork! Also can I go back in time and go to a middle school that takes trips to Paris?!?! The puns in the pasta court scene made me giggle cause I love a good pun. I really enjoy that Jerry’s books are not only fun, but educational and informative. Don’t be a thumbs downer!! This book as well as the others in the series should be in every school and recommended/assigned to every student! Thank you again to NetGalley for the ARC, it was amazing!!

Jerry Craft has once more created a humorous, heart-felt, huggable adventure with Jordan Banks. In this book, Jordan and his friends take a school trip, as the title indicates, but Jordan also has to make some choices as he is in his last year of middle school.

In true Jerry Craft style, there are nods to culture and other graphic novels (love the tribute to Raina Telgemeir and there is so much to notice in a series of panels that take place at a mall). We also get a wonderfully diverse cast of characters, meaningful growth and development, and glimpses at Jordan’s art.

Jordan is the heart of the story, but the supporting cast gets to grow and have wonderful moments, too. Craft’s message of not being a “thumbs downer” is expressed in some great scenes, and he speaks to the power of graphic novels as real books, as well the ugly nature of book bannings (reminding us that these bans are, indeed, not just about books but are about people).

Finally, Craft gives a nod to his own author story and his concluding message in the book once more reminds us about the great need for books in which young readers can see themselves represented. This is the close to a trilogy that is sure to lead to more conversation, inspire more creators and young people, and hopefully serve as another work in more to come from Craft (after he enjoys a restful vacation and maybe some travel for himself).

School Trip is amazing!

“Don’t be a thumbs-downer.” — @jerrycraft
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Jordan, Drew, Liam, Maury and more are back and this time they’re headed to Paris for a school trip they’ll never forget. Before they leave, though, Jordan finds out he’s been accepted to art school. Is he ready to make that jump and risk being the new kid again or should he stay at Riverdale Academy Day school where his best friends are? This decision doesn’t come easy, especially when Jordan is so thrilled with the sights, sounds and artwork in France. Unfortunately their chaperones get switched at the last minute and they don’t get the art teacher they thought they would have. Many of the problems they had back home follow them on their trip and all the characters learn about themselves and who they want to be during their time abroad.
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Craft can do no wrong in my eyes. Just when I think a graphic novel can’t get better than New Kid, Class Act comes along. Can lightning strike three times though? Yes, it absolutely can. Craft has an amazing gift of talking about big issues in a way kids can understand and relate to them. He hits so many great topics here from bullying to microaggressions to book banning to racism to classism to diversity to learning about other cultures—I could go on and on. Needless to say: this MG book will be just as popular as its predecessors and I can’t wait for April 4 to get it into students’ hands. Also: can we make it a requirement every adult read this? It’s a 5⭐️ read for me.

CW: racism, microaggressions, bullying, absentee parent

Jordan Banks returns in this sequel to the award-winning “New Kid” with all the heart, smarts, and humor of the original. Poised on the brink of some big decisions about where he’s going to high school next year (stay in prestigious private school or apply for admission to a specialized arts school), Jordan knows one thing for sure – he’s off to Paris for a school trip. Some student pranksters have gained illicit access to the computer of the teacher in charge of making decisions about who’s going where on a variety of these trips and made some ‘changes’, causing a bit of havoc for students and teachers alike.

One outcome is that Jordan ends up having to room with one of his worst nightmares, Andy, who is still pretty much a jerk, albeit ignorant of just why he comes across that way. Throughout this great book, the author weaves in subtle lessons on issues such as ‘shopping while black”, how the French view life vs. Americans (hint – they would never eat and walk at the same time), and what constitutes an acceptable way to insult someone vs. how not to do that. Some of these are even more pointed when set in the ‘comic within a comic’ – black and white pages drawn by Jordan to illustrate a point or concept. It’s never heavy handed, but it also never fails to land the punch, such as the discussion of why we prioritize diversity in choice when it comes to consumerism, but not when it comes to people.

One of the richer kids, Maury, could have been drawn and written to come off as pompous, but instead he is a hilarious voice interpreting all things Parisian (his family has made multiple trips there), and saves the day several times when the teachers’ credit cards get denied, and a classmate needs a friend. When something Andy says finally triggers an outburst about the years of bullying that Ramon has had to endure, Maury is one of the students who steps in to help. At the end of the story, there’s affirmation by Jordan’s friends about the need to not be a ‘thumbs-downer’ on everything (something we all can learn in the current toxic and polarized society we live in), but also some indication that it’s sinking in for some of the bullies as well. Hurrah!

I heartily recommend this book for its insight, humor and great ability to hear authentic teen voices. The adults come across as humans as well – prone to mistakes, but at the end of the day, good hearted. Now I’m going to find my copy of “New Kid” for a reread, and borrow “Class Act” from my local library. All Hail Jerry Craft – keep ‘em coming!