SCHOOL TRIP

The Riverdale Academy Day School crew is back and ready for an adventure to the City of Lights.

This newest installment in Craft’s groundbreaking middle-grade graphic novel series finds eighth grade African American boy Jordan facing a milestone all too familiar to many teenagers: the arrival of a school admissions letter. Attending art school is Jordan’s dream come true, but getting one’s heart’s desire comes with a fresh set of worries. Going to a different school means leaving his best friends behind and becoming the new kid once more; worst of all, he only has a few weeks to make up his mind about whether to accept the offer. A school trip to Paris, something that is both exciting and nerve-wracking, stands as a metaphor for the life changes that Jordan is facing, and his friends are on hand to help him make the most of things. At the heart of Craft’s series are the three-dimensional relationships forged among the diverse cast of characters in Jordan’s orbit, and this novel fully delights on that score. From Jordan’s dad, who insists on the family’s watching Bon Voyage, Charlie Brown (and Don't Come Back!!) on VHS; to Andy, his obtuse nemesis who secretly longs for acceptance; and Ramon, the hardworking Nicaraguan classmate for whom this is the trip of a lifetime, readers will love this European escapade with characters who reflect the richness and multiculturalism of modern America.

Another triumph of storytelling filled with heart and wonder.