This is the real deal—a book that won every major award and actually earned them. Jerry Craft created something that's both mirror and window: kids of color see themselves navigating predominantly white spaces, and white kids get a clear view into experiences they might not otherwise understand.

The graphic novel format is clutch here. Jordan processes his world through cartooning, so we literally see his perspective drawn on the page. It makes the book accessible without dumbing anything down. The story tackles microaggressions, code-switching, and what it costs to 'fit in' at a place that wasn't designed for you—but it does this through the eyes of a seventh grader who just wants to draw and hang with his friends.

One reviewer found it boring, which... okay, if you're expecting explosions and dragons, this isn't that. It's a realistic story about a kid's daily life. But for most readers, Jordan's struggle to navigate two worlds while staying true to himself is plenty engaging. The 4.7 Amazon rating and multiple prestigious awards suggest the boring-take is an outlier.

This is essential reading for middle schoolers, period. It builds empathy, validates experiences that often go unacknowledged, and it's just well-crafted storytelling. Plus it actually gets kids reading, which is half the battle these days.