Growing up, Jerry Craft did not enjoy reading. He says he simply never encountered a children's book that intrigued him enough or felt right. But Jerry loves defying expectations, and so naturally, the boy who rarely set foot in a library grew up to become a celebrated children’s book author and illustrator. He has made defying expectations—and breaking stereotypes—a guiding principle in his storytelling.
“Their white classmates can read Harry Potter and relate to going to Hogwarts and flying on brooms. But a Black kid can't aspire to go to Paris, which can actually happen.” – Jerry Craft
Jerry Craft is a New York Times bestselling author and illustrator, best known for “New Kid,” the first graphic novel to win the Newbery Medal. “New Kid,” along with the subsequent books in the three-part series—“Class Act” and “School Trip”—were groundbreaking for middle-grade literature, especially the power of graphic novels. While many of us may know and love Jerry’s more recent graphic novels, his road to those books was winding and unexpected.
In this episode, Jerry tells us about the one teacher who finally found the secret to inspiring him, explains how being a Black comic strip creator was a lot like the movie Highlander, and ponders whether his dad’s night shifts might be the reason he still works best at 3 AM.
Settle in for an episode filled with wry humor and the colorful stories of Jerry Craft’s journey to becoming a beloved author for students and teachers alike!
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Jerry curated a group of graphic novels for his reading challenge, How It Started, How It’s Going. These graphic novels chronicle his own journey as a creator—from the books that inspired him to those that helped forge his path and finally to those for which he laid the groundwork. Learn more and download Jerry’s reading challenge below.
Listen to the full episode, "In The Heights: Jerry Craft Subverts Expectations," on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Like what you hear? Please leave a 5-star review, subscribe, and share with someone who will enjoy it!
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Download the free reading challenge worksheet, or view the challenge materials on our helpdesk.