New Kid Summer Book Club by Anna Schuemann

Instructions

aschuemann — 2025-07-07 21:14:00 UTC

Welcome to our New Kid Summer Book Club!

For each session, please share:

Your thoughts about the chapters we read
Any questions you have for discussion
Connections you made to the story

Discussion Questions

aschuemann — 2025-07-07 21:20:34 UTC

Who is the main character?

How would you describe him?

How does Jordan feel about his new school?

What challenges does he face?

2025-07-08 14:58:52 UTC

The main character is Jordan Banks. I would describe Jordan Banks as an artist, and a smart kid.

Jordan feels kinda out of place at his new school. At his new school he faces challenges like, being bullied about his color and his size. Tessa

Chapter 6

aschuemann — 2025-07-10 02:27:59 UTC

How do Jordan and Drew feel about their grades on the Pre-Algebra test, and what does their conversation reveal about their experiences at Riverdale Academy?
- Consider what each boy shares about what bothers them at their new school and how they support each other.
What disagreement do Drew and his teacher have in this chapter, and what does it show about the challenges students like Drew and Jordan face at school?
- Think about why Drew gets frustrated and how the teacher responds, and what this might say about fairness or understanding at school.

Chapter 7

aschuemann — 2025-07-10 02:29:10 UTC

Jordan’s grandfather tells a story about not having to choose between three different Chinese food dishes. How is this story a metaphor for Jordan’s friendships with Liam and Drew?
- Reflect on what the story means for Jordan and how it helps him think about having more than one close friend.

2025-07-10 14:33:29 UTC

I think that Jordan’s grandpa is trying to tell him in a different way that he, Drew, and Liam can all be friends. He does not just have to pick one person. So when he uses the metaphor about the food, he is telling him that you can do whatever you want with his friends, but just be happy with what you decide. He plays a video game all together with them and they all have fun, so he thinks that what his grandpa said was really smart.

Chapter 8-10

aschuemann — 2025-07-14 18:44:59 UTC

Chapter 8

Question: Why does Drew ask about financial aid for the Secret Santa gift, and how does this moment highlight differences between the students at Jordan’s school?

Chapter 9

Question: When Kirk visits Jordan, they talk about their different school experiences. What do their stories reveal about the challenges and assumptions students face at different schools?

Chapter 10

Question: Why does Alexandra wear her sock puppet, and how does learning the real reason affect Jordan’s understanding of her and the way others treat her?

Let's make a graphic novel

aschuemann — 2025-07-15 14:32:46 UTC

Plan the Story
- Brainstorm key summer experiences.
- Map out main events as a beginning, middle, and end.
- Create a basic outline with 4–8 scenes or chapters.
Script & Dialogue
- Write short dialogue or narration for each planned scene.
- Keep language simple and expressive.
Sketch Storyboards
- Draft rough page layouts: draw boxes (“panels”) for each scene.
- Decide where characters, text bubbles, and backgrounds will go.
Draw & Add Color
- Illustrate each panel. Don’t worry about art perfection—stick figures or simple shapes are fine!

2025-07-15 14:41:17 UTC

Drew talks about financial aid, because his teacher said in one of the first chapters that anyone with financial aid, will get help. So, he was asking about it because he thought it was kinda of funny but also not. When Kirk visits, they talk about there schools and how they are different. At Jordans school they have a rule for no peanuts, but at Kirk’s school they have a whole security section you have to go through. Alexandra, wears her sock puppet to hide a burn that turned into a scar. Jordans understands the reason other people treat her in a not so kind way. They think she is weird but really she is just trying to hid the mark.

2025-07-17 14:24:31 UTC

When I think back on the book we read, I think about how Jordan becomes friends with so many new people. I also think about how in different chapters he starts to talk and stand up for people more. I noticed he had to play a few different sports that he never played before, but he still had a bit of fun with them. I thought it was interesting at the end of the book that different people and teachers were talking to Jordan about meeting up on a trip or just talking during the summer. All in all, this was a very good book and I think it had a lot of meaning about different things.

Brainstorming Session

aschuemann — 2025-07-17 14:37:56 UTC

First time seeing "old" friends

Smashbox - Gaga ball pit

Camp - Liv and Peyton

Hiking on a big trail

Airplane to Colorado

4th of July

Owen - chair lift - backyard

Family dinner

Final Thoughts - Mrs. S

aschuemann — 2025-07-17 14:45:33 UTC

Jordan’s biggest challenges were feeling out of place at his new school, trying to fit in while staying true to himself, and sometimes dealing with people making him feel different. Throughout the story, I saw themes of belonging and identity as he learned to be himself and found friends who accepted him, and I noticed how he started standing up for himself and others. I especially connected to the parts where he was nervous to share his drawings and when he finally began to feel comfortable being himself around his friends.

Setting

aschuemann — 2025-07-24 14:34:20 UTC

Farm Camp

Smashbox Camp

Characters

aschuemann — 2025-07-24 14:34:57 UTC

Tessa

Peyton

Logan (Peyton's brother)

Niki

Theme

aschuemann — 2025-07-24 14:36:05 UTC

Drawings

aschuemann — 2025-07-24 14:37:40 UTC

Choose color and shapes with intention and purpose.

Feelings

aschuemann — 2025-07-24 14:41:05 UTC

Nervous to talk to Peyton.

Unsure about if you still had a friendship.

Introduction

aschuemann — 2025-07-24 14:41:18 UTC

As I entered the Farm Collaborative camp, I started to wonder if Peyton would still remember me. She walked right past me and I thought she forgot about me. Last summer we played in the creek, and with all the animals. This summer started different.

First Panel

aschuemann — 2025-07-24 14:48:24 UTC

I put my bag pack down in the yurt, that’s where the older kids hang out.

Paytons mom walks right up to me. She asks me where Payton is. I told her I did not know. She said that she asked me because she thought i was with her outside.

Payton walked into the yurt, and right after we all started to have snack. She sat right across from me and didn’t say anything, it felt like she forgot about me entirely.

Second Panel

aschuemann — 2025-07-24 14:56:40 UTC

I ate my snack, then Payton suddenly said hi, i thought she was talking to me but it turned out that she wasn’t. I said hi back but she just walked away.

Third panel

2025-07-24 15:02:28 UTC

after what just happened i didn’t feel that hungry anymore.

After snack, we had to go feed the goats hay. I got to throw then hay inside of there gated area. Payton did it to.

I thought in my head of what i could say to her, so she would remember me. But one i finally agreed with myself it was already to late.

Fourth panel

2025-07-24 15:09:48 UTC

once we where done feeding the goats we had to go pay a visit to the chickens. We walked for a bit and finally got to their coop. We were allowed to go inside and grab one. It was pretty hard.

Once i finally got one it flew out of my arms.

I was able to catch it but after i did i wanted to put him back in the coop.

Payton had one too but she gave it to me i thought yes she remembered but she just gave it to me because she was afraid of chickens.

Fifth Panel

2025-07-24 15:31:37 UTC

As we walked back to the yurt i started to wonder, would Peyton ever remember me?

Once we were all back we did our own things. Peyton just walked around. i followed her for a bit but after a while she just kept walking around so i went to get some water.

Sixth panel

2025-07-24 15:34:09 UTC

as i was drinking my water Payton walked over to me.

She came over and said hi but for real this time.

I said hi back and asked if she was Payton, even though i knew she was. She replied back to me and said yes, she knew i was Tessa.

She said, i didn’t notice you were here today, did you just come? I told her that i have been here all day but she didn’t notice me.

Seventh panel

2025-07-24 15:40:27 UTC

As we were catching up on school and memories of last summer it started to feel like we were friends again.

Hey, she said. It is time to go in the creek. We both changed and went back to the yurt. We both were exited to play in the creek together.

Once we got there we put our towels down and hoped in. It felt so nice that we were here together again.