Comparison
New Kid vs Refugee
How New Kid by Jerry Craft and Refugee by Alan Gratz compare on reading level, grade placement, curriculum overlap, and shared themes — derived from primary-source citations on each book’s ReadingList page.
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At a glance
- Grade-range overlap
- Grades 5–8
- Year-of-publication gap
- 2 years (2019 vs 2017)
- Page-count gap
- 96 pages (256 vs 352)
- Shared curricula
- 53 of 149
- Shared themes
- 0 of 11
- States banning both
- 2: PA, TX
Curriculum overlap
Both books appear in 53 shared curriculum frameworks:
Themes
Only New Kid
race and identity · code-switching · middle school adjustment · graphic narrative · private vs public school · friendship
Only Refugee
refugees · survival · family · displacement · empathy
Banned-state overlap
Both books have documented removals or formal challenges in 2 shared states: Pennsylvania, Texas. Per PEN America’s Index of School Book Bans 2022-2024; policies vary by district within each state.
Common questions
- Which is harder to read, New Kid or Refugee?
- Lexile data not available for one or both titles in this comparison. See each book's page (New Kid and Refugee) for grade-range + reading-level estimates from school assignments.
- What grade level is New Kid vs Refugee?
- New Kid: 4-8 grade range. Refugee: 5-9 grade range. Both assigned within the 3-5 band. Specific district and curriculum vary; see each book's page for the full assignment history.
- Which is more commonly taught, New Kid or Refugee?
- Both New Kid and Refugee are in the top-10 most-cited books on ReadingList.school across US school assignments and curricula. Each book's individual page (New Kid, Refugee) lists every tracked assignment with source citation, so you can see which has broader curriculum reach in your specific region.
- Should I read New Kid or Refugee first?
- If they're in the same school year, follow the syllabus order (usually chronological by publication or grouped by theme). If reading independently: start with the shorter or lower-Lexile title (New Kid or the other) to build context, then move to the other. Both titles often appear together on AP / IB reading lists as paired study.
Get these books
New Kid
Jerry Craft
Where to find this book
Audible: many assigned titles are included with a membership, and listening starts right away, with no wait for delivery. Offers vary by account.
Other formats on Amazon: Kindle · Audiobook
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Refugee
Alan Gratz
Where to find this book
Audible: many assigned titles are included with a membership, and listening starts right away, with no wait for delivery. Offers vary by account.
Other formats on Amazon: Kindle · Audiobook
As an Amazon Associate, ReadingList earns from qualifying purchases and membership trials at no extra cost to you. Pricing, Prime, and trial terms shown on Amazon.