Et cetera : What we're Reading: New Boy

My choice for Adventures in Bookclubbing book club was 'New Boy' by Tracy Chevalier. It is a retelling of Shakespeare's classic tragedy 'Othello.' Set in the 1970s, it takes place on an elementary school playground throughout the course of one school day. It's told in 5 parts, made up of several recesses, after-lunch, and after-school times. The characters are primarily 6th graders, and their world revolves around who has a crush on whom, who is breaking which rules, and who has studied for the latest test. A new student, Osei, arrives and that throws ripples into the lives of many of the kids; he is black, from Africa, and has been through five schools in the past year so he knows what it is like to be the 'new kid.' All the other students are white, and he quickly befriends the most popular girl in school, Dee. Dee's classmate Ian is overcome with jealousy and begins plotting on how he can put the new student 'in his place.' I enjoyed it; it is a very quick read, and made me learn more about 'Othello.'

This book is part of the Hogarth Shakespeare project, which has several authors rewriting Shakespeare for modern audiences. The entire list of books in the project can be found at https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/.../hogarth-shakespeare/. The Vinton Public Library currently has Chevalier's 'New Boy' and 'Vinegar Girl' by Anne Tyler in our physical collection, and the remaining titles can be found on Libby.

Happy reading!

~Kelly Henkle, Library Director