The New Student: A Graphic Novel

Mr. Wolf's Class #6

by Aron Nels Steinke

Someone new is about to join Mr. Wolf's class!Mr. Wolf's class is welcoming Zora to her first day at Hazelwood Elementary. As the new kid, she wants to make a good first impression, but when her introduction goes a little too well, not everyone is happy for her. Randy is used to being the one who can make everyone laugh, and she's not sure how to feel about sharing that spotlight with somebody else. When the competition becomes heated and feelings get hurt, Zora and Randy will have to figure out how to get along in the same class!

Genres: Graphic Novels, Childrens

Kindle Edition

Published August 4, 2026

Reviews

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh, the joy when my 8 yr old came racing in to tell me he’d finished this. We got a play by play of the silent ball game towards the end. Happily recommending this to all the 8yr olds (and surrounds!) that I know.

[Sonia Adams · Rating 4 out of 5]

Author & Illustrator Aron Nels Steinke's sixth book in the Mr. Wolf's Class graphic novel series was interesting to read. Unlike the previous novels, The New Student, takes place on the first day of school. The new student named Zora is anxious to make new friends and adjust to the rigors of fourth grade at Hazelwood Elementary school. What I found particularly interesting about this novel is that young readers tune in to Zora's inner thoughts and feelings. Her struggles with self-doubt and fear derive from her previous school experiences.

As readers bear witness to Zora and her classmate Randy struggles to understand each other, they also attest to their teacher Mr. Fox teaching and acclimating students with daily routines and proper decorum in the classroom. Mr. Fox is a stern, caring, and empathetic teacher who wants all of his students to be engaged learners. He also models for students how to treat each other with an ethic of care through mutual respect, creativity, and support.

I recommend The New Student for upper elementary students to read. I look forward to reading more of Steinke's graphic novels in the Mr. Wolf's Class series.

[Shanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another really cute edition of Mr. Wolf’s Class! It had been a while since I read the other books in the series, so I was glad that there was a new kid and everyone kind of got reintroduced! This one starts off with Samson and Oscar hanging out making a comic that ends up being a subplot. At school, there is a new student, Zora. Everyone is excited to meet her. Everyone except Randy.

Randy had to move desks to accommodate Zora. She is isolated from her friends almost immediately. Meanwhile, Zora is trying to win over her classmates by telling them her family owns a candy factory (they don’t) and giving them lots of candy. Randy sees this and thinks she’s the only one who can see it. When Randy questions Zora on a school assignment and tells her she is lying, things start to escalate and both girls must try to figure out how to get along.

I like this series because it shows how real kids sometimes are and how having a good teacher is important in their day-to-day lives. Each kid in Mr. Wolf’s class is different, but they all learn from one another and manage to work together (most of the time).

Mia’s 3rd Year of Books: Days 187-191

#FirsttoCheckOut

[Matt Glaviano · Rating 4 out of 5]

Steinke comes across as a bit of a moralist and sometimes his desire to teach runs counter to his desire to tell a good story. That said, I still find his work compelling because I think he's good at explaining dilemmas in a kid-like manner, and I think his montages are top notch. Generally, I like his art and storytelling... what's holding me up writing now (I think) is recently reading Mac Barnett's book about kid lit. Steinke definately borders on didactic occasionally in this book. I don't think his entire mission is to "educate" - I think he's interested in telling good stories, too. But I'm not convinced that the two goals don't run counter to each other here, each one weakening the effectiveness of the other.

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

My 8yo and I read this graphic novel together. The illustrations are so much fun- detailed, fully colored and entertaining. Zora is the new kid in Mr. Wolf’s class and Randy’s jealousy fuels a rivalry. This is a great book for elementary readers- lots to discuss about social dynamics. Very relatable. I borrowed a physical copy from the local library.

[Meijie Xu · Rating 5 out of 5]

my kid loves it

and laughed really loud at the paper airplane part ! So did I ~ you should read all 6 of it