Synopses & Reviews
The known facts surrounding the shooting death of sixteen-year-old Tariq Johnson are few. On the evening of June 17, between 5:22 and 5:35 p.m., Johnson sustained two nine millimeter gunshot wounds to the torso. Police officers arrived on the scene at 5:39 p.m. Johnson was pronounced dead at 6:22 p.m. by EMTs at the scene. Police pursued and apprehended a suspect, Jack Franklin, who allegedly shot Johnson before leaving the scene in a borrowed vehicle. Franklin was pulled over nearly four miles away from the site of the shooting, at 5:56 p.m. A nine millimeter handgun, recently fired, was found in the backseat. Additional unsubstantiated allegations relating to the case are many. Police took statements from seven eyewitnesses at the scene. The result was seven different versions of what happened. No two individual accounts of the June 17 events line up. The hard evidence itself is not clear cut. By the day, it seems, new twists and turns emerge that add further shadows to obscure the truth.This is the story of how it went down.
Review
Praise for
How It Went Down:*"A racially charged shooting reveals the complicated relationships that surround a popular teen and the neighborhood that nurtured and challenged him . . . This sobering yet satisfying novel leaves readers to ponder the complex questions it raises." -
Kirkus Reviews, STARRED REVIEW"With a great hook and relatable characters, this will be popular for fans of realistic fiction. The unique storytelling style and thematic relevance will make it a potentially intriguing pick for classroom discussion." -
School Library Journal"Through this resonant chorus of voices, Magoon masterfully captures the cycle of urban violence and the raw emotions of the young people who cant escape its impact." - Publishers Weekly STARRED REVIEW
Praise for 37 Things I Love:"Bittersweet and hopeful. . . . Chock-full of teen appeal, and fans of Gayle Formans If I Stay will enjoy this equally quick yet emotionally charged story." —Book Page
"Another powerful outing from a rising star." —Kirkus Reviews
"Emotionally sensitive." —BCCB
"[An] intelligent, affecting novel." —Publishers Weekly
"There is much to this slim book—coming of age, death, hope, love—and Ellis is a character to care about and cheer on for a long, long time." —The Horn Book
Review
Praise for How It Went Down: “The layered voices tell a story both simple and complicated, heartbreaking and maddening.” —
The Chicago Tribune “Kekla Magoons books just keep getting better….Its an important, compelling story that everyone should read, especially high school students trying to make sense of our supposed post-racial world.” —
BookPage, A Teen Top Pick “In
How It Went Down, Kekla Magoon deftly renders us witnesses to an all-too-common news flash in uncommon, unflinching prose. Gripping to the end.” —Rita Williams-Garcia Newbery Honor winner, National Book Award finalist, and Coretta Scott King Award winner “A hard-hitting look at the ripple effects of one act of violence on an entire community.
How It Went Down is engrossing and real—it's the right book at the right time.” —Coe Booth, LA Times Book Prize winner “Thoughtful and compassionate, beautifully composed, this book takes us inside what we think we know and shows us more.” —Helen Frost, Printz Honor winner
*“Magoon masterfully captures the cycle of urban violence and the raw emotions of the young people who cant escape its impact.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review *"How It Went Down is a snapshot in time, a fascinating study of people caught in the crosshairs of an "Event." . . . A particularly timely tale that can create dialogue and provide understanding about the decisions other people make, and the actions they take." —VOYA, starred review *“This sobering yet satisfying novel leaves readers to ponder the complex questions it raises.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review "The many voices provide poignant insights into the forces at play in the impoverished neighborhoods, where joining a gang is tough to resist, but the various perspectives also offer compelling and plausible insights into the way perceptions and preconceptions shape narratives and affect our actions." —BCCB "A powerful novel that will resonate with fans of Myster's Monster and Woodson's Miracle's Boys." —The Horn Book “Kekla Magoons How It Went Down about a black teen who is shot by a white man, is . . . just the right title for young adults grappling with the headlines streaming in every day.” —School Library Journal “Heartbreaking and unputdownable.” —School Library Journal
Synopsis
A 2015 Coretta Scott King Author Honor Book
One death. Two bullets. Seven eyewitnesses...with seven different stories.
When sixteen-year-old Tariq Johnson dies from two gunshot wounds, his community is thrown into an uproar. Tariq was black. The shooter, Jack Franklin, is white.
In the aftermath of Tariq's death, everyone has something to say, but no two accounts of the events line up. Day by day, new twists further obscure the truth.
Tariq's friends, family, and community struggle to make sense of the tragedy, and to cope with the hole left behind when a life is cut short. In their own words, they grapple for a way to say with certainty: This is how it went down.
This title has Common Core connections.
Synopsis
When sixteen-year-old Tariq Johnson dies from two gunshot wounds, his community is thrown into an uproar. Tariq was black. The shooter, Jack Franklin, is white.
In the aftermath of Tariq's death, everyone has something to say, but no two accounts of the events line up. Day by day, new twists further obscure the truth.
Tariq's friends, family, and community struggle to make sense of the tragedy, and to cope with the hole left behind when a life is cut short. In their own words, they grapple for a way to say with certainty: This is how it went down.
About the Author
Kekla Magoon is the author of several books for young adults, including 37 Things I Love and The Rock and the River, winner of the Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe Award. She is a New York City-based writer, editor, speaker, and educator.