How It Went Down is such a perfect title for this book (Henry Holt and Company, 2014) by Kekla Magoon. This story of a teen’s shooting shows so many things. Such as, how we sometimes see what we expect to see. How we jump to conclusions. That what we read in the news is not as simple as we think.
Instead of being told from one viewpoint, this story is told from multiple viewpoints–teens and adults. We see how a number of the characters change because of the shooting of 16-year-old Tariq.
It’s a tough book to read as it is so emotional–not that the author went over the top by any means–but that the circumstances of the people and the decisions they have to make create emotion. And that the injustices create emotion. I found myself putting the book down for some distance and then returning when I could handle it again.
How It Went Down is a Junior Library Guild Selection. I think it should be required reading for teens.
You may want to read the FAQ on the author’s website. Kekla Magoon has written four other YA books and is also a nonfiction author. On her website there are links to interviews with her that make interesting reading and also some videos.
Tag: diversity
Fish in a Tree
I loved Fish in a Tree (Nancy Paulsen Books, 2015) by Lynda Mullaly Hunt.
Poor Ally has been hiding the fact that she can’t read. Instead teachers and others think she’s disruptive. She’s often in trouble–like sent-to-the-Principal’s-office trouble. In Ally’s words, “Seven schools in seven years and they’re all the same. Whenever I do my best, they tell me I don’t try hard enough.” The other kids get tired of her, too, and call her Freak. Dumb. Loser. Even her mom doesn’t understand. But Ally can’t tell the truth.
I loved the relationships in this book: Ally and her brother Travis, Ally and her new friends, Ally and her new teacher, Ally and her “away” father. I ached for Ally and all the frustrations and misunderstandings. (Can you tell I really liked this book?!)
And after finishing the book, I loved reading about how Ally’s brother came to be in this post. To learn more, go to the author’s website.
This is author Lynda Mullaly Hunt’s second book. Hopefully, there will be many more to come.
Absolutely Almost
I know the book is aimed at kids, but I think it is one both kids and parents should read. Absolutely Almost (Philomel, 2014) by Lisa Graff is one of those books that affects the kid in me and the parent in me. No one is great at everything–no matter what we think of others–and we often don’t reach or only almost reach our goals. So I feel Albie from the inside–that struggle of not quite fitting in. That feeling of not being good at anything (at least anything we can see as a kid.) But I also feel it on the parent side, where I’m desperately sorry for him and want to help make it right. The book is an NCTE Charlotte Huck Honor Book for Outstanding Fiction for Children.
Here’s a brief intro: Albie wasn’t supposed to hear when his grandfather says, “Not everybody can be the rock at the top of the rock pile.” But Albie knows he’s not good at figuring out how much to tip the delivery man bringing the Chinese food, which frustrates his parents. He also knows he was asked to leave Mountford Prep, which made his dad really mad. Even at his new school he can’t get a perfect on his spelling test, something else his dad is unhappy about. Why does everyone else figure out things quicker, faster? What can Albie do to make his parents proud of him?
There’s an interview with the author about why and how she wrote this book. Read it here. Find out more about Lisa Graff and her other books on her website.
Chained
Marvelous Middle Grade Monday
Chained (Farrar Straus Giroux, 2012) by Lynn Kelly is a story about a young boy in India rescuing others. First, it’s his mother, then it’s a baby elephant.
10-year-old Hastin thought that working at a circus taking care of an elephant would be fun. But he doesn’t like the cruel treatment of the Nandita, who has become his best friend. Can he escape his master? Can he help Nandita escape, too?
While doing research for this book, author Lynn Kelly came across some interesting elephant facts, which she shares here. There’s also a Chained website that includes deleted scenes and more, such as information about the elephant bell.
This book is a 2013 Crystal Kite winner–the award selected by SCBWI peers.
And here’s the cover for the book published in India–just because I like it.
The Stamp Collector
The Stamp Collector (Fitzhenry & Whiteside, 2012) by Jennifer Lanthier and illustrated by Francois Thisdale is a compelling picture book. It’s the story of two boys–one a stamp collector and one who loved words. One was from the city and poor. One was from the country.
The poor boy leaves school and takes a job as a prison guard. The country boy after seeing crops fail leaves school and goes to work in a factory. He writes. His stories bring hope to the villagers, but the grey men take him away. They say “words are dangerous” and send him to prison.
Both the guard and the prisoner are lonely, but there is no talking, no friendship, no laughter. The writer’s story is spreading. Letters start arriving for the writer, but he’s not allowed to see them. The guard saves a stamp, then another. One day he reads the letters. He can’t break the rules and give them to the prisoner. But he gives him a stamp. Then another. “Every stamp tells a story without words.”
When the prisoner gets sick, the guard brings him the letters that beg for another story. In whispers, he has the prisoner tell him a new story. He is holding the prisoner’s hand when he dies. The guard leaves his job, goes to a faraway library and begins to write.
This book has won a Crystal Kite Award and an Ezra Jack Keats Book Award.
Go to the author’s site to hear about her inspiration for this story.
Go to the illustrator’s site to see more of his beautiful artwork!