Kekla Magoon is the author of several books for young adults, including 37 Things I Love, the Coretta Scott King Honor/John Steptoe Award-winning The Rock and the River, and the Coretta Scott King Honor book How It Went Down. She has also contributed to the anthology Dear Heartbreak: YA Authors and Teens on the Dark Side of Love. She lives in Vermont. keklamagoon.com
"""A clarion call for action."" --Booklist, starred review ""A stellar and important read."" --Kirkus Reviews, starred review ""This gritty, emotional tale will leave readers gutted and compelled to stand against flawed systems."" --Publishers Weekly, starred review ""Nuanced . . . . Thought-provoking."" --School Library Journal, starred review How It Went Down: A Coretta Scott King Honor Book ""The layered voices tell a story both simple and complicated, heartbreaking and maddening."" --The Chicago Tribune ""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 ""Magoon masterfully captures the cycle of urban violence and the raw emotions of the young people who can't 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"