Light It Up (Hardcover)

Light It Up By Kekla Magoon Cover Image
$18.99

Description


Told in a series of vignettes from multiple viewpoints, Kekla Magoon's Light It Up is a powerful, layered story about injustice and strength—as well as an incredible follow-up to the highly acclaimed novel How It Went Down.

A girl walks home from school. She's tall for her age. She's wearing her winter coat. Her headphones are in. She's hurrying.

She never makes it home.

In the aftermath, while law enforcement tries to justify the response, one fact remains: a police officer has shot and killed a thirteen-year-old girl. The community is thrown into upheaval, leading to unrest, a growing movement to protest the senseless taking of Black lives, and the arrival of white supremacist counter demonstrators.

This title has Common Core connections.

About the Author


Kekla Magoon writes novels and nonfiction books for teens, including 37 Things I Love, The Rock and the River, How It Went Down, Light It Up, and Revolution in Our Time: The Black Panther Party’s Promise to the People, which was a National Book Award Finalist, LA Times Book Prize Finalist, and Michael L. Printz Honor book. Kekla received the 2021 Margaret A. Edwards Award for her significant and lasting contribution to young adult literature. Past recognitions include a Boston Globe/Horn Book Award, an NAACP Image Award, and four Coretta Scott King Honors. She holds a BA from Northwestern University and an MFA from Vermont College of Fine Arts. When she is not writing, Kekla can be found entertaining a pair of energetic orange cats or riding her bike through the hills of Vermont.

Praise For…


"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

"The masterful interweaving of stories provides a simultaneously intimate and bird’s-eye view of a nation that preaches 'justice for all' but has yet to fully grant it." —The Horn Book, 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



Product Details
ISBN: 9781250128898
ISBN-10: 1250128897
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)
Publication Date: October 22nd, 2019
Pages: 368
Language: English