How It Went Down by Kekla Magoon

2015 Coretta Scott King honor book, How It Went Down by Kekla Magoon is powerful and thought provoking.  It will leave you questioning many aspects of our society.  Hands down, this was my favorite of the Nutmegs this year.

One afternoon 16 year old Tariq Johnson is shot dead in front of his friends.  Tariq is black and his killer is white.  In the aftermath of his shooting, everyone has an opinion as to what went down but no two accounts are the same.  Day by day new truths come out.  Tariq's friends, family, and community struggle to make sense of what happened and "how it went down".

I'll be honest this book made me very uncomfortable, but in a good way.  Born and raised in a farm town, my upbringing couldn't be more different than Tariq's.  It has taken me a long time to realize that it's ok to feel uncomfortable.  In fact, it can broaden our views and open our eyes to things we never saw (or wanted to see).

Back to the book.  Each chapter is through the eyes of someone different.  There's Tariq's friends, his mom, the shooter, the shooter's friend, people who didn't like Tariq, and a pastor that uses the shooting to further her political career- just to name a few.  The book is realistic fiction, but with all the turmoil that the United States is experiencing in regards to race relations it reads much more like nonfiction.

This book will open your eyes to the world around you that you may or may not have experienced.  It would be a great choice for a book talk or group discussion.  Clearly, I can't say enough about the book!  Check out How It Went Down today!

Nutmeg Book Award Nominees

I am so excited to read this year's Nutmeg Book Award Nominees!!  What are the Nutmegs you ask? Every year a committee of librarians, teachers, and students come together to create a list of books that they believe are the best .  The books are copyrighted in the United States, published within in the last 5 years, and are currently available in paperback.  In addition, these books are "well-written, with strong characterization, vivid setting, striking language, a well-constructed plot, and plausible conclusion" (Nutmeg).

This year's high school selection has something for everyone!!  We have all the books available for you to borrow.  If you want to get a jump start this summer, check with your public library.

Welcome!

Welcome to my new blog, Mrs. Kloepfer Reads!  Here I will be posting my picks and reviews.  I will try my best to read a variety of genres, however I will stick to mostly young adult books.  I am also open to suggestions!  I'm always looking for new things to read.  Hope you enjoy!