BookBright
ABOUT THE BOOK
NO SPOILERSOn a June evening in Underhill, a city neighborhood, sixteen-year-old Tariq Johnson walks out of Rocky's store on Peach Street with groceries for his mother and a Snickers bar for his little sister, Tina. Minutes later he is dead, shot twice by Jack Franklin, a white man who drives off in a borrowed car and is soon released by the police after claiming self-defense. The people who were there cannot agree on what they saw. Some swear Tariq had a gun, others say the only thing in his hand was the candy bar, and nobody can settle whether he belonged to the 8-5 Kings, the street gang that had been working hard to recruit him. Over nine days, beginning that same evening, eighteen people take turns telling the story, among them his best friend Tyrell, his mother and grandmother, Tina in short poems, the gang's leader Brick, a waitress who tried to save him, the store owner, a hairstylist and a famous reverend who flies in for the cameras. As reporters crowd the block and the neighborhood argues, the question under all of it is who Tariq really was.
Free Battle of the Books questions for How It Went Down
SPOILERSEvery one of these has the same answer, and that is the point. In a real battle the question is read aloud with a dozen other books in play, and students have a few seconds to place it. Here is what a battle might ask about How It Went Down. Use them as a quiz, a trivia round, or BOTB practice.
Where in the book they come from
- Early in the book
In what book does a boy buy milk, salsa, two rolls of toilet paper and a candy bar?
✓ Answer
How It Went Down by Kekla Magoon
Store owner Rocky remembers exactly what Tariq bought, a half-gallon of milk, a big pour jar of salsa, two rolls of toilet paper and a Snickers bar, paid for with a ten. Rocky says Tariq always picked up a Snickers for his little sister, Tina.
- First half
In what book does a hairstylist end up with a famous visitor's forgotten briefcase?
✓ Answer
How It Went Down by Kekla Magoon
Reverend Sloan leaves his briefcase in the room where Kimberly did his makeup and never comes back for it after his speech. When she returns it, he offers her a paid job helping with his schedule and makeup.
- First half
In what book do two second graders split a banana and an apple at lunch?
✓ Answer
How It Went Down by Kekla Magoon
Junior remembers that he and Tariq were best friends in second grade and used to share their fruit, Tariq taking the banana and Junior the apple. Now in prison, he thinks of Tariq whenever there is an apple or a banana on his tray.
- Second half
In what book does a grieving mother wish she could hate the shooter, because hatred would be more bearable?
✓ Answer
How It Went Down by Kekla Magoon
On the day of the funeral, Vernesha imagines how she would watch this story on TV if it were happening to someone else. She wishes she could hate Jack Franklin, because hatred or anger would be more bearable than the sorrow she actually feels.
- Second half
In what book does a little girl scream and cling to cemetery gates instead of watching her brother's burial?
✓ Answer
How It Went Down by Kekla Magoon
Tina takes one look at the headstones and bolts, clinging to the tall gates and kicking when her mother tries to pull her off. Redeema tells Vernesha to go on and bury her boy, then sits on the sidewalk by the gates with Tina, telling her she's saving her Nana a long sad walk.
- Near the end
In what book does a suit-wearing stepfather ask his stepson to loan him a hoodie for a protest?
✓ Answer
How It Went Down by Kekla Magoon
Steve tries to keep Will away from the protest, until Will shouts that he likes Snickers too and Steve finally hears him saying this could happen to him. Steve then comes to Will's doorway and asks to borrow a hoodie so he can go along, even though Will's mom took Will's hoodies away.
