How It Went Down
Kekla Magoon
How It Went Down
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Kekla Magoon
The text is written at a 7th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for middle graders (ages 9–12), and the content has moderate intensity with some emotionally heavy themes.
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About This Book
The sharp crack of a gunshot shatters the quiet, sending ripples through a community that will never be the same. Everyone remembers that day differently, but the pain is the same for all. What really happened to Tariq, and how can the truth be found when voices clash?
Themes
Quick Assessment
This middle-grade novel explores the aftermath of the shooting of a Black teenager and the different perspectives surrounding the event. It addresses themes of race, community, and the struggle to understand tragedy. Appropriate for readers ages 9-12, it contains mature topics handled thoughtfully, fostering critical conversations about justice and empathy.
Why we rated How It Went Down 12IE
How It Went Down is written at a Level 7 reading level across 322 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 8.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, How It Went Down works for readers up to grade 9.0.
We rate How It Went Down as 12IE ("Intense — Emotional") because the content sits in the "Moderate" range — moderate conflict that may involve loss, scary scenes, or interpersonal stakes. The strongest signals come from emotional weight, physical peril, social complexity, thematic difficulty — these are the dimensions parents should evaluate against their reader's tolerance.
Specific content flags noted by reviewers: Gun Violence, Death, Racial Tension.
Thematically, How It Went Down explores race relations, community, family, justice, and grief — these threads give the book room to mean different things to different readers.
Good fit for
- ✓ Children in the Ages 9-12 range — the maturity and attention span match the story's pacing.
- ✓ Patient readers who enjoy slower, character-driven stories.
- ✓ Kids drawn to stories about race relations, community, family.
Maybe not for
- ! Readers who get easily upset by emotional or moderately dark scenes — the conflict here is real, not just background flavor.
- ! Children who are sensitive to violence, even when handled at age-appropriate levels.
- ! Children currently coping with grief — the themes may hit close to home.
- ! Reluctant readers who need a fast hook — the pacing here rewards patience.
For Parents
Content Intensity
12IE — Intense — EmotionalReal stakes and emotional weight. May include sustained danger, loss, or bullying.
Content Flags
Was our "Moderate" content intensity rating accurate for this book?
Reading Insights
Hook Factor
1/10A steady, thoughtful read that rewards patient readers.
Discussion Potential
3/10A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9781627791595
- Pages
- 322
- Publisher
- Macmillan + ORM
- Published
- 2014
- Type
- Fiction