Light It Up

Name: Light It Up
Brand: Macmillan Publishers New Zealand Ltd
SKU: 9781250619860
Price: 24.99 NZD
Availability: InStock

By Kekla Magoon

0.0 (0 reviews)

Summary

Light It Up unfolds through multiple viewpoints, telling the story of a thirteen-year-old girl who is shot and killed by police while walking home from school. The community's response ignites unrest and protests, confronting issues of injustice and racial tension, with the arrival of white supremacist counter-demonstrators. This powerful, layered narrative explores strength and the impact of systemic flaws.
Read More

Format: Paperback / softback

$24⁹⁹

AVAILABLE WITH SUPPLIER Ships from our Auckland warehouse within 4-6 weeks

Found a better price? Request a price match

Light It Up

$24⁹⁹

Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

Ideal for children and young adults interested in contemporary issues of social justice, racial inequality, and community activism. Suitable for fans of Jason Reynolds and Angie Thomas, and those seeking emotionally impactful stories told through multiple perspectives.

FICTION 1 Oct 2026

The Book Hero Team's September Reads

September was an especially busy month for the Book Hero team as we did the...

Come Celebrate New Zealand Bookshop Day with Us!

Next Saturday, New Zealand celebrates Bookshop Day - a day to celebrate the special place...

Rating All Our Julia Donaldson Picture Books

With Gruffalo Granny coming out recently I couldn't not do a post celebrating the collection...

FICTION 30 Sep 2026

New Releases to add to your TBR this week (29th September)

From celebrity memoirs to a brand new follow up to The Whale Rider, here is...

GIFTS 30 Sep 2026

New: Out of Print Book Merchandise has arrived!

We are so excited to share that we now have a selection in-stock of the...

From the author of the groundbreaking young adult novel How It Went Down comes the story of a second tragedy that rocks the community of Underhill - the police shooting of a young girl.

A powerful, layered story about injustice and strength.

Description

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 an unarmed 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.

Told in a series of vignettes from multiple viewpoints, Light It Up is a powerful, layered story about injustice and strength, perfect for fans of Jason Reynolds and Angie Thomas—as well as an incredible follow-up to the highly acclaimed 2014 novel How It Went Down.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

"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

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781250619860

Publisher: St Martin's Press

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 29 December 2020

Country: United States

Imprint: St Martin's Press

Audience: Teenage

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 25.0mm

Width: 140.0mm

Height: 210.0mm

Weight: 338g

Pages: 368

Collections

Children's Books Children's Fiction Children’s, Teenage and Educational Kekla Magoon Young Adult

About the Author

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

Also by Kekla Magoon

View all

Blue Stars: Mission One: The Vice Principal Problem: A Graphic Novel

Two everyday superheroes set out to save the world—starting with their school—in an exciting new middle-grade graphic series from two award-winning authors and a debut illustrator. When cousins Riley Halfmoon and Maya Dawn move to Urbanopolis to live with their activist grandma, they get off to a rocky start. Outgoing Riley misses her Muscogee cousins but is sure that she...

By Cynthia Leitich Smith and Kekla Magoon

Paperback

$27⁹⁹

Available
Ships in 4-6 weeks
Prom Babies

A compelling, multi-generational novel from the Coretta Scott King and Printz Honor-winning author of How It Went Down, Light It Up, and The Minus-One Club, Prom Babies chronicles the stories of three teen girls who become pregnant on prom night. Eighteen years later, their three babies, now high school seniors, are headed to prom and facing their own set of...

By Kekla Magoon

Hardback

$39⁹⁹

Available
Ships in 4-6 weeks
Pre-order

Alfie Hazard and the Spy Cats: A Spy in the Embassy

Alfie Hazard and the Spy Cats: A Spy in the Embassy is a clever tale of a ten-year-old boy and his two savvy cats who set out to catch a spy causing trouble at the embassy they call home. This is the first instalment of a fun new illustrated series for kids ages 8–10 from award-winning author Kekla Magoon. The...

By Kekla Magoon

Hardback

$28⁹⁹

Pre-order
Out 2 Feb 2027

More from Children's Books

View all

New Release

Gruffalo Granny

The brand new Gruffalo picture book from Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler. The Gruffalo said to his daughter one day, "Your Gruffalo Granny is coming to stay." Return to the deep dark wood with the first new Gruffalo story in over 20 years, and meet Gruffalo Granny as she visits the Gruffalo family. This fresh and exciting new Gruffalo adventure...

By Julia Donaldson

Hardback

$24⁹⁹
Elsewhere:
~~$30⁰⁰~~

In Stock
Ships tomorrow
New Release

Wahine

From a majestic mermaid to a clay woman, the creator of glaciers to the mother of gardening, discover powerful wahine and how their stories shaped the world around us. Wahine introduces readers to twelve purakau of brave, bold, and inspiring women of Aotearoa. A beautifully illustrated collection that will delight the whole whanau, from award-winning illustrator Isobel Joy Te Aho-White....

By Isobel Joy Te Aho-White

Hardback

$31⁹⁹
Elsewhere:
~~$39⁹⁹~~

In Stock
Ships tomorrow
New Release

The Sweet As Looky Book

Can you find all the chocolate fish? Is it possible for kiwi to fly? Can you spot the difference? See Aotearoa New Zealand through the eyes of award-winning artist Donovan Bixley in The Sweet As Looky Book. Use your finest skills to seek out pirates in the Bay of Islands and birds in Rakiura Stewart Island. Get in a car...

By Donovan Bixley

Hardback

$22⁹⁹
Elsewhere:
~~$27⁹⁹~~

In Stock
Ships tomorrow
New Release

The Day of the Dinosaur Disaster

Angry anacondas, blizzarding blobs, carnivorous cactuses ... what kind of twisted curse will Glam-Evil think up this time?!Only it's not just Glam-Evil's curse the gang needs to worry about; they've got a few other problems, too. Swooping Pteranodons, a hungry T-Rex, a missing mother, and ... is that ... an ASTEROID?!Join MILES AND JONES as they face their biggest challenge...

By Sam Smith

Paperback

$14⁰⁰
Elsewhere:
~~$14⁹⁹~~

In Stock
Ships tomorrow
New Release

The Neverfear

A world of richly-imagined wonder Cressida Cowell It’s the Midsummer Feast on the Islet of Glimt and on this magical moonlit evening, the word on everyone’s lips is bandits. Reports of masked men burning villages are spreading throughout the Archipelago, but worse is still to come: Christopher and Anya are ambushed and one of the people they love most is...

By Katherine Rundell

Paperback

$19⁹⁹
Elsewhere:
~~$22⁹⁹~~

In Stock
Ships tomorrow
New Release

Mari the Unwonderful Witch

A charming, cosy and thought-provoking tale about a wonderfully unconventional little witch, by bestselling author of BUTTER, Asako Yuzuki. Perfect for fans of WICKED, KIKI'S DELIVERY SERVICE, and THE HATMAKERS series by Tamzin Merchant - and anyone who likes an enchanting adventure with just a hint of mischief. Mari the Unwonderful Witch introduces us to Mari, an eleven-year-old witch who...

By Asako Yuzuki

Paperback

$19⁹⁹
Elsewhere:
~~$24⁰⁰~~

In Stock
Ships tomorrow
New Release

Animalia 40th Anniversary Edition

A beautiful, foiled collector's edition to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Graeme Base's classic and bestselling Australian picture book, Animalia. Embark on a fantastical alphabetic adventure where each turn of the page unveils a rich tapestry of intricate illustrations tied to a unique letter of the alphabet. More than 5 million copies sold worldwide Children's Book Council of Australia (CBCA)...

By Graeme Base

Hardback

$29⁹⁹
Elsewhere:
~~$35⁰⁰~~

In Stock
Ships tomorrow
New Release

The Comeback Kid

Charlie Boy might be just an ordinary kid, but he's about to get into some EXTRA-ordinary trouble... Get ready for this funny, fast-paced, friendship adventure with lots of kick. Meet Charlie Boy: skinny, small, looks like a strand of spaghetti. He and his best friend, Rocky the Lower Hutt Chief, are good at getting into trouble together. But when Charlie...

By Airana Ngarewa

Paperback

$17⁹⁹
Elsewhere:
~~$19⁹⁹~~

In Stock
Ships tomorrow
New Release

Millie from Milford

Based on the true story of Ruth Shaw and her husband Lance looking after a baby seal that had been shot between the eyes. Millie from Milford lives in Milford Sound, the number one tourist destination in Aotearoa New Zealand. After Millie was checked by a vet, she was taken to Ruth and Lance's home to be looked after until...

By Ruth Shaw

Paperback

$22⁹⁹
Elsewhere:
~~$27⁹⁹~~

In Stock
Ships tomorrow
New Release

The Case of the Tall Stranger: Violet and the Velvets 4

But disaster strikes when guitarist Jack breaks his wrist and can no longer play. On top of that, all their hard work fundraising has fallen short! When help comes from unexpected channels, the Velvets make it to the Big Apple just in time to compete against the best kid bands in the whole world, including their new rivals the Blazer...

By Rachael King

Paperback

$16⁰⁰
Elsewhere:
~~$18⁹⁹~~

In Stock
Ships tomorrow
New Release

Pocket Observology

Pocket Observology is a practical field guide designed for those who love to explore and understand the natural world around them. Slip this guide out of your pocket to identify, measure, compare, or find clues to the things you encounter every day in nature. This pocket guide is a useful tool and a fun reminder of how to engage with...

By Giselle Clarkson

Paperback

$23⁹⁹
Elsewhere:
~~$27⁹⁹~~

In Stock
Ships tomorrow
New Release

Minecraft Annual 2027

The official Minecraft Annual 2027, full of updates, builds, activities, and more! Discover all there is to know about the past year of Minecraft in this exciting annual. Stuffed to the brim with updates, activities, step-by-step builds, and tips and tricks for the game, this book is a must-have for any minecrafter. This year’s annual includes: Mob guides on happy...

By Mojang AB

Hardback

$19⁹⁹
Elsewhere:
~~$24⁹⁹~~

In Stock
Ships tomorrow

Why buy from us?

Book Hero is not a chain store or big box retailer. We're an independent 100% NZ-owned business on a mission to help more Kiwis rediscover a love of books and reading!

Service & Delivery

Our warehouse in Auckland holds over 100,000 books, toys, board games and puzzles in-stock so you're not waiting for your order to arrive from overseas.

Auckland Bookstore

We're primarily an online store, but for your convenience you can pick up your order for free from our bookstore, which is right next door to our warehouse in Hobsonville.