The Day Tajon Got Shot
The Day Tajon Got Shot
By the Teen Writers of Beacon House
2017 INDIES Winner for Young Author (17 and Under)
2018 Top Fiction Winner - In the Margins Book Awards
Named "10 Books to Read After The Hate U Give" by School Library Journal.
Meet Tajon.
Tajon is sixteen and black. He's tall and skinny, and he has dreadlocks. Tajon works hard and tries his best to be good. He does O.K. in school. He has plans. He's determined.
Tajon is the kind of son who cares about his family. He's the kind of brother who stands up for his sister. He's the kind of kid who dreams big dreams to get himself and those he loves up and out of the hood.
Tajon is the one who gets shot.
ISBN: 978-0996927451
Age: 12+
Lexile: HL600L
Page Count: 230
Published: 2017
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Meet the Authors
As young people from the Edgewood Commons community in Northeast D.C., where most residents are Black and generational poverty is persistent, Beacon House writers wanted to tell fictional stories inspired by their own lived experiences. Through weekly after-school writing workshops led by Shout Mouse teaching artists, cohorts of youth authors write imaginative, collaborative novels that center the experiences of Black youth. We’re so proud of the ways their books have influenced conversations around race, resilience, and youth perspectives across the city and the country. Through Author Talks, book donations, and books sales, the voices of Beacon House authors have reached readers and leaders across the country. Proceeds from Beacon House titles support new authors and fund future programming for the Beacon House community.
My name is Najae Purvis (she/her). I was in middle school when I wrote my first book with Shout Mouse Press. I am currently a freshman in college studying engineering and am working on getting business registrations for multiple ventures. I plan on being a licensed architect, realtor, and entrepreneur. In my free time, I like to do creative projects like art, fashion, and design.
Rose attended Imagine Hope Tolson when she authored her book. She likes to run track and play basketball and her favorite color is pink. She likes technology and in her free time she likes playing on her iPad. She likes cooking and doing hair. Writing this book is a pleasure to her because she gets to talk about how black lives matter.
J’yona is very athletic. She dances, sings, plays basketball, softball and tackle football. Her experience as a football player on a boys team was very fun and terrifying at the same time and she would do it all again. She went to DC Prep Edgewood Middle Campus when she authored her book. She likes to eat fries and bacon (separately). Her favorite colors are purple, blue, and pink. She wants this book to inform kids around the world that don't experience these events to know what is going on in our world.
T’Asia was in middle school when she wrote her first book The Day Tajon Got Shot and was 18 when she wrote What It Cost US. She is a graduate of Benjamin Banneker High School and is currently working and trying to reinvent my clothing business. When she’s older, she would like to be in the art field, working in fashion, painting, drawing, and modeling. She wants readers to know that when things get hard, you can still persevere and find things that make you happy so that you can keep pushing.
Jeanet attended Imagine Hope when she authored her book. She likes to dance and sing and play basketball with her best friends. She loves to read and write. Her favorite book is called Esperanza Rising by Pam Muñoz Ryan. This is the first book she has written and so far she has liked it! She hope that Tajon could still live, but she hopes that people will understand the book so they can change their attitudes and be more peaceful as a nation.
Temil is an outgoing young lady who attended Dunbar HS when she authored her books. Temil is likes to run track and to cheer. She is intelligent and athletic. Her favorite subject is math. She likes to write action and drama. Temil wrote her first book with Shout Mouse, Trinitoga, in seventh grade. She was in ninth grade when she wrote The Day Tajon Got Shot, and in tenth grade when she wrote Spanky the Pup: All Dogs Must Go.
Jonae attended Dunbar Senior High School when she authored her books. She has written three books with Shout Mouse Press, Trinitoga, The Day Tajon Got Shot, and most recently, Deena Misses Her Mom, when Jonae was a senior in high school.
Reiyanna likes to go outside. She likes to play sports. She likes basketball and dancing. She is random and moves around a lot. Writing this book makes her express something important. She had never written something like this before.
Serenity went to DC Prep when she authored her books. Her favorite color is purple. She likes playing sports. She likes every sport. She likes food, pizza especially. She liked writing Trinitoga because it felt real, and The Day Tajon Got Shot because it made her feel like justice should be done.
Recognition & Impact
-Jason Reynolds, award-winning and New York Times best-selling author of All American Boys, the Track series, Long Way Down, Miles Morales: Spider Man, and more.
The Day Tajon Got Shot received the gold award in the category of Young Authors in the 2017 Foreward Indies Awards.
The Day Tajon Got Shot featured on list of 9 Children’s Books About Police Brutality.
“This unique story, written by the teen writers of Beacon House, explores the perspectives of Tajon’s friends, the family of the officer, and others in the community. It powerfully illustrates how we are all interconnected, and how the tragedies of our world affect all of us.”
Shout Mouse Press’ writing programs and books were featured in an article on Reasons to Be Cheerful.
The Day Tajon Got Shot received the top fiction award in fiction category of the 2018 In The Margins Book Awards.
Recommendation: Get it soon if you’re looking for realistic fiction about current events, especially if you’re interested in hearing directly from teens.
VERDICT This smart and courageous YA novel will open up a dialogue started by young voices who deserve to be heard. A strong purchase.
DC City Council passed a ceremonial resolution to honor the authors of The Day Tajon Got Shot “for their commitment to using their voices to contribute to a national dialogue and to act as leaders in their community.”
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ISBN: 9781950807901
Age: 12+
Page Count: 220
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by the Young Writers of Shout Mouse Press
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What’s Inside:
✅ A diverse collection of youth-authored memoirs, poetry, fiction, comics, and children’s literature, featuring underrepresented voices.
✅ Creative writing prompts and behind-the-scenes insights to inspire students and emerging writers to tell their own stories.
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🎁 Readers who believe in the power of storytelling to spark dialogue and transform communities.
ISBN: 978-1-950807-82-6
Age: 12+
Page Count: 304
Stock your classroom with 20 copies of this powerhouse anthology and teaching tool. Or give it as a gift to a teacher or class! Even better — pair it with the Bright Before Us Inspiration Set!
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Age: 12+
Page Count: 304
Get the complete set of books featured in Bright Before Us, Like a Flame. A perfect classroom companion or a gift for a teacher. Pair it with the Bright Before Us Classroom Set.
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Makiya was a student Friendship Collegiate when she authored her books. She has written two books with Shout Mouse. She was fifteen when she wrote The Day Tajon Git Shot, and sixteen when she wrote her first picture book, Madison, Sit Down!