The Order of Things

by Kaija Langley; Penguin Random House, Nancy Paulsen Imprint,
June 6, 2023, ARC compliments of NetGalley

As a supporter of the arts, Kaija Langley’s writings weave artistic form throughout her published works, whether music, theater or dance her love of the arts, shines through. Born an only child, Kaija learned early on the powerfulness of words, and explored this skill often as she loved to read and write. Libraries and theaters were an everyday part of Kaija’s life growing up on the east coast. Roll of Thunder: Hear My Cry, was the first book bearing character representation of a young Black girl Kaija received, and it changed her perspective on writing books that would resonate with readers much like her. Kaija Langley graduated from Morgan State University, and went on to receive an MFA in Fiction from St. Mary’s College in California. When Langston Dances was her debut picture book and garnered several literary awards. A new picture book is due to be released in the fall of 2024. 

Drum and violin duo. Bookends. Exhale.  Grief. Drum roll please.

In April’s life, music makes everything better, at least this is what she believed until the order of things in her life erupted.  April’s mom brought home a ‘woman friend’ and Zee, April’s almost-like-a-brother neighbor, best friend and bookend, changed schools. Four days before Christmas, April finds herself waiting for Zee at the intersection watching snowflakes fall, only to find there is no trace of her friend. Broken drumsticks, fainting spells, promises kept and worry that is “hard to swallow” consumes April. The Blues take over April’s life. Gone are the days of family supper nights, music flowing throughout the apartment, and Papa Zee’s bad jokes. Now, April must learn to live life in the same place, just different people taking center stage.

What works: This novel in verse has text that functions as lyrics on a page. Bolded sentence-openers grace the head of each page, bringing the reader into a story flow that never misses a beat. The author’s comfort with blending text is well crafted on the pages of this story, as she introduces the reader to the world of the arts. Dedication, exposure and the ability to live and dream again are all seamlessly tied together in this touchstone text. The author’s lived experience serves as a catalyst in the unfolding of this story as she brings awareness to the rare disease of sudden cardiac arrest.  

What doesn’t work: An author’s note was a needed addition to explain how this story came to be a part of her lived experience but also to offer information to others about this rare disease.   Listing the signs and ways to recognize and respond to this health issue in an ‘at a glance’ format would have made it a more appealing end of text addition. 

Sudden Cardiac Arrest:  Signs, Symptoms, What to do.                                            

Pass It OR Grab It? “Grab It”, As a middle grade novel in verse this text serves as an empathy builder and brings awareness to a serious health issue.