Kaija Langley

Representation: Black characters
Trigger warnings: Death of a friend from a heart attack and another person in the past mentioned, grief and loss depiction
Score: Seven out of ten.

I did not know of The Order of Things by Kaija Langley until a few days ago when I briefly discovered it circling my recommendations. It was hard to get it as no library had this one physically but one had it in eBook form, so I picked it up. The blurb made it seem heartbreaking, and when I closed the final page, it delivered.

It starts with April and Zee, a violin player, living as friends and even going to the same school. April pursues playing the drums after the opening pages. As April keeps working on that, Zee suffers from some close calls, until he dies from a sudden cardiac arrest, darkening the mood from there. April deals with the situation by grieving over the loss of Zee and trying her best to move on, but April keeps thinking about Zee when she tries to live her typical life, and that's where the narrative takes a turn. April decides to work as a mailer since Zee's father took a break after losing his son. He never moves on in the end as he leaves April behind, much to my dismay. The writing style is alright--it's enough to keep the story going but it's more like spaced out prose than real poetry. Inserting more poetic devices or switching to prose would be an improvement. The characters are likable and Langley wrote April well as she was flawed (adding depth) but still an enjoyable character to read, yet I didn't relate to the characters, but it's most likely that I hadn't lived through this exact experience. The plot is simple as it's nothing but another work of fiction about grief. I've read a lot of those. Few are in verse like this one like Call Me Adnan. That makes it stand out. The pacing is engaging, albeit a little slow as Langley takes time developing the characters and the conclusion is bittersweet.… (más)

What happens when a little boy who likes basketball learns that he loves ballet?

Langston, a little Black boy, is enchanted by an Alvin Ailey Dance Company performance he sees with his mother. After the performance, Langston asks, “Do you think I can dance like that?” She lovingly responds, “You can do whatever you set your mind to doing.” Langston envisions twirling and leaping, just like the dancers. However, Langston faces opposition when another boy sees him dancing and admonishes, “Boys don’t dance like that.” A bit jarred, he defends his passion and heads to his first dance class anyway. Langston is the only boy amid the pink-tutu–clad little girls. When his teacher, Ms. Marie, gives him a pair of black ballet shoes, he runs and leaps across the room in excitement. This is a tenderly told story about self-acceptance. The love and support that Langston receives from his mother serve to buoy his confidence, but it is his awareness of his passion that sustains him and pushes him to do what makes him happy: a lesson for every child. The illustrations are warm and dreamy. Langston, his mother, and the other children, depicted as racially diverse, look almost photorealistic. This book will pair equally well with Julián Is a Mermaid, by Jessica Love (2018), and I Am Every Good Thing, by Derrick Barnes and illustrated by Gordon C. James (2020). (This book was reviewed digitally.)

The absolute embodiment of Black boy joy, this is a beautiful and important book. (Picture book. 4-8)
(Kirkus Review)… (más)

11-year-old April has been best friends with Zee since they were born only a month apart. They live across the hallway from each other in their apartment building and together, along with April’s mom, and Papa Zee - the four are a family. This school year though, things are changing. Zee has gotten into the new charter school specializing in music for his violin and April is staying behind at their old school.

But, when tragedy strikes and Zee passes away, April is forced to relearn what it means to continue after losing everything she once knew.

I went into this quite blindly. I’m a sucker for novel-in-verse books, especially middle grade because they seem all the more powerful to me for some reason. I saw this one on NetGalley and immediately requested to read it without much else. That being said, after reading it, I fully read the description and I do think it needs to be changed up - it gives away 95% of the book. When I recommend this, I’m going to try and suggest they not read the description to not give anything away.

Besides the description being too much, I’m still going to be recommending this book to many others. It was beautiful and full of representation. This story talks about ways people deal with the pain of losing someone and what it means to speak up at the right time. This is all done in a way that, though a bit simplified for middle grade, it will still require some tissues.

*Thank you Nancy Paulsen Books and NetGalley for an advance digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review… (más)

The joy of dancing comes across with a sense of freeness and fun in this lovely illustrated read.

Langston likes basketball, but after he watches dancers perform on a stage, he discovers what he adores—dancing. He dances everywhere he goes, twirling, leaping and twisting. Despite some teasing, he's happy when his mother signs him up for classes at the dance studio. From one class to the next, he watches the various forms of dance until there's one he can't wait to jump in and join.

Ballet isn't often considered as the normal dance form for boys, but this book shows that it is...and that with wonderful finesse. Langston never, ever comes across as girly. The entire time through, he wears a basketball uniform. Even during a ballet class as he stands between the girls in their pink leotards, Langston smiles and does his positions while wearing the basketball uniform. This is clever in that it subtly steers listeners away from thoughts that Langston isn't a usual boy.

The illustrations are very true to life and show Langston as a normal kid with normal family and friends. He always radiates positivity and a love for what he does, no matter what those around him say. This already is inspiring. Even the support he gets from his mother and teacher keep everything bright.

The last scenes inspire and allow the full delight of Langston dancing to unfold and, through the illustrations, leave all possible negative thoughts far behind.

It's well done and a read that leaves a smile on the face (and dreams blooming in the heart). I received a complimentary copy and found this to be such a inspiring read.… (más)