The Order of Things

Starred review from May 1, 2023
Langley (When Langston Dances) explores communal grieving and found family in this middle grade debut, a layered novel in verse. With her “best and only true friend” Zee Ellis admitted to study violin at a Boston STEAM charter school, 11-year-old April Jackson enters sixth grade determined to fulfill her own musical dreams by taking drum lessons with Zee’s dad. Music and her deepening bond with Papa Zee ground April as she clashes with a nosy, talkative classmate, takes in her queer single mom’s new romance, and worries about increasingly distant Zee, who experiences a possibly stress-induced health scare. After April reluctantly promises to keep Zee’s cardiac symptoms secret, his sudden death leaves her feeling regretful and “dreaming solo,” and when Papa Zee’s grief reaches new heights, April must reach out to her community to compose her new normal. Declarative lines paint a spare picture of interpersonal bonds and grief, while April’s resilience and desire to uplift loved ones guides a narrative that’s invested in themes of loss, ethics, and empathy. Most characters cue as Black. An author’s note provides background on sudden cardiac arrest. Ages 10–14. Agent: Charlotte Sheedy, Charlotte Sheedy Literary.

May 15, 2023
Grades 5-8 Eleven-year-old April's best friend (who, like her, is Black) is Zee, a boy who is a prodigy violinist. April herself is a wannabe drummer, taking lessons from Zee's father, Papa Zee. Life is good, but things begin to change when Zee faints one day at school for no discernable reason. Not long after, he experiences a frightening episode of rapid heartbeat but makes April promise not to tell anyone. She reluctantly agrees, but then the unthinkable happens: Zee suffers sudden cardiac arrest and dies. Suddenly, April's life is filled with change. Not only has she lost her best friend, but her single mama brings a date home: a woman whom April instantly dislikes. Then she learns a terrible secret about her tentative friend, a white classmate named Asa. Will she be able to keep Asa's secret after what happened with Zee? Langley has crafted a lovely, beautifully written, and well-plotted novel in verse, populated with memorable, empathetic characters who come alive on the page. Give her a standing O.

COPYRIGHT(2023) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

July 1, 2023
In this compelling verse novel set in Boston, African American tweens Zee and April are best friends. Each lives with their single parent in apartments across the hall from each other -- narrator April with Chantelle, her army-veteran mom who works nights for UPS; and Zee with his dad, Papa Zee, a postal carrier. The four function like a family. A virtuoso violinist, Zee now attends an arts school, leaving April to face sixth grade without him. Though passionate about drumming, April lacks Zee's confidence and tenacity. After Zee faints at school, he refuses to rest, wanting desperately to perform the orchestra solo. When April finds out that Zee is secretly practicing, she agrees not to tell his dad. Meanwhile, April's mother has fallen in love with a female coworker, who is becoming more a part of their lives, despite April's resistance. A tragedy changes everything, and April feels responsible. Her grief interferes with her drumming, but music also helps her recover. Langley takes readers on an emotionally turbulent ride while highlighting characters' strengths and flaws. The protagonists' love of music breathes life into the plot and propels the action forward. An honest and poignant portrayal of loss and grief that affirms that time and a supportive community contribute to healing. Michelle H. Martin

(Copyright 2023 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

June 16, 2023

Gr 4-6-Langley (When Langston Dances) deftly twines music, poetry, family, and friendship in her middle grade debut in verse. Eleven year-old April is a budding percussionist under the tutelage of neighbor and found family Papa Zee. When April's best friend Zee, Papa Zee's son and a violin prodigy, passes away unexpectedly, her life is thrown into chaos. Her mother is dating a woman from work and things are getting serious. Papa Zee struggles to maintain his job through his grief. At school, April's fledgling friend Asa is mysteriously unwell and frequently absent. As April navigates the tumult, she wrestles with a secret which might have saved Zee's life. Ultimately, an opportunity to use her voice to save another friend helps April find resolution. Langley's verse is both approachable and engaging. Despite a relatively low word count, characters, setting, and plot are richly developed. Readers coming for the music will stay for the feels; readers looking for a good cry may find themselves seeking out more about April's pantheon of "drum mavens." Characters are presumed cisgender; Mama is queer. April and most other characters are Black; Asa and her family are white. Papa Zee and April's mama are both single parents when the book begins. VERDICT A strong purchase for most collections and an easy recommendation for a variety of readers.-Taylor Worley

Copyright 2023 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from April 15, 2023
An 11-year-old girl suffers a devastating loss when her best friend suddenly dies. April and best friend Zee, both African American, live across the hall from each other in their Boston apartment building. Their tight unit is disrupted when gifted violinist Zee, who comes from a musical family, is admitted to a new STEAM charter school. April is happy for him but knows her school experience will change. Sure enough, she is paired with socially awkward Asa, who's shunned by the two other White girls in class. April asks Zee's dad, Papa Zee, to give her drumming lessons, fulfilling her own dreams. But there are difficult things too: Zee has some alarming health symptoms and swears April to secrecy, April's single mom is seeing a new woman, and Asa is behaving unusually. When Zee's next medical episode proves fatal, April's grief is compounded by her guilt over keeping quiet. Before long she's hiding something else, as she observes the extent of Papa Zee's depression. When she learns the truth about what Asa's family is going through, however, April realizes she has to share all she has been keeping inside. This well-crafted novel in verse is rich in detail and successfully conveys the depth of April's emotions. The characters are fully realized, and the themes of family, change, and grief are handled with sensitivity and care. A heart-rending narrative of friendship, family, and the path to healing. (author's note) (Verse fiction. 10-14)

COPYRIGHT(2023) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

July 1, 2023
In this compelling verse novel set in Boston, African American tweens Zee and April are best friends. Each lives with their single parent in apartments across the hall from each other -- narrator April with Chantelle, her army-veteran mom who works nights for UPS; and Zee with his dad, Papa Zee, a postal carrier. The four function like a family. A virtuoso violinist, Zee now attends an arts school, leaving April to face sixth grade without him. Though passionate about drumming, April lacks Zee's confidence and tenacity. After Zee faints at school, he refuses to rest, wanting desperately to perform the orchestra solo. When April finds out that Zee is secretly practicing, she agrees not to tell his dad. Meanwhile, April's mother has fallen in love with a female coworker, who is becoming more a part of their lives, despite April's resistance. A tragedy changes everything, and April feels responsible. Her grief interferes with her drumming, but music also helps her recover. Langley takes readers on an emotionally turbulent ride while highlighting characters' strengths and flaws. The protagonists' love of music breathes life into the plot and propels the action forward. An honest and poignant portrayal of loss and grief that affirms that time and a supportive community contribute to healing.

(Copyright 2023 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)