HEAVENLY KIDS

In Orlowski’s middle-grade novella, a trio of guardian angels help a troubled boy find the right path.

As the story opens, Alvin, Lucy, and Everett’s boss in Heaven hands them a new assignment. These “kid angels,” who look like tweens, travel down to Earth, their robes and wings transforming into streetwear once they arrive. Their first stop is a sixth-grade basketball game, in which 12-year-old Jayden Zielinski is one of the players. Jayden has been a star on the court, but lately his skills have faltered. His parents’ divorce is a distraction, and his teammate Bryson mocking him for losing games and his father, the coach, never cutting him a break only makes matters worse. The angels are there to guide him, but they aim to do so without altering Jayden’s free will; for example, Lucy only uses her empathic ability sparingly to ease tension. The three angels pose as new enrollees at St. Clement School and make friends with Jayden; at some points, they invisibly watch over him. They await Jayden’s true test—a mysterious “storm” that he’ll soon be facing. Orlowski’s story, which features religious elements, tackles serious issues with a refreshing candidness. Alvin, for example, must resist the urge to wield his angelic powers against potential bullies, and Jayden makes a startling choice that has grave consequences. Nevertheless, the guardians’ humanlike qualities lighten the mood, as when Alvin and Lucy have “cloudball” fights. At the same time, Jayden is an appealing hero who’s even-tempered and regularly visits an elderly widower neighbor. The author’s breezy prose aids in maintaining a generally straightforward plot, and the angelic powers, which apparently include telepathy, aren’t overly complicated. The story ultimately builds to a few crucial turns, including a precarious situation involving Jayden and an unexpected but welcome moment involving one of the angels.

A lighthearted and sometimes-profound tale of celestial beings and adolescent hardships.