Solo
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Blade never asked for a life of the rich and famous. In fact, heâd give anything not to be the son of Rutherford Morrison, a washed-up rock star and drug addict with delusions of a comeback. Or to no longer be part of a family known most for lost potential, failure, and tragedy, including the loss of his mother. The one true light is his girlfriend, Chapel, but her parents have forbidden their relationship, assuming Blade will become just like his father.
In reality, the only thing Blade and Rutherford have in common is the music that lives inside them. And songwriting is all Blade has left after Rutherford, while drunk, crashes his high school graduation speech and effectively rips Chapel away forever. But when a long-held family secret comes to light, the music disappears. In its place is a letter, one that could bring Blade the freedom and love heâs been searching for, or leave him feeling even more adrift.
Solo:
- Is written by New York Times bestselling author and Newbery Medal and Coretta Scott King Book Award-winner Kwame Alexander
- Showcases Kwameâs signature intricacy, intimacy, and poetic style, by exploring what it means to finally go home
- An #OwnVoices novel that features a BIPOC protagonist on a search for his roots and identity
- Received great reviews from Publishers Weekly, School Library Journal, Booklist, and Kirkus.
If you enjoy Solo, check out Swing by Kwame Alexander and Mary Rand Hess.
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Kwame Alexander is a #1 New York Times bestselling author of forty-seven books, including Booked; The Brainstormerz; The Mighty Macy; Black Star, a Coretta Scott King Author Honor Book; J vs. K, an illustrated novel he penned with Jerry Craft; and The Crossover, his Newbery Medal-winning novel turned EmmyÂŽ Award-winning Disney+ TV series. He regularly shares his passion for literacy, books and the craft of writing around the world, including Ghana, West Africa, where he opened the Barbara E. Alexander Memorial Library and Health Clinic. A recipient of the 2025 NAACP Image Award, Kwame is the founder of the literacy non-profit One Word at a Time. You can visit him at KwameAlexander.com
Mary Rand Hess is a poet, playwright, screenwriter, composer, mixed-media artist, and New York Times bestselling author of notable and award-winning books. Some of her picture books include The One and Only Wolfgang: From Pet Rescue to One Big Happy Family; Animal Ark: Celebrating Our Wild World in Poetry and Pictures; and Belong, a book near and dear to her heart. Whether sheâs creating for the page, stage, or screen, Mary has many stories and poems to dream up and share.
