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Solo Audiobook
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Publisher Description
Solo by Kwame Alexander and Mary Rand Hess is a New York Times bestseller! Kirkus Reviews said Solo is, “A contemporary hero’s journey, brilliantly told.” Through the story of a young Black man searching for answers about his life, Solo empowers, engages, and encourages teenagers to move from heartache to healing, burden to blessings, depression to deliverance, and trials to triumphs. And the audio is narrated by Kwame Alexander himself, featuring original music that ties to the book.
Blade never asked for a life of the rich and famous. In fact, he’d 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 he’s 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 Kwame’s 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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“Alexander’s affection for Blade is obvious through his narration. He wrings every drop of emotion from a poignant story of a teen who is missing his mother, who died years ago, and battling his father, a broken-down rock star…Peppered with references to songs by famous rockers like Lenny Kravitz and Stevie Nicks, Blade’s own songs—set to music and sung by Randy Preston—are an integral part of this moving audio production. Winner of the AudioFile Earphones Award.”
— AudioFile
Quotes
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“A contemporary hero’s journey, brilliantly told.”
— Kirkus Reviews (starred review) -
“A rhythmic, impassioned ode to family, identity, and the history of rock and roll.”
— Booklist (starred review) -
“Many readers will identify with Blade’s struggle to find his place in a family where he feels like an outsider.”
— Publishers Weekly
Awards
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A 2018 Audie Award Finalist for Best Young Adult Narration
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About the Authors
Kwame Alexander is a poet, speaker, educator, and bestselling author of more than a dozen books, including The Crossover, which received the 2015 John Newbery Medal for the Most Distinguished Contribution to American Literature for Children. His other works include the novels He Said, She Said and Booked, as well as his nonfiction debut, The Playbook: 52 Rules to Aim, Shoot, and Score in This Game Called Life. He is the cofounder of LEAP for Ghana, an international literacy program.
Mary Rand Hess has been writing and editing professionally for over twenty years. She writes everything from poetry, novels, and picture books, to screenplays and teleplays. Her work has been published in several regional, national, and international publications. In addition, she has had the privilege of running an independent publishing company, while working with award-winning, high profile figures in the literary, sports, and entertainment industries. Over the years, Mary has been a Stephen Minister, and has taught creative writing, drama, art, and Sunday school. In her spare time, she loves to compose on the piano, listen to copious amounts of music, read, create mixed media art, and spend time with family and friends. She can’t imagine a world without stories, poetry, and rock and roll.