Solo

Blade Morrison is the son of a rock star who has fallen in a web of addictions. He has given Blade and his sister, Storm, a life of lights, paparazzi, and after parties. Blade wants to flea this life and focus on his girlfriend, Chapel. But, his father’s lifestyle has made this relationship complicated, for Chapel’s parents do not want her to see him.

He refuses to be like his father or sister. He hates everything about their way of thinking and behavior. Well, he soon finds out that his blood has been rejecting this way of life because he is adopted. Storm, angrily reveals to him this family secret. Blade struggles to understand, and he wants to know more. He begins the search for his mother and receives an envelope with her information. He immediately finds out that she is a teacher and is currently helping the people in Ghana. He heads to Ghana, leaving the life he knew behind. To his surprise, the madness he had been fleeing from, followed him. His father showed up in Ghana like the rock star he is! He promises to help build dormitories and to help the people.

Blade spends his 18th birthday in Ghana and meets a young woman whose inner beauty captivated him, Joy. His father gifts him a guitar, and Blade doesn’t want to accept it, but he loves it.  After several adventures in this magical new world, Blade and his father reconnected and undergo spiritual transformations.

After several days, Blade is finally able to meet his biological mother. He bombards her with questions, but doesn’t answer many. He obtains the answers he desperately needs after opening and envelope his deceased adoptive mother left him. Inside that envelope she explains why his biological mother gave him away but reassures him that she loves him deeply.

Ghana and its people have transformed Blade and his father. It took them from chaos to peace and true love. Blade knows what it truly feels to be home. 

This talented author has written several books which have earned him awards such as The Coretta Scott King Award and the Newbery Medal. He has written Swing, Rebound, The Playbook, The Crossover, and poetry because he believes it can change the world. 

Since giving students choices motivates them to be more involved in their project, the teacher can assign an author study project; Kwame Alexander can be included in the list. The teacher and the librarian can work together to provide the students with several books written by the author of their choice. If the school library does not have enough copies, they can always ask for the public library’s support. The students can learn about Alexander and how his books reflect his personality and his upbringing.

It would be wonderful for students to have some background knowledge on Ghana. Many students do not fully understand other cultures. The teacher can create a Prezi, PowerPoint, or provide a video that can give students that base knowledge that can help them appreciate the book much more. 

To learn about how this book was inspired, check out this video in which Kwame Alexander explains how Solo was born:

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hzJX7c2VwlQ

Alexander, K. H., & Hess, M. R. (2017). Solo. Grand Rapids, MI: HarperCollins.

Kwame Alexander. (2018, June 22). Retrieved October 24, 2018, from https://kwamealexander.com/about/me/