Solo by Kwame Alexander

There is SO much to love about Solo by Kwame Alexander!

…tells the story of seventeen-year-old Blade Morrison, whose life is bombarded with scathing tabloids and a father struggling with just about every addiction under the sun—including a desperate desire to make a comeback. Haunted by memories of his mother and his family’s ruin, Blade’s only hope is in the forbidden love of his girlfriend. But when he discovers a deeply protected family secret, Blade sets out on a journey across the globe that will change everything he thought to be true.

The first thing you must know about this book is that it’s told in verse. And now as more books are written in verse, young readers will become familiar with it. Prose written in verse is just another way of catching the reader’s interest and teaching them to track words. Tricky teaching, I love it!

The best thing about the book is that it is a story of a Black family so it qualifies for the Diversity Reading Challenge but it is also a story that any YA reader will respond to. To imagine life as the child of a famous person? That must be the best life, right? We’ll see.

The third best thing about this title is that it includes a playlist! At the top of every chapter is a song with the artist information; so in theory you could load up your playlist and listen to a song as it relates to the chapter. Geniusness!!

Add this to your collection ASAP!