Maya Angelou: A Creative and Courageous Voice

Maya Angelou overcame a troubled childhood marked by racism, abandonment, and violence to become one of America's most beloved writers. Growing up in the segregated south, Maya experienced the harsh realities of discrimination. As an adult, she dedicated herself to the fight for civil rights. Today, her voice represents people from all walks of life. From her breakthrough autobiography I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings to "On the Pulse of Morning," the poem she wrote for President Bill Clinton's 1993 inauguration, Maya's writings have moved and inspired people around the world.

Children's Literature

Maya Angelou was born Marguerite Johnson in 1928, and her life, from that point on, was anything but ordinary. This biography, intended for sixth to eighth graders, gives a full overview of her life from birth to the present, describing her childhood and relationship with her brother, her young adulthood as an often-single mother, and her varied career as an actress, singer, activist and writer. The attention-grabbing narrative gives both intimate details and broad strokes, not shying away from what happened to Marguerite at a young age, but not going too far for the age of the audience. While some particulars seem to be intentionally missing, such as simply stating Marguerite gave birth or when her mother and brother died, the information that is there is well written and backed up with various asides about historical context and the people who touched Ms. Angelou's life. Overall this is a fantastic title for any library looking for up-to-date biographies, and is part of the "Life Portraits" series. Reviewer: Kathleen Foucart