Rise!: From Caged Bird to Poet of the People, Maya Angelou

Best Children's Books of the Year, Bank Street College of Education Editor's Choice, Booklist Notable Books in the Language Arts, National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) Amelia Bloomer Project - Feminist Task Force, American Library Association (ALA) Notable Poetry List, National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) Septima Clark Book Award, National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) In celebration of the 50th anniversary of the publication of I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, this beautiful biography of Maya Angelou describes how she rose above a childhood of trauma and emotional pain to become one of the most inspiring voices of our lifetime. Writer, activist, trolley car conductor, dancer, mother, and humanitarian--Maya Angelou's life was marked by transformation and perseverance. In this comprehensive picture-book biography geared towards older readers, Bethany Hegedus lyrically traces Maya's life from her early days in Stamps, Arkansas, through her work as a freedom fighter to her triumphant rise as a poet of the people. A foreword by Dr. Angelou's grandson Colin Johnson, describes how a love of literature and poetry helped young Maya overcome childhood trauma and turn adversity into triumph. Coupled with Tonya Engel's metaphorical and emotive illustrations, this biography beautifully conveys the heartaches and successes of this truly phenomenal woman, and in a powerful tribute to the written word.