Rise!

From Caged Bird to Poet of the People, Maya Angelou

Bethany Hegedus
Colin Johnson
Tonya Engel

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 Angelou's grandson, Colin A. 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 is a powerful tribute to the written word.

—"Bethany Hegedus honors Maya Angelou's life through thoughtful, empathetic poems in Rise!"—Nina Crews, New York Times Book Review

—* "Beautifully written.... An important and powerful addition to any biography collection."—School Library Journal (starred review)

—"[A] deeply important story [about] racism, sexual abuse, and courage."—Kirkus Reviews

NCSS Septima Clark Book Award Elementary Level Winner

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

Amelia Bloomer Project - Feminist Task Force
American Library Association (ALA)

Notable Poetry List
National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE)