Maya Angelou (Gateway Biographies) [Library Binding]

Sarah King (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 1994 | Age Level: 7 and up | Grade Level: 2 and up | Series: Gateway Biographies

Presents the life and accomplishments of the gifted black writer, the second poet in American history to deliver an inaugural poem, revealing how she has triumphed over many personal troubles and public obstacles.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 3-6-A well-written overview of the life of African-American writer Maya Angelou, born Marguerite Johnson. She grew up during the Depression in the segregated south, a good student who loved the work of Shakespeare, Edgar Allen Poe, Langston Hughes, and Paul Laurence Dunbar. Without going into detail, King relates that Angelou was sexually abused at the age of eight and so affected by the event and subsequent trial that she refused to talk for about a year. She became a single mother at 17, and was later married for a few years to a Greek sailor. Details of her writing career and civil rights activities round out this informative biography, concluding with her poem "On the pulse of the morning," written for President Clinton's inauguration. Black-and-white photographs show the environment and people that nurtured Angelou, as well as the writer herself. A useful source for reports as well as a good read.
Eunice Weech, M.L. King Elementary School, Urbana, IL
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 7 and up
  
• Library Binding: 48 pages
• Publisher: Millbrook Press (March 1, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1562944312
• ISBN-13: 978-1562944315
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 7.8 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,467,536 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Maya Angelou Greeting The Morning, February 23, 2004

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Maya Angelou, Trd (Pb) (Gateway Biographies) (Paperback)

This summary is about Maya's African American poets and her life. It describes her wanting to become a famous writer. This book also talks about racism in her life She went through a lot in her life at an early age.

5.0 out of 5 stars A good introduction to an extraordinary woman, January 9, 2001

By 

Michael J. Mazza - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (COMMUNITY FORUM 04)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Maya Angelou, Trd (Pb) (Gateway Biographies) (Paperback)

Maya Angelou has been a vivid cultural presence as an autobiographer, poet, and performer. In "Maya Angelou: Greeting the Morning," Sarah E. King has written a fine biography of this remarkable individual. Directed towards younger readers, King's book combines a straightforward text with many photographs of Angelou's life and times.

"Maya" begins with Angelou's birth in 1928 and ends with her historic delivery of her poem "On the Pulse of Morning" at the 1993 inauguration of United States President Bill Clinton. Along the way, we learn how the girl born as "Marguerite Johnson" got the distinctive name by which she is known today. King also handles the subject of childhood sexual abuse, of which Angelou is a survivor, with honesty and sensitivity.

Angelou's is a fascinating life story. King documents her early family life, her own life as a mother, her career in the entertainment industry, her contributions to the civil rights movement, and her experiences in Africa. We also learn of her emergence as a well-known writer with "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings," the first volume of Angelou's wonderful multi-part autobiography.

Hopefully, young readers who are fascinated by this biography will want to explore Angelou's own writings. Sarah King has written a good resource for young people who are interested in autobiography, women's studies, and African-American writers.