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From Library Journal
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Browse and search another edition of this book.
"WHEN I was three and Bailey four, we had arrived in the mustly little town, wearing tags on our wrists which instructed-""To Whom It May Concern""-that we were Marguerite and Bailey Johnson Jr., from Long Beach, California, en route to Stamps, Arkansas, c/o " Read the first page
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Most helpful customer reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
3.0 out of 5 stars
Beautifully written...,
By tonisha (Lake Worth, Florida USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (Mass Market Paperback)
Having never read any of Angelou's previous works before this book I came into reading this book with an open mind. I was happy to find out that she has an absolutely beautiful way of writing. Maya is able to take something so dull and dress it into something heavenly. I truly enjoyed her heartpulling story of facing adversity, broken homes, and not knowing love...which lead her to eventually find herself. Although a pretty good novel...i was dissappointed with the ending. I wish the story would have never ended with its last account in the time of her teenage years...i believe the story should have continued.
4.0 out of 5 stars
Phenomenal Woman,
By Ce-Cee (Manchester,CT) - See all my reviews
This review is from: I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (Mass Market Paperback)
Maya is a very incredible writer. Her words float off your tongue while you read her work. I never read anything by Maya before so I was very amazed while reading I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. You would think you were reading a novel instead of a biography. She has an interesting style of writing. Maya tells you how it was growing up in the 50s and 60s. Maya didn't have people that loved her outside her family. Her family even showed their love in such odd ways. Maya parents sent her and her brother Bailey away to live with their grandmother when they were five and six. The only person that Maya felt really loved her was her older brother Bailey. Maya tried to find love but she looks in the wrong places. She faced many obstacles during her childhood days, which she talks about in the book. Maya worked her way around them to become the strong person she is today. I think this book is a good inspiration for anyone who had to go through what Maya went through. I admire her because she faced so many struggles and she became a successful person in life. Maya lets me know never to give up because you never know where you're going to end up unless you keep going. I recommend this book to anybody who enjoys a good author as well as a book.
5.0 out of 5 stars
An adult review--and one teacher's viewpoint,
This review is from: I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (Mass Market Paperback)
May I tell you why I choose to have my ninth grade students read it? I have noticed a lot of reviews by young people, which I applaud, but an adult perspective might be helpful. I don't particularly feel the need to defend its merits. (I am not articulate enough to do justice to that task.) As with any book, some will love it and some won't. Guaranteed, it will make you uncomfortable at times, because one chapter describes the rape of a young person--which is painful for any compassionate human being to hear. Plus, there are other sexual issues, largely stemming from the earlier assault, but also because she is a teenager in the last phase of the book. Such questions about love and sex are characteristic of the teenage years. Many young people, as well as adults, are confused about such topics. While these are generally the most controversial segments from the book, the fundamental lesson of the book goes far beyond the survival of one victim. I won't supply you with the answers as to what one should take away from the text. It is a personal experience for each of us. We can all learn from Maya's honest account of her childhood journey. We can all try on her experiences and live vicariously through her for a while, and see how it changes our own perspective on what it means to be a human being. I'll be the first to admit, this book is a challenge for all my students in one way or another. Some because they are white and live in the northern US. Some because they are male and it's difficult to view life through a woman's eyes. Some because of the adult vocabulary and extensive use of figurative language. Some of these experiences are so remote from their own, while others are very close to home. It helps them to see how much we actually do have in common with those who at first seem very different. They all can benefit from reading it, if they give it a chance. (Adults may be better equiped to appreciate fully this text. However, young people can take so much from it. Maybe one day, we can have an abridged version, so it is still rich in language and meaning, yet condensed so more young people can access its many gifts.) Beyond the darkness of some of those experiences (discrimination, rape, humilation and fear) lies a powerful sense of hope, dignity, determination and resilience. One of my favorite aspects of the book is its emphasis on the power of education, language and literacy. Throughout Maya's life--books, poetry, impassioned voices have all inspired her. Her autobiography is a moving tribute to a literate way of life and an enduring legacy to that tradition.
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