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I Know why the Caged Bird Sings

Angelou, Maya. Book - 1969 921 Angelou, Maya, Adult Book / Nonfiction / Biography / Literary / Angelou, Maya None on shelf 1 request on 3 copies Community Rating: 4.4 out of 5

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Autobiography.
From the Publisher: A phenomenal #1 bestseller that has appeared on the New York Times bestseller list for nearly three years, this memoir traces Maya Angelou's childhood in a small, rural community during the 1930s. Filled with images and recollections that point to the dignity and courage of black men and women, Angelou paints a sometimes disquieting, but always affecting picture of the people-and the times-that touched her life.

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COMMUNITY REVIEWS

Good Book submitted by ljq on July 9, 2011, 4:19pm She does a good job telling the real life tales of the deep south.

Interesting submitted by faye boe on August 8, 2011, 6:22pm This book is good but also extremely sad. It's also pretty controversial so it's banned in a lot of schools and stuff...

uhhh submitted by jmock on June 22, 2012, 8:49am This book is not something to be read by a kid--I was really surprised in the middle. Not good AT ALL

Not for kids submitted by Bookbird on June 16, 2013, 5:44pm This book shows how things were like in the south,country and in the cities, for African Americans. There were some events that I don't think should be read by kids. I didn't like this book very much. Really, don't read this until you are in high school or older.

Great! submitted by alumeng.ajl on July 19, 2013, 4:08pm This book was a lot better than I expected. Usually, I find myself not enjoying novels I read for school. But this one was amazing. Angelou's prose is beautiful, and I fell in love with Maya. This definitely has me considering reading the next book.

Powerful submitted by Susan4Pax -prev. sueij- on August 30, 2014, 2:08pm Is there anyone who doesn't know that Maya Angelou is a gifted writer?

She paints pictures with words that draw you in, welcome you to her world, make you a part of it, and invite you to understand. This autobiography of her life from her first memories until she was 16 tell about growing up and coming of age as a Black girl in the South and California, and of the relationships she had with her grandmother who raised her, her mostly absent father and mother, and her brother. How community worked. How she saw "whitefolk." What she thought and how she felt; how she fit in the world around her.

And she pulls you in. Beautifully.

If you have never read this, you should.

Fabulous! submitted by krathje on July 31, 2016, 7:49am Maya Angelou's story is real. She doesn't pull punches. This autobiography is engaging, shocking, graphic, and tender. I use sections of this book to teach composition -- Angelou is a master at using visual detail to engage the reader.

IKWTCBS submitted by a2sue on July 21, 2017, 12:15am This novel has got to have one of best titles that I've ever seen! Great book!!

Not Bad submitted by majean on August 17, 2018, 7:05pm We read this in high school. I am glad it was part of the class, but it was not my fave from that semester.

Heartfelt submitted by Aimless on July 21, 2019, 2:55am This will tug at your heart

Love bird song submitted by smr on July 1, 2020, 4:30pm Love the song

Sing submitted by Anthany on July 10, 2020, 9:41am Birdsong

Classic classic submitted by kerenemoore on July 17, 2021, 11:27am This is one of my favorite books of all time. She keeps it simple, unapologetically struggling through life's imperfections. We often wonder what makes people who they are. Reading this book at a young age, I gained valuable perspective in the fact that people come from many walks of life. We will each have our own. We must live our own truth and make the best of it. Follow Maya as she fends for herself at a young age and travels the world. In good news, she has several other autobiographies. Don't stop here, keep reading!

Insightful memoir submitted by Xris on March 27, 2022, 11:27am Open window on what life was like for Maya in her early years. Glad the book was banned, so I'd be induced to read it!

A stunning, important read submitted by Cloverdale on June 20, 2023, 9:45am Maya Angelou paints a remarkable picture of her youth, providing context and reflection to the embodied experience of a young Black woman growing up in the US in the mid-20th C. The poetry of her language jumps off the page and is so beautiful even when the topics and experiences are hard to read.

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PUBLISHED
New York : Random House, c1969.
Year Published: 1969
Description: 281 p. ; 22 cm.
Language: English
Format: Book

READING LEVEL
Lexile: 1070

ISBN/STANDARD NUMBER
0394429869
9780394429861
9780812980028
0812980026
9780345514400

SUBJECTS
Angelou, Maya.
African American women authors -- 20th century -- Biography.
Entertainers -- Biography.