Rating: 
Summary: A young womans struggle
Review: I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings is, in my mind, one of the best books ever written. This is a wonderful coming of age story of a young African American girl growing up in the 50's and 60's. It tells the story of a young woman and her brother and the struggles Maya faces trying to be the best she possibly can be. Marguerite (Maya) is a very intelligent, well spoken young woman, but she never has the chance to really shine. When Maya is about 11, she is molested by her mothers boyfriend, and later raped when no one is home. She is immediately scared into silece and never really has the chance to blossom. She and her brother are then sent back to Stamps Arkansas to be raised by their grandmother. She then begins to attend school, and the book goes on to tell her life story of how she came to be the woman she is today. This book is an inspiration to anyone who has ever faced adversity. The things that this woman has endured are enough to make you thank the Lord above for your life. If I were dealt the same cards as Maya, I don't think I would have such a prominent place in society as she does. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings is an eye-opener for anyone who thinks that they have had it "hard"." This book allowed me to know some of what a young black girl growing up in the south experiences in her quest to better herself and her life. After reading this book, I have a much deeper respect for Maya Angelou. Many people, myself included, are not completely aware of the harsh conditions that blacks were forced to endure decades ago. I believe that this book is a good way for one to read what life in the south for blacks once was. This book is a true inspiration for anyone who has dreams.
Rating:
Summary: Required Reading
Review: This is a book that most people should be required to read. Although I'm not quite finished with it, I've already been struck with Maya Angelou's straightforward writing style. She's honest and up front. And she doesn't write like an adult looking back upon her life, but actually takes you back and puts you in her place and the thoughts that went through her head. One reviewer said that Angelou herself was racist. I don't think this is true. The truth is that there was a large amount of racism and segregation when Angelou was growing up, and you can't blame her for telling the truth about it, and to the person who claimed that including the rape was sick, you're not only being juvenile but are missing the point entirely. This is an autobiography and in autobiographies people recount events that have had large impacts upon them, that have shaped their lives, and being raped, especially at such a young age, would definitely have an impact on you. All in all, I find this book refreshingly honest, not to mention many times poetic.
Rating:
Summary: Impression
Review: This is an amazing autobiography. Ms. Angelou is a beautiful story teller. She leads you in with beautiful words, but don't get the impression that it is simply a sweet book because its not. She tells the way it really was for her growing up and all the courage needed to survive.
I would like to recommend these also: Nightmares Echo (courage and determination in the life of a child of abuse,self-healing)Running With Scissors (deals with abuse,dysfunction,also courageous)
Rating:
Summary: Review:
Review: This books is the first of five books written about Maya Angelou (born Marguerite Johnson) chronicling her own life. She--and her brother Bailey--were sent to the Jim Crow South to live with their grandmother at a very young age. In this book, we follow her from childhood in Stamps, Arkansas to adulthood in WWII San Francisco. I don't know why I haven't read this book sooner. I admire Maya Angelou as a speaker and a poet, but it took something like Banned Books Week to make me get off my ass and read this book. I've had this book for a couple of years. I remember there was an excerpt from this book in my English 101 book when I first started college. I kept telling myself that I was going to read it soon, and I finally have. I can see why the subject matter would concern some people, but I don't think this should be pulled from schools. I don't believe that she ever intended for this to be on a school's reading list, but it is (on some), and I think that it should stay there. It doesn't glorify racism or sexual abuse. Instead, it seems to teach a lesson and speak warnings. Angelou's writing was candid. She didn't hold back about her life and the hardships that she encountered. She shares an honest view on racism and sexual abuse. The writing takes on a more personal tone that makes it easy to read. And of course, this was all related with a eloquent, poetical prose style that is uniquely Angelou.
Rating:
Summary: Impression
Review: Marti, A reviewer,
This is an amazing autobiography. Ms. Angelou is a beautiful story teller. She leads you in with beautiful words, but don't get the impression that it is simply a sweet book because its not. She tells the way it really was for her growing up and all the courage needed to survive. Also recommending the following: Nightmares Echo (courage and determination in the life of a child of abuse,self-healing)Running With Scissors (deals with abuse,dysfunction,also courageous)
Rating: 
Summary: I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings
Review: This book is a well written book. It is written about the authors life as an african american child in the south. Maya Angelou and her brother Bailey where born of the african american race. They were sent to the south to live with there grandmother. I really liked this book because it was written very smoothly and did not jump from one topic to another topic. The way she structurally bulit her autobiography is very smoothly done.
The book is very well thought out. The way she puts her life into a story that teenagers can understand is not very easily done, but she made it very understandable of how african americans were treated in that time. The way she developed her book was pretty empressive because she put everything the way it happened and did not go from one thing to the next without a good transition. She says in her book "Annie, tell Willie he better lay low tonight. A crazy nigger messed with a white lady today. Some of the boys'll be coming over here later" that quote shows everyone how the african american people where treated (3.18). That quote really hit me in the heart good because of the fact that the white folk does not know if it was Willie or not but they really do not care, they are still going to beat him up because he is african american.
I really liked the plot of this story because it is basically Maya Angelou's life. How she was treated when she was a child, and what she did as a child to pass time. There was not television or anything like that back in her days as a child. "After our early chores where done, while Uncle Willie or Momma minded the Store, we were free to play the children's games as long as er stayed within yelling distance". I like this quote because I think that that is the best way to past the time. Nowadays all the children do is watch televison to past the time. I think they should all think about how Maya had to make herself have fun to pass the time (4.22).
I think her character set up was well thought out also. I like how she used thier real name and not a cover up name like most people do. "When I was three and Bailey four, we had arrived in the musty little town, wearing tag on out wrists which instructed-"To Whom It May Concern"-that we were Marquerite and Bailey Johnaon Jr., from Long Beach California, wn foute to Stamps, Arkansas, c/o Mrs. Annie Henderson." Some authors write books on thier life but change their name because they do not want to let their audiances to know what happened to them. Maya Angelou is comfortable with her childhood even if she was mistreated and treated poorly. So I highly recommend you to read this book if you want to understand how african americans were treated.
Rating:
Summary: I love this book!
Review: I first read this book in high school over 25 years ago and all I could remember about it was the rape scene. But I just finished reading it for the second time and realized what a great writer Maya Angelou is! She writes such beautiful descriptions of everyday life. Now I'll have to read all her other books!
Rating:
Summary: I agree this book is amazing.
Review: In a poetic, yet detatched way, Maya Angelou captures the heart of her struggles growing up female and Black during the Depression. Her style and description draw in the reader and keep her spellbound even during the most painful scenes. You feel deeply for the author and her little brother as they drift through their lives living for a bit of affection. Neglected by their divorced parents, Maya and her brother get sent to Arkansas at ages 4 and 5 to live with their grandma and handicapped uncle. Although life is hard and love not demonstrated, Maya learns much from her grandma and uncle. The theme of this book is the quest for the child to be loved by the adult. Maya feels inferior. She feels ugly and compares herself to her magical brother Bailey. Both children are starved for true affection and daydream a white movie actress on the screen is their long lost mother. Maya and her brother are eventually united with "Mother Dear" in St.Louis when she is eight. Unfortunately Mother's boyfriend begins to abuse Maya(...). This is graphically portrayed in the book. Maya's feelings of not belonging and not being truly loved are compounded after the abuse. I admire all the autobiographical books by Ms.Angelou. She has achieved a lot in her life for a person who started out in such a sad situation. This book should be read and re-read.
Rating: 
Summary: Beautifully written...
Review: 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.
Rating: 
Summary: my book review 4 miss seviewx
Review: This book was ok, i wouldnt read if i didnt have to but b/c i had to, it deals w/ many themes that people can relate to. Segregation, racism, hate and naming. So if u have nutthin better 2 do w/ ur life than read book read this one.
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