Library Intern Book Reviews
Publisher
HarperCollins
City
New York, New York, United States of America
Date of Publication
2022
ISBN
9780062871589
Date of Review
2023
Disciplines
African American Studies | Children's and Young Adult Literature | Library and Information Science | Poetry
Keywords
Children's literature, reviews, African Americans, poetry, biography
Recommended Citation
Kemp, Justin, "Review of Maya's Song by Renée Watson" (2023). Library Intern Book Reviews. 399.
https://digitalcommons.cedarville.edu/intern_book_reviews/399
Files
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Included in
African American Studies Commons, Children's and Young Adult Literature Commons, Library and Information Science Commons, Poetry Commons
Review
The life of a prolific poet deserves to be told in verse, and Maya Angelou’s story from a little Black girl cast off by her parents and society to a singer, writer, and speaker renowned for her soul reads beautifully. The poetry itself, though unrhymed and largely unstructured, evokes powerful images. The illustrations, especially the faces, are striking, underpinning the weight of the trauma and sorrow Maya experienced. Though this book would no doubt be a challenging read in the classroom, especially with younger children, it contains so many important topics to wrestle with—Black history in America, trauma, growing up with unreliable parents, faith in trial, and, most importantly, the power of words. Highly Recommended Justin Kemp, Cedarville Library Intern, Cedarville University