This audiobook is a fantastic listening experience! The story of Maya Angelou's life is paired with many auditory aids, which add another layer to the story which children are sure to appreciate. The audiobook plays sounds in the background such as train whistles, creeks running, and jazz music, as they pair with the story. These aids make the audiobook more interesting, and more entertaining to listen to.

The narrators voice is a bit robotic throughout the audiobook, especially when listening at 2x speed (as I always do.) I'm not sure if this is reflective of the actual audiobook, or if the file quality decreased a bit when uploaded to Netgalley.

Overall I highly enjoyed this audiobook! Thank you for the ARC!

I got an ARC of this audiobook.

I know very little about Maya Angelou. I have heard her name, I have heard her voice. I know just how important she is. I am not a fan of poetry so have not really delved into reading her works the way I should. I thought that starting with an audiobook would be the best bet to start that journey. I did not realize that it was an audiobook version of a picture book.

I think that the pictures would had added a lot to this book. The narrator is fantastic though. She has power in her voice and speaks very clearly. I loved listening to her. There was even an audio clip of Angelou speaking. The background sound effects were a nice touch and helped to fill out the book a bit.

I really enjoyed this. I think it would be better with pictures, so I will just have to go get the paper copy of this book to get everything I wanted.

Cherise Boothe is responsible for bringing many contemporary classics to life. In this picture book, she brings to life Hegedus's biography of Maya Angelou who overcame a traumatic childhood to become a pioneer in several fields including poetry. My favorite thing about the audiobook are the snippets of clips with Angelou's voice.

This audiobook is incredible. It is brief but powerful. and well narrated. Maya Angelou's life is such a beautiful story with lessons for each of us. This is a must listen for any family.

The publisher made a copy of this book available for review via Netgalley, This is my honest review.

4/5 Great!

I think I would have preferred to read this physically instead of listening to the audio book but this was still a great book.

"I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."
This was an interesting telling of Maya Angelou's life and lifetime. The audiobook was well done and engaging.

The life of Maya Angelou is truly inspiring. However, I was not sure how some of the themes in her biography would go over for young readers (e.g. child sexual abuse, racism). This is a delicate balance. As a parent, I do not want to shelter my children from the realities of the world, but I also don't want them hitting the nuances of these topics on a level ahead of their developmental level. Every kid is different in this regard. Hegedus does a wonderful job of this. Parents are given the opportunity to approach these subjects with their young readers on the level that they will understand and be able to grasp without shocking them too much as they read on their own. They can learn about a truly remarkable woman and her legacy.

I do highly suggest reading this WITH your child and not just letting them go for it on their own. There are lots of wonderful discussions you can have organically as you read through this one. I will be adding this to my kid's book wish list.

this audiobook was one of the best I've ever had the chance to hear. Simple, clear and sweet. I loved it

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for this honest review

Bethany Hegedus’ beautifully illustrated story of Maya Angelou’s life is remarkably narrated, conveying the beauty of the text and the intensity of the story in an extraordinary audiobook. The fluid language and rhythmic text flow from Maya’s childhood into her adult life in all of its complexity. The narration is perfectly pitched and there are subtle background sounds (trains, music, applause) that enhance the story. The voice surges and sways, soars and softens, matching the words perfectly. This is a wonderful listening experience to be enjoyed again & again.

Beautifully narrated by Cherise Boothe, this young people’s bio of Maya Angelou is lovely! Rise! hits the highlights of Angelou’s life, capturing the girl for whom books were both “solace and safety,” who suffered childhood trauma so deep that it made her mute, who grew up to be a woman with a powerful voice that lifted many through her writings, spoken word, and activism. The theme "don’t just survive, thrive" sums up her life and is an inspiring message for young people. The snippets of Angelou reciting her own work, the foreword by her grandson, Colin Johnson, and the more detailed timeline provided in the addendum are great additions that give the curious listener/reader more avenues for exploration. This title is a must for every elementary and middle school library!

Originally published in 1969, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings was the first of Maya Angelou’s books to be published. Rise shares her story for young readers as a tribute, and introduction to young readers not familiar with her books or her importance in literature and poetry, as well as in Civil Rights, along with being an inspiration to others.

This is beautifully narrated by Cherise Boothe, and shares condensed highlights of Angelou’s story, her life as a writer, but also her life in her many other occupations through her life, a poet, author, activist, humanitarian, mother, dancer, among others. While I listened to the audiobook, there is also a hardcover picture book available, which young readers would both enjoy and appreciate. Angelou’s love of literature and poetry, her story of how her love of both reading and writing helped her navigate her traumatic childhood and become the phenomenal woman she was. Listening to her story will inspire readers to be both kinder to others and learn how to extend that kindness to themselves, as well. The power of words can have a profound impact for good, a lesson it is never too early to learn.

Recommended for readers age 7 - 10 years


Published: 20 Aug 2020


Many thanks for the ARC provided by Publisher Spotlight Audio / Live Oak Media

Rise, by Bethany Hegedus, the audio version, was an enjoyable listen, though at times was a bit choppy, as if the reader was reading a list.. I did learn several things about Maya Angelou. This review is as much about the audio reading as it is the content of the book.

Although this audiobook is targeted for ages 7-10, I believe it is a great introduction to Maya Angelou for anybody that doesn’t know much about this amazing woman!

The audiobook shares Maya's life through a timeline of historical events. I never knew that besides being a notable author and influential activist, Maya was also a trolley car conductor, actor, dancer, mother and humanitarian among other things.

I listened to the audiobook, but I would recommend the hardcover because I feel I missed out on the “feel” of Maya shown through the pages of illustrations throughout the book. I imagine the artwork would add depth to the story for both children and adults alike.

Cherise Boothe, the narrator, had a beautiful poet’s voice and was the perfect voice to tell Maya Angelou’s life story.

I was truly inspired by Maya's powerful story of perseverance in the most difficult of situations. For such a quick listen (31 minutes), this audio book has an impactful punch!! A very moving biography for all that listen to the audiobook or read the hardcover.

I loved this abridged life story of Maya Angelou and found the narration to be particularly apt and powerful. Definitely a highlight.

Thank you so much to net galley for sending me a copy of this book, it was so perfect and amazing for any reader, anyone will learn a ton of useful information!

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings but for kids! I love anything that honors Ms. Angelou's beautiful legacy!

This is a great synopsis of a snippet of the most important moment in Dr. Maya Angelou's life and how it guided her future. The audiobook is well read and mixed. The readers voice is pleasant. The brevity of Maya Angelou's life is perfect for children to digest. However, because of the event of her life I advise teachers to be prepared to answer student questions regarding the tragic events that she has endured.

Maya Angelou is best known as a poet and, within that, best known for the poem—and the line—“I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.” What few might know, however, is the personal experience that gave depth and nuance to Angelou’s famous poem. In Rise: From Caged Bird to Poet of the People, Bethany Hegedus pens a thoughtful, poetic tribute to Angelou and her history. Intended for children—perfect for elementary age—Rise contains beautiful illustrations by Tonya Engel and the lyrical cadence of spoken-word poetry that makes it something worth reading aloud.

I actually listened to the audiobook version of this book, then went back to a physical copy so that I could see it with the illustrations. The audio version is more than just a reading, but manages to capture the ethos of the work as a whole, using background sounds and music to bring the book to life, functioning as the “illustrations” of the audio version. In fact, the audio version as seen more acclaim than the print version, as a 2021 Audie finalist and the winner of AudioFile Earphones award.

Hegedus presents a simple biography of Angelou, working carefully through her life in a way that’s both accessible and appropriate to elementary aged children. Angelou experiences both racism and sexual abuse and Hegedus manages to write about those things in an oblique way that is appropriate for her age range without glossing over the injustices in Angelou’s life.

The back matter includes an extensive timeline, making this more than just a one-time read but a book perfect for elementary class projects. From beginning to end, Rise is the definitive introduction to Maya Angelou for young readers.

Where do I begin with this? Let's start with the pronounciation of the woman's name. I am no expert on the woman, but I must've heard her name dozens of times throughout my life, and I heard an-gel-loooo not An-gel-o. Whyyy would the narrator say her name wrong? Its just disrespectful.
Next, this is a children's version of a biography? I dont think so. It was not geared towards children in my view with the mention of sexual abuse and the mans dying and her thoughts that it was all her fault. ?? Seriously? Who tells that in a children's biography and then doesnt even emphasize how wrong thay thinking is? Or why mention he assaulted her in the first place? In parts it sounded too factual, in other words, the stupid timeline at the end was redundant because the whole story was a timeline, and poorly executed in so many way! Why not include some of her poetry? Some of her actual words other than that one overused line? It was just...not good for adults and quite frankly id never read this to a kid! And its plain bad writing makes it not attractive for young adults or adults. Its a shame, i never give such harsh reviews, but this was just terrible. I will post this to goodreads but i cannot talk about it on my instgram or twitter because I dont want to trash it, but I want to give you my honest opinion: it's a horrible biography, and its content is not suitable for children. There's so many ways her childhood trauma could've been alluded to without the harsh realities of it. That aint for kids, sorry!

Beautifully narrated and a wonderful child appropriate look at Ms. Angelou's life and influence. I would definitely recommend this for anyone who loves her work.