Rise! is a beautifully expressive and age appropriate short biography of Poet Laureate Maya Angelou by author/educator Bethany Hegedus. Released 20th Aug 2021 by Live Oak Media, it's currently available in audiobook format and is in pre-release for print format.
Aimed at elementary school readers (~7-10 years), the author does a really good job of presenting the often tragic realities of young Maya's life. Dr. Angelou certainly rose above the problems and constraints of her early life, but her upbringing left indelible marks and shaped the person she became. Ms. Hegedus doesn't shy away from the truth, but does so in an age appropriate and sensitive way.
The audiobook has a run time of 30 minutes, 59 seconds and includes an enhanced soundtrack with sound effects like chickens, cable-car bells in San Francisco, and background speech and voices. It's beautifully and capably narrated by Cherise Boothe. Her voice is rich and warm. She manages to imbue the different characters' voices with individuality, and I had no at all trouble following along.
This would be a superlative choice for public or school library acquisition, classroom use, or home library. Although it's clearly aimed at younger readers, it would be a good choice for listeners of all ages who wish to learn about Dr. Angelou's life.
Five stars for the book, five for the voicework. Stellar.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
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