HomeMy WebLinkAboutRead Aloud Book Gr. 1-Lesson 9Maya Angelou is one of the best-known writers in the United States. She has had
many struggles in her life. Maya used those struggles to become a role model for
other people.
Maya was born in 1928. When she was three years old, she went to live with her
grandmother. Her grandmother lived in Stamps, Arkansas. Back then, the law in
Arkansas said that African American people had to live in a different place than
white people. The African American part of Stamps was very poor. Maya’s childhood
was diffi cult. She was not always treated fairly because she was African American.
Maya’s grandmother owned a grocery store. Her grandmother was a strong
person. She explained to Maya that it was important to get a good education. She
made sure Maya took her schooling seriously and studied hard. At school, Maya
became friends with her teacher, Mrs. Flowers. Mrs. Flowers taught Maya about
famous writers. The training that Mrs. Flowers gave Maya worked well. Maya began
to love reading and writing. Soon she was writing compositions of her own.
When Maya was older, she moved away from Stamps. She lived in many different
places. She did many kinds of jobs. Then Maya decided to be a writer. She practiced
writing whenever she could so that she could get better at it. In 1969, Maya wrote
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. This book was about her childhood. Many people
loved her book. This made her famous. She began to travel to many places. She
gave speeches about her life. She got many honors and awards for her writing
and her speeches.
In 1993, Bill Clinton became the President of the United States. He asked Maya to
read one of her poems at the ceremony. Maya read a poem into the microphone and
millions of people in America got to hear it. This was an exciting day for Maya.
Through all her struggles, Maya never stopped working. She never gave up.
Instead, she shared her stories. Now others can learn from Maya’s struggles.
COMPREHENSION What are some words that tell about how Maya Angelou
learned? In what way has Maya shared her life with other people?
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Once there was a queen who was said to be the wisest, smartest person in the
land. She knew about plants, animals, stars, books, and numbers. She used her skill
at reasoning to make careful decisions and good choices for her kingdom.
But the queen knew that she would not be queen forever. She wanted the next
leader of the kingdom to be just as wise as she was. Now, the queen was open-
minded about who would replace her. The next leader did not have to be a prince
or a princess. The queen was willing to pick the daughter of a farmer or the son of a
carpenter—as long the person was wise. So she thought of the following riddle and
sent it throughout the land: What is a tree with no branches, no leaves, no trunk, and
no roots? Whoever fi nds this tree shall be the next King or Queen of the land.
“Impossible!” the people cried. “Every sensible person who has ever seen a tree
knows that it must have branches, leaves, a trunk, and roots!”
However, one girl, the daughter of a peach farmer, was determined to fi nd the
answer. She was a curious girl, always eager to learn new things. She picked a
peach to eat while she tried to solve the problem. Just when she thought she would
never fi nd the answer, the girl ate the last bite of her peach. In her hand lay the pit,
the peach’s seed. The answer to the queen’s question struck her like lightning. She
ran to the palace.
“Here is your tree,” said the girl to the queen. She showed the peach pit. “It has
no branches, no leaves, no trunk, and no roots, but plant it in the ground and it will
grow into a tree.”
“That is correct!” said the queen to the girl. “You are smart, and you know how to
solve a diffi cult problem. As you get older and gain more knowledge, I believe you
will have the wisdom to rule this kingdom well. Congratulations, Peach Girl, someday
you will be the next queen of this land!”
COMPREHENSION Why does eating a peach help the girl answer the queen’s
question? What words help you understand what it means to be wise?
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