Janis Joplin: Rise Up Singing

Angel, A. (2010).  Janis Joplin:  Rise up singing.  New York, NY:  Amulet. In this autobiography of Janis Joplin, we learn that as a young girl she is filled with insecurities.  She is so different in behavior and look from the other girls in school that she goes through taunting and teasing.  She does not want to conform to the mold set up for young ladies.  Her love is singing, and she is able to form a band with other misfits like her, Big Brother and the Holding, Co.  As she is becoming well known, Joplin struggles with the addiction to drugs.  She does try to clean herself up, but fails, and it eventually leads to her death on October 4, 1970.  The book includes many colorful photos of Janis Joplin from childhood throughout her singing career.  It has a useful timeline at the end of the book as well as a bibliography and index.  I believe the book is well written, but I would only include it in a High School library.  There are topics and photos that are not intended for the younger audience.  I liked how the author tells us Joplin story in chronological order so that we are able to see how she her decisions ultimately end her life.  According to Goodreads reviews, it says that this book has “been well researched” since it includes anecdotes from friends and family of Joplin and has many photographs.  In the back of the book, the author includes an extensive bibliography telling me this is an accurate account of Janis Joplin. Even though this book has controversial topics, I liked how the author did not present the information as one sided.  She just stated the facts.