This nonfiction book highlights the musician and artist, M.I.A, also known as Mathangi Arulpragasam or Maya. Born in England, her early years were spent in war-torn Sri Lanka. When Maya was 10 years old, her mother and two siblings escaped from Sri Lanka and headed back to England as refugees in order to save their lives. Her father stayed behind in Sri Lanka and joined the Tamil Tigers to fight against the Sri Lankan army. Maya’s experiences in Sri Lanka influenced both her art and music. Beginning as an artist, Maya ultimately became known as a rap star. Her beginning, though, was rough. Attending school in England was difficult for Maya because she did not speak English, and she was snubbed because she was a refugee who lived in low-income housing. Maya experienced prejudice on a daily basis. Art and music helped her through her teen years. Her first step into “celebrity” came when the British alternative band, Elastica, hired Maya to create artwork for their album. The experience opened doors for Maya, who began writing lyrics. With help from the lead singer of Elastica, one of Maya’s songs was used as a television trailer for the movie, Pineapple Express. This followed with a song on the soundtrack for the movie, Slumdog Millionaire. The song was nominated for an Academy Award, but didn’t win. Maya married Benjamin Bronfman, son of billionaire Edgar Bronfman, Jr., head of Warner Music Group. Maya gave birth to a baby boy, but she continues to write music as well as produce other musicians’ works. Each page of this book offers colorful photographs and facts about Maya’s life in an easy-to-read format. The book contains a table of contents, a glossary, and an index. It will make a nice addition to any elementary school library, social studies class, or music class. Reviewer: Cheryl Williams Chang