With its captivating cover, griping storyline, and vivid imagery, The Skin I’m In, is definitely a must read for any reader. Written by Sharon Flake, this book is a realistic fiction novel intended for young adults in grades 8-12. Currently living in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, Flake is a multiple Coretta Scott King Author Honor Award winner, been hailed as the voice of middle-grade youth, and a Rising Star by The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books. Many of Flake’s novels have received ALA Notable and Best Books for Young Adults citations from the American Library Association. Her stories have been commended for their on-point narratives that explore issues affecting teens from all walks of life.
Maleeka Madison is a seventh grader who has beautiful, dark-brown skin, in which she is extremely confident with. That is, until her father dies, and kids start making fun of her. Her mother deals with her husband’s death by sewing Maleeka …show more content…
The first, looks and appearances don’t make you who you are. Prejudice is a very destructive force, and it can lead to bullying. Bullying is the second major theme portrayed throughout the book. Bullying is rampant in school-aged children, and many times leads to tragedy. Maleeka’s self-esteem is so broken that it causes a ripple effect of negativity on those around her. She is teased mercilessly both for her skin color and her homemade dresses. When bullying is the theme of a story, there is not only a victim, but also at least one bully. The irony of the bullies in this book is that they involve almost all of the other school children including the only other black boy in the class. Other than having severely low self-esteem, Maleeka tries to cope with the bullying by befriending the most popular girl in the school, Charlese, yet another bully, but by the end of the story, Maleeka realizes that neither bullying nor being bullied is the answer. Maleeka learns to love "the skin I'm
Maleeka Madison is a seventh grader who has beautiful, dark-brown skin, in which she is extremely confident with. That is, until her father dies, and kids start making fun of her. Her mother deals with her husband’s death by sewing Maleeka …show more content…
The first, looks and appearances don’t make you who you are. Prejudice is a very destructive force, and it can lead to bullying. Bullying is the second major theme portrayed throughout the book. Bullying is rampant in school-aged children, and many times leads to tragedy. Maleeka’s self-esteem is so broken that it causes a ripple effect of negativity on those around her. She is teased mercilessly both for her skin color and her homemade dresses. When bullying is the theme of a story, there is not only a victim, but also at least one bully. The irony of the bullies in this book is that they involve almost all of the other school children including the only other black boy in the class. Other than having severely low self-esteem, Maleeka tries to cope with the bullying by befriending the most popular girl in the school, Charlese, yet another bully, but by the end of the story, Maleeka realizes that neither bullying nor being bullied is the answer. Maleeka learns to love "the skin I'm