Skin I'm in, The (edition 2007)

Thirteen-year-old Maleeka, an excellent student who is choosing the wrong friends, meets a new teacher who helps her discover who she is and what she believes.

A wonderfully realistic story of self-esteem and friendship (both the real kind and the user kind). Maleeka is a thoroughly engaging protagonist, and watching her grow in her relationships with her mother, her teachers, and her fellow students is a real treat. ( )

I think this book was both well-written and interesting to read. For some reason that I can't quite put my finger on, I just didn't see it as a great read like I had expected.

The topic is - like all books on bullying and harassing - timely and obviously pertinent, and (unlike The Chocolate War) the ending gave hope to young adults that might be dealing with the same situations. The most interesting parts to me were the "diary" entries that were written. They were so insightful and the analogy used was strong and made an impact.

Overall, I'm not sure what exactly it is that made me slightly underwhelmed by this book, but I would say it's worth a read for its insights, and that you can read it in under two hours. ( )

The Skin I'm In follows the everyday life of Maleeka Maddison. Maleeka struggles everyday with her self concidence and figuring out who she really is. Day after day, Charleese challenges Maleeka, and although Maleeka wants so badly to stand up for herself, she fails every time. Maleeka struggles internally with the loss of her father, the color of her skin, the clothes she has to wear, growing up in poverty, and having to support her mother emotionally. Ms. Saunders, a new teacher at school, notices that Maleeka is very bright, and begins to take her under her wing. Initially, Maleeka has no respect for Ms. Saunders, but they soon begin to form somewhat of a friendship. Charleese gets Maleeka in trouble, and Maleeka is finally pushed to her breaking point. Maleeka stands up to Charleese, and tells the truth about how she has been treated by Charleese. Maleeka has finally found her voice, and begins to have a more possitive outlook on her life and herself. ( )

The Skin I'm In is an outstanding realistic fiction novel written by author Sharon Flake. She narrates the story of a young African American girl living in the inner city. The main character faces the challenges of self esteem and skin color. She learns to empower her self and tackle her own ideas of self image. ( )