“The Skin I’m In” by Sharon G. Flake Free Essay Example

Sharon Flake was born December 24. 1955. in Philadelphia. She writes young and adult literature. She majored in English Writing and minoring in Political Science. She wrote many famous book like: The skin I’m in, Money Hungry, Begging for Change, Who Am I Without Him? The Broken Bike Boy and the Queen of 33rd Street You Don’t Even Know Me: Stories and Poems about Boys… Setting :Large urban area in a poor neighborhood

Main Characters:

Maleeka was a normal 7. Grader until her father died.

Since he died her family is poor, and kids tease and bully her because of her skin. Pg.23 ‘’Maleeka, Maleeka, we sure want to keep her but she so black, we just can’t see her…’’ pg.25 ‘’Maleeka’s face says she should stay out of the sun…’’ But the weirdest thing is that even black people tease her, but since she is african-american she has a darker skin color .She had straight A in school, until she made a deal with a mean girl called Char, that if she did her homework, Char would borrow her clothes.

pg.21 ‘’Me char and the twins-Raina and Raise. We talk. Smoke. Stuff like that. I hang in the bathroom to get out of Momma’s home-made rags and into the clothes Charlese brings for me…’’ Maleeka borrowed clothes from Char, because her mom bought a sewing machine after her dad died to ease the pain. Pg.18 ‘’When my daddy died three years ago, Momma took her sewing machine to help ease the pain…’’ Nobody rely likes Maleeka.

Pg.40 ‘’My fingers are starting to shake, and my throat is dry as toast. Daphne’s itching for a fight. I can feel it.

The next thing I know, she’s grabbing hold of my braids. She got them wrapped around her hands like a boxing tape and is punching me upside the head with them.’’ Pg. 41 ‘’Kids are yelling around me,Beat her but’’ She also liked a guy named Caleb, but he left her on the school field trip, because she was making her unpopular. Caleb wrote her poems complimenting her dark-colored skin. Pg.23 ‘’Then John-John started singing that stupid song…..I looked at Caleb. He gave me the goofiest smile and said, Sorry Maleeka’’ Char is one of the popular girls in school. The rich one. The one who isin’t afraid of anything, even teachers. Pg. 15 ‘’Charlese stares at Miss Saunders like she’s out of her mind. Then she laughs. ‘’ pg.16 ’’ Shoot. Char says. I sure ain’t looking at that face forty-five minutes every day. No way.’’

This is what Char said to the teacher. She is very rude, and she honestly doesn’t like Maleeka. Pg.22’’ The next thing I know, she’s blowing smoke in my face again. I guess that’s supposed to be funny. Char’s laughing real hard. She tells me to get out of her face. I do what I’m told. Miss Saunders is a very caring English teacher. She has a very big white birth mark on her face. Pg.27’’What does my face say ?’’ ‘’Not to hurt your feelings…but I think it says you’re a freak’’ She likes Maleeka a lot, and she likes her skin color and she protects her from other students who tease her.

Pg.11’’Maleeka your skin is pretty. Like a black-blue sky after it’s rained and rained’’ pg.26’’Maleeka’s face says, Black is beautiful.’’ She is also very rich. Pg.10’’ Excuse me. She says. She’s wearing a dark purple suit, and starched white shirt with matching purple buttons. That outfit costs three hundred dollars…’’ Pg.17 ‘’Miss Saunders put’s down her brief case, when she does, her Gucci watch flashes. This lady’s got money. Big-time cash.’’ ‘’Why don’t you start by giving me them designer shoes and that three-hundred-dollar watch you got on.’’ Miss Saunders really doesn’t like Char. Char once even burnt down Miss Saunders classroom.

Short Summary:

This book is exciting and it talks about a girl named Maleeka, who is bullied and teased because of her dark skin color. Everybody hates her, and doesn’t want to be her friend. Maleekas dad died a couple of years ago, and her mom though if she grabbed her sewing machine, everything would be better. But Maleeka tried to fit in, so in exchange for doing a girl named Char’s homework, she would get her expensive clothes. Char controls Maleeka, and makes her do everything. Then a new teacher comes. Her name is Miss Saunders, and she is the new English teacher. She is kind, nice, white, rich, and has a very weird birth mark on her face. The whole book is actually about racism, and hard period of time in life. The point of the book is not to tease other people, no matter what they look like, and love who you are, no one can change you.

My Comments:

This book,was definitely one of my small ‘’inner journeys’’. The book opened my mind and my heart. I usually don’t like reading, but, when I read something good, I know it. This book is dealing with bullying and racism, these topics are very serious. . Pg.23 ‘’Maleeka, Maleeka, we sure want to keep her but she so black, we just can’t see her…’’ Pg. 41 ‘’Kids are yelling around me,Beat her but’’. I didn’t choose this book, but if I had a chance to choose between this book, and another one, I would choose this one. Because, I think kids our age, should know, that there are a lot of stuff in the world that aren’t good, including racism and bullying.

I liked it, because, the author expressed the feelings of Maleeka. The author wrote the book as she was Maleeka, through her eyes. I think that is why, there is so much emotions in the book. I didn’t like that I almost cried. My favorite part is when almost on the end of the book, Caleb sent Maleeka the poem. Pg.186 ‘’To Maleeka : My sweet dark chocolate candy girl….’’ I liked that part the most, because, when I read a book, I usually read something that has to do with romance, love… Do that Is why I like that part so much. The author wrote with slang, and she wrote in a way young kids talk, when they live in a small poor neighborhood. I think that kids from 11 years old should read it, not less. Because, racism and bullying is a serious topic, and I think that 8 year olds wouldn’t understand it.