**disclosure: We were sent a copy of this book for free in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are our own. No other compensation was received.
Hi guys! Today I’m back with another book review! I just finished reading The Skin I’m In by Sharon G. Flake. The Skin I’m In is not a “new” book. It was originally published in 1998. Disney Hyperion is celebrating the 20th anniversary of this book with a new cover and a foreword by New York Times bestselling author, Jason Reynolds.
The Skin I’m In is about a thirteen year old girl named Maleeka Madison, who is bullied and teased for so many reasons. She is teased because her clothes are homemade. They make fun of her because she is smart and gets good grades. But the worst of all, they tease her because her skin is so dark. She used to think her skin was pretty, but she wishes she looked different. Then Maleeka meets Miss Saunders, a new teacher with a blotched face. Maleeka was sure that Miss Saunders would be teased too. But Miss Saunders surprises Maleeka by telling everyone she loves her skin. Maleeka decides she wants to love her skin just like Miss Saunders, but can she? Read the book to find out!
One part of the story that I loved involved an assignment given to Maleeka from Miss Saunders. Miss Saunders wanted the class to imagine that they were people from centuries ago, and then write a fake diary entry about the experience. Maleeka imagined herself as a slave called Akeelma. Akeelma’s life was not easy and in some instances their experiences were almost related. Miss Saunders enjoyed Maleeka’s “diary entry” so much that she wanted Maleeka to keep writing the entries. Maleeka accepted the extra homework because she enjoyed writing about Akeelma. Maleeka decided to enter her diary entries in a writing contest. I can’t tell you if she won or not – that would be a spoiler! Maleeka’s writing was so good, I actually felt as if I was reading real diary entries.
The best part of this book is the message to always be kind. Kids were not kind to Maleeka because of things that she could not control and that was wrong. You should always be nice to everyone.
This book was written for young adults(10 and older). I recommend this book to all kids in middle school. It is important to know how teasing and bullying can make a person feel. I think if most kids knew how it felt to be bullied, they might be kinder. Sharon G. Flake shared an important lesson. I have not read her books before, but look forward to checking out a few more.
I’m NDK, and this is my review!
Hi! I am the Neurotic Disney Kid – sharing my expert kid-opinion all about everything Disney! My favorite attraction is The Enchanted Tiki Room and my favorite park is Magic Kingdom. I love to read and take pictures!
