The Skin I'm In
Encyclopedia
The Skin I'm In is a realistic fiction novel written by Sharon Flake. It was published by Hyperion Books on January 3, 2000. It depicts the story of seventh grader Maleeka Madison who has low self esteem because of her dark skin color.
Thirteen-year old Maleeka Madison is tall, skinny, and dark-skinned. That's a problem for her, because it's such a problem for everyone else at school, it seems. To make her life easier, Maleeka befriends the toughest girl in school. Only bullies force you to pay more than you’d like, so life for Maleeka just gets harder, until she learns to stand up for herself and love the skin she's in.
John-John McIntyre is the smallest seventh grader in the world. Even fifth graders can see over his head. Sometimes I have a hard time believing he and me are both thirteen. He's my color, but since second grade he's been teasing me about being too black.
Well, I can think of one reason why John-John might be teasing Maleeka. Perhaps he's jealous because Maleeka is tall and, even if she doesn't quite realise it yet, she's rather gorgeous too. And perhaps he's also jealous of her relationship with Caleb:
He stared at me half the year. I thought he saw what everybody else saw. Skinny, poor, black Maleeka. But Caleb saw something different. He said I was pretty. Said he liked my eyes and sweet cocoa brown skin. He wrote me poems and letters. He put spearmint gum inside. Walked me to class. Gave me a ring. I ain't told Momma.
So when John-John ruined it for Maleeka and Caleb, Maleeka was left with no-one on her side. Maybe it wasn't a very clever move, but Maleeka teamed up with Charlese and her gang, out of self-protection. That didn't improve things much, but it was better than nothing. Until Charlese decided to see how far she could push Maleeka, too ...
This is one of those stories where you can see things going from bad to worse in front of your very eyes. Maleeka is in a difficult situation and there doesn't seem to be anyone she can turn to. She makes some pretty bad mistakes before she finally realises that the new English teacher, the outspoken Miss Saunders, really is on her side.
teacher. She has a huge white birth mark on her face that she says no one was able to get rid of. So instead, she doesn't let it get in her way. She is confident and essentially is what Maleeka dreams of being. *John-John- Another one of the people at Maleeka's school who teases her. He made a rap
about how dark she was on a class trip. He later reveals to Maleeka that the reason he teases her so much is because when Maleeka first moved to their neighborhood in second grade she didn't want to sit by him, therefore, he assumed she thought she was better than him. *Caleb- Maleeka's love interest. He's one of the cutest boys in school and at one time couldn't stop staring at Maleeka. Also, like Maleeka's father, he's a poet and wrote a poem for Maleeka complimenting her dark skin. *The twins (Raina and Raise)- Char's "sidekicks
" in a way. They agree with everything and go along with everything Char does. *Momma (Maleeka's mother)- Maleeka's loving mother. Some people believe that she is crazy although Maleeka believes that she is very smart.
Category:American young adult novels
Thirteen-year old Maleeka Madison is tall, skinny, and dark-skinned. That's a problem for her, because it's such a problem for everyone else at school, it seems. To make her life easier, Maleeka befriends the toughest girl in school. Only bullies force you to pay more than you’d like, so life for Maleeka just gets harder, until she learns to stand up for herself and love the skin she's in.
Summary
Bullying at school can be a terrible experience, and yet sometimes it can be quite hard to see the reason for the bullying. Why, for instance, would a black boy tease a black girl about being black?John-John McIntyre is the smallest seventh grader in the world. Even fifth graders can see over his head. Sometimes I have a hard time believing he and me are both thirteen. He's my color, but since second grade he's been teasing me about being too black.
Well, I can think of one reason why John-John might be teasing Maleeka. Perhaps he's jealous because Maleeka is tall and, even if she doesn't quite realise it yet, she's rather gorgeous too. And perhaps he's also jealous of her relationship with Caleb:
He stared at me half the year. I thought he saw what everybody else saw. Skinny, poor, black Maleeka. But Caleb saw something different. He said I was pretty. Said he liked my eyes and sweet cocoa brown skin. He wrote me poems and letters. He put spearmint gum inside. Walked me to class. Gave me a ring. I ain't told Momma.
So when John-John ruined it for Maleeka and Caleb, Maleeka was left with no-one on her side. Maybe it wasn't a very clever move, but Maleeka teamed up with Charlese and her gang, out of self-protection. That didn't improve things much, but it was better than nothing. Until Charlese decided to see how far she could push Maleeka, too ...
This is one of those stories where you can see things going from bad to worse in front of your very eyes. Maleeka is in a difficult situation and there doesn't seem to be anyone she can turn to. She makes some pretty bad mistakes before she finally realises that the new English teacher, the outspoken Miss Saunders, really is on her side.
Main characters
* Maleeka Madison- gets teased harshly because of her dark skin color. *Charlese Jones (Char)- The antagonist of the story. She is a fast talking trouble making girl who is one of Maleeka's top teasers. She lends Maleeka her expensive outfits in exchange for Maleeka doing her homework. *Miss Saunders- Maleeka's EnglishEnglish language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
teacher. She has a huge white birth mark on her face that she says no one was able to get rid of. So instead, she doesn't let it get in her way. She is confident and essentially is what Maleeka dreams of being. *John-John- Another one of the people at Maleeka's school who teases her. He made a rap
Rap
Rap may refer to:*Rapping, performance in which rhyming lyrics are used, with or without musical accompaniment ; while an MC performs spoken verses in time to a beat/ melody**Hip hop subculture**Hip hop music...
about how dark she was on a class trip. He later reveals to Maleeka that the reason he teases her so much is because when Maleeka first moved to their neighborhood in second grade she didn't want to sit by him, therefore, he assumed she thought she was better than him. *Caleb- Maleeka's love interest. He's one of the cutest boys in school and at one time couldn't stop staring at Maleeka. Also, like Maleeka's father, he's a poet and wrote a poem for Maleeka complimenting her dark skin. *The twins (Raina and Raise)- Char's "sidekicks
Sidekick
A sidekick is a close companion who is generally regarded as subordinate to the one he accompanies. Some well-known fictional sidekicks are Don Quixote's Sancho Panza, Sherlock Holmes' Doctor Watson, The Lone Ranger's Tonto, The Green Hornet's Kato and Batman's Robin.-Origins:The origin of the...
" in a way. They agree with everything and go along with everything Char does. *Momma (Maleeka's mother)- Maleeka's loving mother. Some people believe that she is crazy although Maleeka believes that she is very smart.
Awards
- Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe AwardCoretta Scott King AwardThe Coretta Scott King Award is an annual award presented by the Ethnic & Multicultural Information Exchange Round Table, part of the American Library Association...
for New Talent - Publishers WeeklyPublishers WeeklyPublishers Weekly, aka PW, is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers and literary agents...
Author to Watch - New York Public Library Top Ten Book for the Teen Age
- YALSA Best Books for Young Adult Readers
- YALSA Quick Picks for Reluctant Readers
- Texas Lonestar Reading List
- Bank Street College of Education Best Children’s Books of the Year
- YWCAYWCAThe YWCA USA is the United States branch of a women's membership movement that strives to create opportunities for women's growth, leadership and power in order to attain a common vision—to eliminate racism and empower women. The YWCA is a non-profit organization, the first of which was founded in...
Racial Justice Award - Detroit Free Library Author of the Year Award
- Starred Review in Publishers Weekly
- loved by many teen and adults
External links
Category:American young adult novels