The Skin I'm In by Sharon G. Flake

This is a book I read years ago, apparently before I was even writing this blog since I don't have a record of what I thought about this book.  I ordered it again because it is a book that comes up a great deal when I was searching for books to read this summer.  I was also interested to read the foreword by Jason Reynolds, an author I've also ordered several books by this summer. 

The Skin I'm In is the story of Maleeka, a girl in grade 7 who is teased terribly every day because of how dark her skin is, how ugly her clothes are and how smart she is.  Maleeka is a pretty lonely girl, who is able to hang out with Char, who treats her terribly.   When a new teacher comes to school, Maleeka learns from her about how to deal with being different from those around you and how to stand up for what is right.

I really liked the foreword in this book.  Reynolds talked about how this is the book he gave to all of his female family members so that they could appreciate the beauty they carry.  This wouldn't be a book I would use as a read aloud for a class, however, it certainly belongs in a classroom library.  There are a few mature pieces mentioned in this story, however it is age appropriate for grade 7 & 8 students.