The Skin I’m In ~ Sharon G. Flake

You need this book in your classroom library. Period. Not only will it captivate your students from the first pages, but it will also provide an important window into a life likely different from your students’. 

Maleeka Madison lives in a tough— and sometimes dangerous— neighborhood. The local middle school she attends is no different, and she is regularly the victim of cruel jokes and abuse from her classmates. Maleeka is tormented for her dark skin, her homemade clothes, and her “too-skinny” body. She lives each day in fear of Charlese— the toughest girl in school—who not only bullies Maleeka, but also forces Maleeka to do all her schoolwork. 

Every day was more of the same for Maleeka until a new teacher, Miss Saunders, showed up. Her looks stood out even more than Maleeka’s, and soon Miss Saunders was also the target of many rude jokes. Miss Saunders, however, wasn’t bothered by these taunts, and they certainly didn’t stop her from challenging the norm at McClenton Middle School. She saw something special in Maleeka, and though Maleeka resisted the attention from the “weird” teacher, she secretly liked that Miss Saunders cared about her. 

But when Maleeka is pressured into making the biggest mistake of her life, will she be able to find her voice and free herself from the chains of others’ opinions and actions? Or will she let herself down once again in order to keep others happy?

Buy it here!

Maturity: 1.5/4

This novel is ideal for age 11+. The novel doesn’t contain any explicitly mature content, but it is not a light read. Maleeka’s problems at home and at school are serious. 

Pages: 163

Lexile: 670L

Lexile is a score that helps educators and parents match students with an appropriate text. A Lexile score is a measure of both a child’s reading ability and a text difficulty. However, Lexile does not take into account the content of a novel. So, pairing readers with a text is a complex process, and knowledge of a novel’s themes and plot is necessary to make a high-quality recommendation.

If you are curious about the grade-level equivalent to Lexile scores, check out the conversion chart here!

Happy Reading!

♥ Kara & Riley