The Skin I'm In

Maleeka suffers every day from the taunts of the other kids in her class. If they're not getting at her about her homemade clothes or her good grades, it's about her dark, black skin.

When a new teacher, whose face is blotched with a startling white patch, starts at their school, Maleeka can see there is bound to be trouble for her too. But the new teacher's attitude surprises Maleeka. Miss Saunders loves the skin she's in. Can Maleeka learn to do the same?

Alan Review

Maleeka Madison has problems fitting in with others at her school. Her hair is too nappy, her skin is too dark, her grades are too good, her clothes are too weird, and her teachers are too fond of her. She desperately tries to make friends and to be accepted by her peers. Her situation drastically changes when she meets Miss Saunders, and the changes are not always for the better. The Skin I'm In is a compelling novel of a young girl's struggle with self-acceptance and acceptance by her peer group. Through her struggles and with her teacher's help, she learns "to look into the mirror and like what [she sees], even when it doesn't look like anybody else's idea of beauty." Readers will find strong characters and an engaging plot in this book. Genre: Coming of Age/Realistic Fiction. 1998, Jump at the Sun/Hyperion, Ages 9 to 12, $14.95. Reviewer: Terrell Young