The Skin I'm In
by Sharon G. Flake

From the back cover:

The first time I seen her, I got a bad feeling inside...

So begins the story of Maleeka Madison, a child burdened with the low self-esteem that many black girls face when they're darker skinned. When Maleeka lays eyes on her new teacher, Miss Saunders, she encounters someone who, she feels, is worse off than she is. Miss Saunders' skin, which is blotched with a rare skin condition, comes to serve as a mirror to Maleeka's struggle. Miss Saunders is tough -- she doesn't stand for the snickers and shouts that her students hurl at her. But can Maleeka stand up to tough-talking Charlese? Will she ever accept Caleb's friendship, the unconditional acceptance he's been showing her from the get-go? And how can she learn to love the skin she's in?

Winner of the 1999 Coretta Scott King John Steptoe Award
Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers, ALA Best Book for Young Adults, 1999

The Skin I'm In
by Sharon G. Flake

ISBN: 0786813075
ISBN-13: 9780786813070
Publisher: Jump at the Sun (Hyperion Books)
Publication Date: 2000
Copyright Date: 1998
Format: Paperback, 176 pages
Book Type: New