Sharon G. Flake: The Skin We’re In, The Stories We Carry
2 min read
Few authors have brought as much honesty, courage, and care to young readers as Sharon G. Flake. For nearly three decades, she has given voice to characters whose struggles and triumphs feel real and necessary. Her breakout novel The Skin I’m In launched her into the literary spotlight and invited entire generations of students and educators to confront questions of identity, self-worth, and belonging.
As the featured author on the cover of Intellectual Ink Magazine’s Children’s Issue, Flake reminds us of her legacy and how her work remains urgent today. FREE THIS WEEK ONLY! https://issuu.com/intellectualinkmag/docs/issue_30_
A Defining Moment in YA Literature
When The Skin I’m In was first published in 1998, it became a mirror, a challenge, and a rallying point. Told through the voice of Maleeka Madison, a seventh grader navigating teasing, colorism, poverty, and grief, the book offered young Black readers something rare: a protagonist who looked like them and wrestled with the same insecurities they carried every day.
Teachers embraced the novel as a classroom staple. For many, it was the first time their students saw their own reflections in literature. For others, it opened space for difficult but necessary conversations about race, self-esteem, and identity.
Breaking Barriers in Children’s Literature
Flake’s career is defined by insistence on truth. Her body of work includes Money Hungry, Bang!, You Don’t Even Know Me, and Pinned. Each book takes on complicated realities: poverty, resilience, love, and the sharp edges of adolescence.
What makes Flake stand out is her refusal to simplify or soften. She respects her readers enough to give them complexity. Her characters stumble. They argue. They doubt themselves. They make mistakes. And because of that, they feel human.
Recognition and Legacy
Flake has received numerous awards, including the Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe Award for New Talent and multiple Coretta Scott King Honors. But the most profound recognition is in the impact her work has on readers. Generations of young people have written to her, met her at school visits, or picked up her books in libraries and classrooms and found themselves reflected.
Today, in the midst of debates over banned books and censorship, Flake’s stories feel even more vital. Attempts to silence or challenge her work only prove its power. By centering young Black experiences with honesty and empathy, she offers literature that is both art and resistance.
As Intellectual Ink shines its spotlight on Flake this quarter, we are committing to revisiting her catalog, reviewing her books, and reminding readers why her work continues to resonate.
Sharon G. Flake has given us a language for resilience, mirrors for identity, and doors to possibility.
At Intellectual Ink, we are proud to feature her, celebrate her, and honor the legacy she continues to build.
Read our full review of The Skin I’m In Book Club: The Skin I’m In – INTELLECTUAL INK
