Friday, July 16, 2010

"Cause black is the skin I'm in"

I read any and everything I can get my hands on once it seems interesting enough. Today I went to the library to pick up some books that were placed on hold for one of the kids I babysit. The books were chosen for her summer reading.
I, of course, had to check out the books and see if it was something I'd like to read. Like I said, "I read any and everything", even if its something that's meant for a 9 year old. Like that old saying goes, "Age ain't nothing but a numbah".
+ I personally have no clue what someone my age should be reading. You know how some people start out reading lower level books, and then move upward and onward from there? I started, in my opinion, at an extremely above normal level. I mean, I think I was the only 10 year old child in my class (or maybe the whole school) who had her head buried in mysteries & thrillers by Dean Koontz, James Patterson and Mary Higgins-Clark, just to name a few.
Anyway, what I've been trying to say is that one of the books off Ebony's summer list is a novel by Sharon G. Flake called "The Skin I'm In". I absolutely adore this book and will make sure it's the first that she reads. If the title of the book doesn't give you enough of a clue about what the book is about then you should know its about a young girl whose trying to accept who she is. Nothing is sugar-coated. You're in there with her, struggling along with her from day one. Here's a bit from it. My favorite bit:
"All I done for you," Char says. "You gonna leave me out to dry like this. Wait till later, you ugly, stupid black thing."
Call me by my name! I hear Akeelma say, and I scream it too. "Call me by my name! I am not ugly. I am not stupid. I am Maleeka Madison, and, yeah, I'm black, real black, and if you don't like me, too bad 'cause black is the skin I'm in!"
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