Tuesday, February 2, 2021

Sharon G. Flake’s bestselling, Coretta Scott King Award-winning novel, The Skin I’m In, redefined young adult literature when it was first published in 1998. Sharon G. Flake chats with Janeane about her forthcoming book, The Life I'm In



Since it's groundbreaking debut more than 20 years ago, The Skin I'm In, had a tremendous impact which has stood the test of time, continuing to influence teens, parents, teachers, and educators, among others. Sharon G. Flake takes on tough issues around race, self-esteem, self-protection and empowerment. Prior to becoming an author, Sharon was a counselor for teens at a foster placement agency, a job which she excelled at and also gave her insight into teens, adoption, foster parenting, and more. 


“Before incredible movements and monikers like Black Girls Rock, Black Girl Magic, and Well-Read Black Girl, there was The Skin I’m In.” —Jason Reynolds


THE LIFE I’M IN

A SISTER NOVEL TO THE BESTSELLING, THE SKIN I’M IN

BY THREE-TIME CORETTA SCOTT KING AWARD-WINNING AUTHOR,

SHARON G. FLAKE


★ “A VIVID AND IMPORTANT DEPICTION OF THE STRUGGLES

OF TOO MANY TEENS.”—KIRKUS REVIEWS, STARRED REVIEW

★ “A MUCH-DESIRED SISTER NOVEL”—BOOKLIST, STARRED REVIEW



"The best part of my gig is that I get to meet, hug and engage with young people. And that years later, many of those young people (along with their teachers and parents) say that my work has impacted their lives in some significant way. If I had to do it all over again, I would still want to be an author who writes for young people of all ages." —Sharon G. Flake


Sharon G. Flake’s bestselling, Coretta Scott King Award-winning novel, The Skin I’m In, redefined young adult literature when it was first published in 1998. It presented characters, voices, and real-world experiences that had not been fully seen before, and has since gone on to become a modern classic. Now, over twenty years later, Scholastic Press is proud to publish its powerful and long-anticipated sister novel, THE LIFE I’M IN (On sale January 5, 2020). Told from the perspective of the bully in The Skin I’m In, THE LIFE I’M IN presents the unflinching story of Char, a young woman trapped in the underworld of human trafficking.


In THE LIFE I’M IN, readers follow Charlese Jones, who, with her raw, blistering voice speaks the truths many girls face, offering insight to some of the causes and conditions that make a bully. Turned out of the only home she has known, Char boards a bus to nowhere where she is lured into the dangerous web of human trafficking. Much is revealed behind the complex system of men who take advantage of vulnerable teens in the underbelly of society. While Char might be frightened, she remains strong and determined to bring herself and her fellow victims out of the dark and back into the light, reminding readers why compassion is a powerful cure to the ills of the world.

Skillfully peeling back the layers of Char’s inner world to show bullies don’t just appear, they’re mean for a reason, THE LIFE I’M IN is at once a timely, radical story of a girl on the brink, and a gripping exploration in to the power of human empathy.

SHARON G. FLAKE exploded onto the literary scene with her novel The Skin I'm In, in 1998, and was named a Publishers Weekly Flying Start. Since then she has become a multiple Coretta Scott King Author Honor Award winner and many of her novels have received ALA Notable and Best Books for Young Adults citations from the American Library Association. She lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Please visit Sharon's website at sharongflake.com.

Awards & Recognition


Coretta Scott King Honor Award


Kirkus Review Top Ten Book of the Year


NAACP Image Award Nominee


YWCA Racial Justice Award


IRA Notable Book For A Global Society


Detroit Public Library Outstanding Book of the Year Award


Chicago Public Library Best of the Best


American Library Association Best Books for Young Young Adult Readers


New York Public Library Top Ten Books for the Teen Age


Top Twenty Recommended Books to Read by the Texas Library Association


Junior Library Guide Selection


100 Books Every Teenage Girl Should Read


Professor Stephanie Reich, UCI professor of education and expert on youth and social media

LISTEN to today's show featuring UCI professor Stephanie Reich Stephanie Reich , UCI professor of education and expert on youth and soci...