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. But 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. Through this example, Maleeka learns that she can stand up to tough-talking Charlese. And, over time, she can even accept Caleb’s friendship, the unconditional acceptance he’s been showing her from the get-go. Sharon Flake weaves a stunning tale of finding one’s place in a world that judges others at face value.

Sharon Flake is a public relations director at the University of Pittsburgh. She is the winner of the August Wilson Short Story Contest, and a scholarship recipient for the Highlights for Children Writers’ Conference. Ms. Flake is a former youth counselor for the Center for the Assessment and Treatment of Youth in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She lives in Pittsburgh with her daughter, Brittney.