Books with author Sharon Flake

Award-winning author, Sharon G. Flake, presents a powerful novel about a teen boy and girl, each tackling disabilities. Autumn and Adonis have nothing in common and everything in common. Autumn is outgoing and has lots of friends. Adonis is shy and not so eager to connect with people. But even with their differences, the two have one thing in common--they're each dealing with a handicap. For Autumn, who has a learning disability, reading is a painful struggle that makes it hard to focus in class. But as her school's most aggressive team wrestler, Autumn can take down any problem. Adonis is confined to a wheelchair. He has no legs. He can't walk or dance. But he's a strong reader who loves books. Even so, Adonis has a secret he knows someone like Autumn can heal. In time, Autumn and Adonis are forced to see that our greatest weaknesses can turn into the assets that forever change us and those we love. Told in alternating voices, Takedown explores issues of self-discovery, friendship, and what it means to be different.

Guys and girls get together, get played, and get real. Who Am I Without Him? is a Booklist Top Ten Romance Novel for Teens and is "breaking new and necessary ground" in twelve short stories about guys and girls falling in and out of love and relationships, testing out ways to communicate with one another, respect each other -- and respect themselves. This is a complex, often humorous, and always on-point exploration of today's teens determined to find love and self-worth . . . any way they know how. Note: this is potentially going to be in a bind-up with You Don't Even Know Me.

I am a queen. Spoiled, smart, pretty, privileged, and mean, fifth-grader Queen Marie Rousseau has barely a friend at school-even the teacher dislikes her. Things change when she meets her knight in shining armor-the new kid, Leroy. He smells like moldy clothes and rides a rusty, broken bike, but he shows her a whole new world near his neighborhood projects. Queen knows Leroy is a fake when he says he is an African prince from Senegal, but then he brings gold coins and an elephant tusk to school. Are they real? Where did he get them? The mystery is fun, and even though the solution is a bit contrived and message-driven, Queen's arrogant, first-person, present-tense narrative brings readers along as she takes a voyage around the world that changes her. Queen's discovery, We are all from Africa, makes a great climax.

Bestselling and award-winning author, Sharon G. Flake, delivers a mystery set in the 1950s that eerily blends history, race, culture, and family.Octobia May is girl filled with questions. Her heart condition makes her special - and, some folks would argue, gives this ten-year-old powers that make her a "wise soul." Thank goodness for Auntie, who convinces Octobia's parents to let her live in her boarding house that is filled with old folks. That's when trouble, and excitement, and wonder begin. Auntie is non-traditional. She's unmarried and has plans to purchase other boarding homes and hotels. At a time when children, and especially girls, are "seen, not heard," Auntie allows Octobia May the freedom and expression of an adult. When Octobia starts to question the folks in her world, an adventure and a mystery unfold that beg some troubling questions: Who is black and who is "passing" for white? What happens when a vibrant African American community must face its own racism?And, perhaps most important: Do vampires really exist? In her most unusual and probing novel yet, Sharon G. Flake takes us on a heart-pumping journey

The Skin I'm In is a realistic fiction novel written by Sharon Flake. It depicts the story of seventh grader Maleeka Madison who has low self-esteem because of her dark skin color. Thirteen-year-old Maleeka Madison is tall, skinny, and dark-skinned. That's a problem for her, because it's such a problem for everyone else at school, it seems. Life for Maleeka just gets harder, until she learns to stand up for herself and love the skin she's in.

There is 'The Ugly One,' whose only solace comes when she is locked inside her own head. In 'Wanted: A Thug,' a teenager seeks advice on how to steal her best friend's bad-guy boyfriend. And then there's Erika, who only likes white boys. Sharon Flake takes readers through the minds of girls trying to define themselves while struggling to remain relevant to the boys in their lives. This is a complex, often humorous, always on-point exposition of black youth resolving to find self-worth . . . any way they know how.

Dear Little Black boys and girls, I want all children to know that racism must cease to exist. The only way that will happen is if we all help change the narrative of what children see and experience. You deserve a healthy mental environment to live in so you can grow, one that is free of oppression and hatred based on your skin color. I hope that one day the issues in this book will not need to be discussed or taught to your children and grandchildren. Not forgetting what was, however, no longer living with the burden of explaining to someone how wrong white privilege and racism are. So, little Black boys and girls, we fight this fight for you! Love Always, Sharon