SHARON G. FLAKE, a Philadelphia native,  is best known for her ground-breaking novel The Skin I’m In which changed the way many Black girls viewed themselves.  Considered a modern classic, this best-selling novel is used in classrooms worldwide and studied by experts in the field of education and literature. Flake is the  author of over a dozen books, with more than 1.5 million in print on six continents.  Her work includes picture books, historical fiction, page-turning novels that keep teens reading, and books that empower and shine a positive light on Black  teens and communities often underrepresented in publishing. 

HATTIE MAE BEGINS AGAIN

Twelve-year-old Hattie Mae leaves North Carolina in 1938 to attend an elite school for Black girls in Philadelphia. She quickly realizes that these daughters of doctors and lawyers look down on her farm background and southern roots. Drawing on her hard work ethic, strong family ties and intelligence, Hattie Mae soon proves herself and helps her classmates and school out of a tough situation. Through walking tours, research and a passion for Philadelphia, the author  aims to introduce young readers to history and poetry in a way that gets them reading enthusiastically and eager to discover and appreciate their own family and community roots and stories.