Sharon G. Flake

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Sharon Flake is an author of young adult literature. She was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and has resided in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with her daughter for many years. She is a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh with a BA in English.

Her works include The Skin I'm In, which follows a young African American girl, and her issues with people teasing her about the color of her skin and the way she dresses. She tries her best to fit in but it doesn't go too well. She learns that trying to fit in is not the best way to make people like you. Her works have also won numerous awards. The Skin I'm In won the Coretta Scott King award in 1999 for new authors and garnered positive feedback from Booklist and School Library Journal.

I’m still pinching myself, thankful as I can be, that I’ve been blessed to be a young adult author. Life is so full of twists and turns that you never know where a road might lead you. Just think about it. I went to college to become a pediatrician, but ended up majoring in writing instead. Good thing because I absolutely did not have what it took to be an MD. I won’t give you the details here—we’ll talk about that when I visit your school or group. But know this: you would not want me to be your doctor! That’s cool with me, because being a young adult author is the best, most marvelous, most incredible thing to ever happen to me in life, besides giving birth to my daughter, Brittney.

I have written many books and received numerous awards and recognitions. You may read about them under the books section of this site. However, there’s one thing you should know—authors are more than the books they write and the recognitions they receive. We’re people too. For instance, I’m a mom as well as a daughter. I was raised in Philadelphia and have two older sisters, two older brothers and a younger brother, who by the way used to have tea parties with me when we were young. I was shy growing up, but I’m over most of that now. I’m still a little bit quirky though, so if you’re ever in Pittsburgh and see me walking in my neighborhood trying to catch raindrops on my tongue, or laying in the snow chilling out, don’t worry. I’m just being me.

Okay. What else? I like music—rap, elevator lite, country (oh yeah I said country), and gospel. I believe in giving back and helping out so I’m always up to something good I hope—which doesn’t make me perfect, but does make me like myself a little better. I am an inner city girl and I still live in the inner city, but there’s something about seeing cows and chickens, barns and corn growing that I like a lot too. When I was young I wanted to own a pig and an elephant. I was deprived—I never got either. But I did get a lot of love, laughter and great story telling from my parents and older relatives.

I am a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh, with a degree in English. I once was a house parent for youth placed temporarily in shelters. I also worked with young people in a foster care program for about eight years, and then I skipped off to work for the University of Pittsburgh where they really believed me when I said I could write press releases and do public relations. I spent eighteen years at Pitt—some of the best years of my life by the way. While there, I wrote The Skin I’m In, but not on their time—I don’t think. Several years ago I left the University in order to become a full-time author. Now I work from home in my PJs or two-day old clothing.

Well, I’m sure that’s more than you want to know. But it’s me—some parts of me anyhow. If you need to know more, there’s tons written about me on the internet. Otherwise you may always e-mail me, but know this, I won’t do anyone’s homework. But I will e-mail you back and be as helpful as I can.

Hope. Dream. Believe. I do!

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[edit] Works

• The Skin I'm In (1998)
• Money Hungry (2002)
• Begging for Change (2003) - sequel of Money Hungry
• Who Am I Without Him? Short Stories About Girls and the Boys in Their Lives (2004)
• Bang (2005)
• The Broken Bike Boy and the Queen of 33rd Street (2007)

[edit] External links

• Sharon G. Flake's Official Web Site
• Works by or about Sharon G. Flake in libraries (WorldCat catalog)