Woodland Hills was honored to welcome back renowned author Sharon G. Flake to the Woodland Hills High School Library for another edition of the Woodland Hills Interaction Series.
Ms. Flake met with high school students to discuss the latest edition of her "I'm In" series of novels, which began with her debut book "The Skin I'm In," which was published in 1998. "The Skin I'm In" chronicled the story of a 13-year-old girl who is bullied for her looks. It weaves themes of diversity, self-esteem, relationships, bullying, and more into a compelling coming of age story that has become a popular read for young adults around the country.
It was followed by "The Life I'm In," which examines the life of one of the bullies and main antagonists in the first book, and the trilogy concludes with the recently published "The Family I'm In." The final chapter chronicles another antagonist from the first book and shares his attempts to mature and become a young man. "The Family I'm In" examines family and cultural expectations placed on young men and on fathers, set against a backdrop of a journey of self-discovery.
Ms. Flake spoke with the students about the series, as well as her other books. She shared insight into her writing process, how she developed some of the notable characters in each book and wanted to explore their journeys, and why it was important for her to tell stories from the perspective of teenagers.
Students asked questions about how her own childhood and life in Philadelphia influenced her writing, as well as why she chose certain storylines and endings for some of her characters.
Thank you to Ms. Flake for returning to Woodland Hills and speaking with our students!