Sugar and Dirt is the inspiring coming-of-age story of a young émigré during one of the stormiest eras in recent American history. F.P. Romero's stirring memoirs begin in Cuba, where his affluent family loses everything to Fidel Castro's revolution and is forced to flee with scarcely more than the clothes on their backs. Having to start over in Miami, the family struggles with refugee life but resolves to pursue the American Dream. F.P. describes his idyllic years at the elite McCullough Academy, his departure from McCullough, and his startling descent into a world of violence and malice. His reckless decline into drug-fueled dissipation threatens to consume him until a girl and a chance discovery change his life forever. Told with a unique blend of wit, candor, and pathos, Sugar and Dirt recounts F.P.'s early life of privilege, his tragic fall from grace, and his hard-earned redemption. It is a story of true American reinvention.

The first book in Anna Staniszewski's award-winning YA best selling book series: The Dirt Diaries! A hilarious tale about the weight of responsibility that comes from a secret-filled diary... Rachel can't believe she has to give up her Saturdays to scrubbing other people's toilets. So. Gross. But she kinda, sorta stole $287.22 from her college fund that she's got to pay back ASAP or her mom will ground her for life. Which is even worse than working for her mother's new cleaning business. Maybe. After all, becoming a maid is definitely not going to help her already loserish reputation. But Rachel picks up more than smelly socks on the job. As maid to some of the most popular kids in school, Rachel suddenly has all the dirt on the 8th grade in-crowd. Her formerly boring diary is now filled with juicy secrets. And when her crush offers to pay her to spy on his girlfriend, Rachel has to decide if she's willing to get her hands dirty... "Holy fried onion rings! Fun from beginning to end."—Wendy Mass, New York Times bestselling author of 11 Birthdays and The Candymakers The Dirt Diaries Series is the perfect... book series for girls aged 9-12 book series for middle school girls diary book series for reluctant readers preteen gift for girls