Sweetness in the SkinA winning debut novel about a Jamaican girl determined to bake her way out of her dysfunctional family and into the opportunity of a lifetime. Pumkin Patterson is a thirteen year old girl living in a tiny two room house in Kingston, Jamaica, with her grandmother (who wants to improve the family's social standing), her Aunt Sophie (who dreams of a new life in Paris for her and Pumkin), and her mother Paulette (who's rarely home). When Sophie is offered

And in Afi

as the night goes on

But remembering her origins and grandmother's teachings

bold illustrations by Leisl Adams

my life sucks

Sworn enemies

not of his father

It's almost certainly going to be a disaster

both physically and mentally

and let the world pass you by

ones that threaten to destroy his business and his reputation

to flea marketing with his loving grandmother