How To Get Dirt

by S.E. Campbell

Pickles Bartley has always wanted one thing–to have a family of her own. In foster care since the age of three, she’s had more than her fair share of bad homes. There’s no way she is about to give up her new home with Miranda and David; she is determined to have them adopt her–even if it means following her friend Prudence’s advice: “You have to be ready and form a plan if you want them to keep you.” So they do. In one of her old foster homes, Prudence blackmailed her foster father when she caught him kissing a pretty woman. Pru-dence insists that Pickles does the same in a four step operation called “How to Get Dirt.”

90 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 15, 2013

Reviews

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pickles has spent 9 of her 12 years in foster care. She's a good kid and never causes trouble but none of her foster homes have ever worked out. She finally gets foster parents who treat her well and she really likes them... and then she learns they will have a baby of her own. You know what that means - bye, bye foster home. Her best friend from foster care encourages her to get dirt on her foster parents. If she finds out something that they don't want to get around, they'll have to keep her.

It's a very short book and it's not developed enough to keep the attention of a grown-up or really anyone over the age of 10. But for a 7-10 year old who is just starting to read chapter books, this would be a great choice.