Young Tusi wanted a better life. The other kids bullied him and mocked him for being poor. His dream of a better life was drifting farther and farther out of reach as Tusi was much more interested in playing sports with his friends or retaliating to taunts with his fists, than in working to get money or to change his life.There was one person who Tusi loved and respected above all others, his grandma. She was very wise and knew about the rewards of hard work and also about trusting in God for his help in whatever she couldn't do herself. Worried about Tusi's constant fighting and where his life was headed, Grandma would tell Tusi stories and use everyday situations to teach him about life.One day, in frustration, Tusi's grandma declared that if Tusi didn't work hard in the plantation or at school, the only option left to him would be to eat chicken shit to survive. These words stuck with Tusi and challenged him to seek out the courage to make something of his life.But working hard at school and in his family's plantation and taking direction from his parents was not going to be easy. Many things would try to tempt him away and steal his newfound motivation and his chance for a successful life - bullies and mockers, good food, easy options and quick rewards, cultural demands, other people's expectations, girlfriends and sex. Alongside the daily challenges of village life, cheeky Tusi and the friends he makes along the way find plenty of trouble of their own and also have a lot of fun together.Can Tusi overcome the bullies and the other roadblocks he encounters and persevere to finish school, or will he drop out? Will he grow into a young man who will make his grandma proud? Can a poor Samoan village boy make a better life for himself and his family?