Like Sisters on the Homefront (PB) (1998)

When Gayle gets into trouble with her boyfriend, her mother sends the street-smart 14-year-old and her baby, Jose down to Georgia, to live with Uncle Luther and his family. There's nothing to do, nowhere to go, and no one around except kneesock-wearing, Jesus-praising cousin Cookie. Then Gayle meets Great, the family matriarch and her stories of the past begin to change how Gayle sees her future.

Williams-Garcia has surpassed herself. She has set these fictional characters firmly in the real world while still allowing them to rise from the pages and into readers hearts and imaginations. The Horn Book, starred review