A Year Down Yonder by Richard Peck

In 1937, Mary Alice must go live with Grandma Dowdel until her parents can get back on their feet after father lost his job and Joey is working far away from Chicago. Mary Alice arrives to grandma's town and goes straight to school where she joins various students from different levels and learns quickly that she will be treated as a stranger in the small town.
Mary Alice begins enjoying Grandma Dowdel's company and appreciates all the hard work that they both do in order to have basic things sucha as food, clothes and shoes. During her year with grandma, Mary Alice learns life lessons and becomes fond of her grandmother.
Grandma Dowdel in her very special way, shows Mary Alice to survive and take care of her self. Mary Alice must make a tough choice at the end of the school year and Grandma Dowdel is there to support her with her some loving and tough advice.

I fell in love with the sequel to A Long Way from Chicago, this book describes a wonderful bond created between young Mary Alice and her grandma. During the hard times after the Depression Era, Mary Alice's family is split apart but Grandma helps her teenage granddaughter survive her last year at a small town High School. I enjoyed how Grandma Dowdel was the same lady, getting her way and then some; "watching" Mary Alice grow into a mature and loving granddaughter was a great conclusion to this historical fiction story.