One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia

This is the story of three sisters, Delphine, Vonetta, and Fern, who visit their estranged mother, Cecille in Oakland, California.  But when they arrive with dreams of Disneyland and movie stars, they discover their mother is nothing like they expected.  The end-up spending their summer in a school run by the Black Panthers and learn unexpected lessons.  The book won numerous awards, including the Scott O’Dell award, the Coretta Scott King award, a Newbury Honor and was a finalist for the National Book Award.