The Great Gilly Hopkins

Gilly Hopkins is an 11 year old foster child. She has spent almost her entire life being shuttled from one home to another. As you can imagine this makes her angry and combative. Luckily she is bright and it is her intelligence that is her saving grace.
The story opens up with Gilly being sent to another home. This one is run by a Mrs. Trotter. Gilly gives her the same attitude that she gives everyone but Mrs. Trotter is used to foster children and isn't the least bit perturbed. She gives Gilly certain rules and obligations with the expectation that Gilly is to follow them. Gilly isn't happy about it, but eventually falls into line.
At school, Gilly discovers to her annoyance that her new teacher, Miss Harris, is black. Gilly doesn't like black people at all, but recognizes her teacher's intelligence. Miss Harris is the only one who recognizes that Gilly's fully name, Galadriel, is from the Lord of the Rings. Gilly leaves a racist card for her teacher, but despite this, Miss Harris continues to reach out to Gilly.
Back home Gilly is given the chore of escorting her blind neighbor back to his home after he has dinner with them each night. The next door neighbor Mr Randolph, is black. Gilly's dislike of being told what to do is exacerbated by having to escort a black man home. However at his home Gilly discovers a magnificent library of books.
While exploring them Gilly finds a stash of money, and hits on the idea of stealing the money to go to San Francisco to find her mother. With the help of Agnes Stokes, another child in her class, Gilly steals the money but is caught by the police at the bus station.
After she is returned to Mrs. Trotter. Gilly sends a letter to her mother telling her what a horrible life she has in foster care. Eventually, to her intense surprise the letter gets results.
After years of silence, her mother sends a request to the foster care system to have Gilly sent to her grandmother's home in Virginia.  Gilly's grandmother didn't even know she existed, but is delighted to have her. Gilly is angry at being uprooted again, especially when her mother joins them at Christmas. Gilly thinks her mother has come to stay, or to at least take Gilly to live with her, but finds out instead her mother has no interest in her, and only came because Gilly's grandmother paid for the ticket.
In the end, Gilly adjusts to life with her grandmother, but keeps in touch with Miss Harris, Mrs. Trotter and the friends she leaves behind in her last foster home.
This is an amazing story about a very angry frustrated girl, who eventually accepts what life has to offer her. She learns many life's lessons along the way, mostly about her self. Sadly, she doesn't get what she wants, but she gets what she needs, and that is more important. Her time with Miss Harris and Mrs. Trotter, bring her to a better understanding about people, and her grandmother's love teaches her to love herself.
This book won several awards, including the Newbery. It also has the distinction of being one of the most banned books in schools and libraries. The language is considered inappropriate, as does some of the subject matter. But it is an excellent book, giving a good view of a foster care child from a foster child's point of view.  Pick it up and read it yourself if you aren't sure you want your 10 year old to read it. I think you'll like it.