Few of the WWII historical fiction stories I’ve read focus on the Women's Airforce Service Pilots, or WASP, a group that was created by the U.S. Army to help defeat Germany and Japan. Ida Mae's father was a Black pilot who taught her to fly planes, though her race and gender prevent her from following in his footsteps. Eager to soar, Ida is ready to join WASP as a way to fly and to help her brother who is fighting in the Pacific. But when the new organization denies her entry based on her race, Ida's only choice is to pass as white in order to live her dream. Smith expertly explores identity, family, and legacy while immersing her readers in history in this fantastic YA novel.

Holly says: Sherri L Smith, who you may know from her 2009 book Flygirl, offers a creative and layered story in this dystopian tale. In Orleans (formerly New Orleans), now separated from the Outer States of America by a wall and left to fend for itself amidst a flooded landscape and Delta Fever, Fen de la Guerre finds herself in charge of an orphan and is determined to get the child to safety beyond the wall. When she encounters Daniel—a scientist with his own agenda who has entered Orleans illegally—they’ll have to work together to survive. Smith paints a vivid yet intermittently hopeful picture of what life after climate change could look like; the resilience of the earth and the underlying goodness of humanity stand out as themes in this YA novel.