I just finished Mare's War by Tanita Davis. Someone told me they'd heard good buzz about it and now I know why--because it's fabulous, that's why. Octavia and Talitha have to ride cross country with their grandmother, Mare, this summer to a family reunion in Alabama. The two teenage sisters don't want to spend that much quality time with each other, let alone their out of control grandma but they don't have a choice. Once they hit the road, the story starts to alternate between the road trip and Mare's experiences growing up, especially her experience in the African American battalion of the Women's Army Corps during WWII. The present day story is well told and full of colorful details. But it's Mare's story that will capture your heart. Small town Alabama was a tough place to be a black girl in the 1940s and you can see why Mare grabbed the chance to join the army and see the world. The period details are vivid and compelling. I cried when Mare recounts how proud she was for making it through the toughest training. Recommended for middle and high school.

Books it reminded me of:
Watsons Go to Birmingham, 1963, by Christopher Paul Curtis--another great road trip novel
Just Listen, by Sarah Dessen--another great book about sisters