I get a lot of these press releases telling me when new books are being published–some look more interesting than others. Usually, I read and delete them. But every now and then one looks interesting enough to post. This is one of them.

–from press release

JUMP INTO THE SKY

by Shelley Pearsall

It’s 1945 in Shelly Pearsall’s JUMP INTO THE SKY and the war is almost over—but Levi’s battle has just begun.

Levi Battle has been left behind all his life. His mother could sing like a bird and she flew away like one, too. His father left him with his grandmother so he could work as a traveling salesman—until Levi’s grandmother left this world entirely. Now Levi is staying with his aunt Odella while his father is serving in the U.S. Army. But it’s 1945, and the war is nearly over, and Aunt Odella decides it’s time for Levi to do some leaving of his own. Before he can blink, Levi finds himself on a train from Chicago to Fayetteville, North Carolina, where his father is currently stationed—last they knew.

So begins an eye-opening, life-changing journey for Levi. First lesson: there are different rules for African Americans in the South than there are in Chicago. And breaking them can have serious consequences. But with the help of some kind strangers, and despite the hindrances of some unkind ones, Levi makes his way across the United States—searching for his father and finding out about himself, his country, and what it truly means to belong.

In JUMP INTO THE SKY , Shelley Pearsall has created an unforgettable character in Levi and gives readers a remarkable tour of 1945 America through his eyes. Based on real-life secret mission by the first African American Paratroopers and their service, this title is impeccably researched. JUMP INTO THE SKY is a tour de force of historical fiction from a writer at the very top of her game.

A former teacher and museum historian, SHELLEY PEARSALL is now a full-time writer. Her first novel, Trouble Don’t Last, won the Scott O’Dell Award for Historical Fiction. To learn more about the author and her work, visit ShelleyPearsall.com.

JUMP INTO THE SKY  by Shelley Pearsall

Alfred A. Knopf | On sale August 14, 2012 | Ages 10 up

Hardcover: 978-0-375-83699-2 | $16.99 | $18.99 Can.

Ebook: 978-0-375-89548-7 | $10.99 | $10.99 Can.