Laura's first YA historical novel, Under a War-torn Sky, grew out of an article about her father's experiences as a B-24 pilot with the French Resistance during World War II. The book won lots of awards and Laura continued its story in A Troubled Peace. As a former journalist, she's also "reported" on other important historical events through her books, including the Civil War in Annie, Between the States, the Revolutionary War in Give Me Liberty, and the civil rights movement in Flying South.