Sherri L. Smith was born in Chicago, Illinois and spent most of her childhood reading books. She currently lives in Los Angeles, where she has worked in movies, animation, comic books and construction. Sherri's first book, Lucy the Giant , was an American Library Association Best Book for Young Adults in 2003. Sherri's novel, Sparrow , was chosen as a National Council for the Social Studies/Children's Book Council Notable Social Studies Trade Book for Young People. Upon the release of Hot, Sour, Salty, Sweet in February 2008, Sherri was featured as a spotlight author for The Brown Bookshelf's Black History Month celebration, 28 Days Later . Flygirl , an historical YA novel set during World War II, is her fourth novel. It won the California Book Award Gold Medal, was a YALSA Best Book for Young Adults, and has received fourteen State Award nominations.

Her latest novel, Orleans , is a cli-fi futuristic novel that garnered several starred reviews and was a 2014 CBC Best Book of the Year.