Roller Girl

 Roller Girl

Jamieson, V. (2017). Roller Girl. Penguin Books, Limited. ISBN 9780141378992

“For most of her twelve years, Astrid has done everything with her best friend Nicole. But after Astrid falls in love with roller derby and signs up for derby camp, Nicole decides to go to dance camp instead. And so begins the most difficult summer of Astrid's life as she struggles to keep up with the older girls at camp, hang on to the friend she feels slipping away, and cautiously embark on a new friendship. As the end of summer nears and her first roller derby bout (and junior high!) draws closer, Astrid realizes that maybe she is strong enough to handle the bout, a lost friendship, and middle school… in short, strong enough to be a roller girl.” 

(Amazon Reviews)

Roller Girl is an action-packed and emotion-filled story that follows twelve-year-old Astrid and her quest to become a roller-derby champion. Through Astrid’s struggles with her sport and with friendships, both new and old, this book contains lessons about perseverance, relationships, and goals. Astrid makes mistakes throughout this book and it is inspiring to see her learn, grow, and succeed. Accompanying this compelling storyline are expressive illustrations that bring the words to life. The author takes us on a colorful romp into the world of roller derby and the perseverance of a lovable character.

Book Reviews:

“The comics format is used resourcefully, with the artist occasionally placing Astrid before exaggerated, out-of-this-world backdrops (a desert on a long, hot walk home, for instance) and pausing action to address readers directly. Tweens and young teens will identify with Astrid's journey to find her unique voice in the world and derby name on the track. Have it at the ready for Telgemeier fans racing to find something new.”

(GALL, E. (2015). Roller Girl. Horn Book Magazine, 91(2), 99.)

“Jamieson captures this snapshot of preteen angst with a keenly decisive eye, brilliantly juxtaposing the nuances of roller derby with the twists and turns of adolescent girls friendships. Clean, bright illustrations evince the familiar emotions and bring the pathos to life in a way that text alone could not. Fans of Raina Telgemeier or Jimmy Gownley's Amelia series should certainly skate on over to this gem.”

(Roller Girl. (2014). Kirkus Reviews, 166.)

Connections:

• This could be a great lead-in to conversations about friendship and perseverance.

• An SEL lesson about failure leading to success would benefit from the nuances of this story.

Awards:

Newbery Honor Award, 2016

This review was created as an assignment for SHSU LSSL 5360.