Roller Girl

Roller Girl is a graphic novel about twelve-year-old Astrid who discovers roller derby at a local match in Portland, Oregon. After falling in love with the sport, she signs up for a junior roller derby summer camp. The story follows Astrid's journey as she learns to skate, makes new friends, and navigates changing relationships. Through her training at derby camp, she faces physical challenges and social pressures while trying to find her place in a new community. During this transformative summer, Astrid develops her skills on the track while dealing with friendship struggles, family dynamics, and questions of identity. She must also confront the consequences of choices she makes along the way. This coming-of-age story explores themes of personal growth, authenticity, and the courage to pursue one's own path even when it means leaving comfort zones behind.

Readers connect with the authentic portrayal of middle school friendship struggles and self-discovery. Parents and teachers report the book helps kids navigate changing relationships and trying new activities. Readers appreciate: - Realistic depiction of mother-daughter dynamics - Sport-specific details about roller derby - Character growth shown through both text and art - Mix of humor and serious themes Common criticisms: - Some found the resolution too neat - A few readers wanted more roller derby action scenes - Minor complaints about the limited color palette Ratings across platforms: Goodreads: 4.3/5 (41,000+ ratings) Amazon: 4.8/5 (1,700+ ratings) Common Sense Media: 5/5 (parent reviews) "Perfect for kids struggling with friendship changes," notes one teacher-reviewer. A parent writes, "My daughter read it three times and then joined roller derby." Several reviewers mention crying at key emotional moments while their children remained engaged with the story's sports elements.

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🛼 The author, Victoria Jamieson, was inspired to write this book after becoming a roller derby skater herself under the derby name "Winnie the Pow" 🏆 "Roller Girl" won the Newbery Honor Award in 2016, making it one of very few graphic novels to receive this prestigious recognition 🎨 Before writing and illustrating graphic novels, Victoria Jamieson worked as an illustrator for Scholastic Book Clubs and designed plush toys for Gund 🌲 The Portland Rose City Rollers, the real roller derby league that inspired the book's setting, was founded in 2004 and has grown to become one of the largest roller derby leagues in the world 📚 The roller derby names featured in the book, like "Rainbow Bite" and "Asteroid," follow the actual roller derby tradition of skaters choosing creative pseudonyms for their derby personas