Roller Girl

by Victoria Jamieson

Astrid Vasquez and her best friend Nicole can barely tolerate Astrid’s mother’s... read more

Astrid Vasquez and her best friend Nicole can barely tolerate Astrid’s mother’s regular Evenings of Cultural Enrichment until she surprises them with a Rose City Rollers roller derby match. Astrid is hooked and is eager to sign up for roller derby summer camp. She assumes Nicole will, too. But Nicole has other plans for the summer, attending dance camp with Astrid’s long-time nemesis, and Astrid feels betrayed. As Astrid goes through hard weeks of training, leading up to a junior bout during the half-time of a pro roller derby match, she makes a new friend but still feels the sting of losing Nicole. Roller derby gives her an outlet for her anger as she discovers she has a fierce competitive streak. When Astrid unintentionally hurts her new friend, it’s an opportunity for self-reflection, but there’s plenty of roller derby action here, too, as novice skater Astrid gains skills and confidence but, realistically, never gets to be really good. Along the way, she gets some tips about finding her own inner strength through an ongoing secret correspondence with her hero, Rose City Roller Rainbow Brite. This witty, original, and action-packed graphic novel was written and illustrated by a skater for the Rose City Rollers. (Ages 8–13)

© Cooperative Children's Book Center, Univ. of Wisconsin - Madison, 2016

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