A Guy, a Girl, and a Teen Book Blog

A Guy, a Girl, and a Teen Book Blog

Thursday, April 30, 2015

Roller Girl by Victoria Jamieson

Title: Roller Girl
Author: Victoria Jamieson
Pages: 240
Publisher: Dial Books
ISBN: 9780525429678
Publication Date: March 10, 2015
AR Levels: Book Level - 3.2, Interest Level - 4th-8th, Points - 2.0
Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23493697-roller-girl

In a nutshell: Best friends Astrid and Nicole were attached at the hip until the summer Astrid discovered a passion for roller derby that Nicole doesn't share. Feeling abandoned after Nicole signs up for summer dance camp, Astrid enrolls in a roller derby camp and quickly realizes her abilities don't quite live up to her passion. But Astrid throws herself into her new dream of being a derby star, and though there are bumps and bruises along the way (literally!), her summer is definitely a game-changer.

I'd recommend it to grades: 3 to 7

I'd recommend this book to: graphic novel readers and roller derby enthusiasts (obviously) but really anyone who's experienced a curve ball in a friendship or discovered a hobby you adore. Fans of Smile by Raina Telgemeier will also eat this up and so might Wimpy Kid readers.

What I liked most about this book: Sometimes it takes a whole lot of courage to try learning something new...especially when you're trying alone. Astrid discovers that if you are brave enough to stick with something that makes you happy even when none of your friends want to and even if you're not so great at it, you just might find some rocking new friends and develop some mad awesome skills too. It's a wonderful lesson that's taught with rainbow socks, roller skates, and blue hair, and the emotional depth may surprise you. It's my new favorite graphic novel.
 
Single favorite moment (without getting spoiler-y): I can't say too much, but it takes Astrid a while to figure out what her roller derby name should be, and when she does, it's fantastic and perfect.

Star rating (where 5 stars is awesome and 0 stars is atrocious): 5 stars