Roller Girl: (Newbery Honor Award Winner)

by Victoria Jamieson

Overview

The Newbery Honor Award Winner and New York Times bestseller Roller Girl is a heartwarming graphic novel about friendship and surviving junior high through the power of roller derby—perfect for fans of Raina Telgemeier's Smile! 

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.

In this graphic novel debut that earned a Newbery Honor and five starred reviews, real-life derby girl Victoria Jamieson has created an inspiring coming-of-age story about friendship, perseverence, and girl power!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780803740167
Publisher:	Penguin Young Readers Group
Publication date:	03/10/2015
Pages:	256
Sales rank:	4,376
Product dimensions:	5.30(w) x 8.20(h) x 0.90(d)
Lexile:	GN440L (what's this?)
Age Range:	9 - 12 Years

About the Author

Victoria Jamieson received her BFA in Illustration from the Rhode Island School of Design. She worked as a children’s book designer before moving to Portland and becoming a freelance illustrator. She has also worked as a portrait artist aboard a cruise ship, and has lived in Australia, Italy, and Canada. She maintains a not-so-secret identity as Winnie the Pow, skater with the Rose City Rollers roller derby league.

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

Praise for Pest in Show:

"Sure to tickle the fancy of fun- and pun-loving youngsters and would-be young stars. This silly read-, dance-, and sing-aloud could be a smash hit."—Kirkus Reviews

"Brimming with buggy puns, wordplay, reworked classics (“I’m Housefly the Garbage Man,” set to the tune of “Popeye the Sailor Man,” is the standout), matched in tone by Jamieson’s brash collage and acrylic cartoons—SLJ

Praise for Olympig:

"An amusing lesson in how to lose gracefully." —USA Today
"Jamieson snatches moral victory from the jaws of athletic defeat with warmth, satirical wit, and old-fashioned silliness." —SLJ
 

Editorial Reviews

★ 01/26/2015
When Astrid’s mother takes her and her best friend Nicole to a roller derby event, Astrid is intrigued, but Nicole is left cold. The rift between them grows as Astrid signs up for derby camp, while Nicole opts for ballet. Astrid works her tail off, makes friends, finds a mentor in a star skater named Rainbow Bite, and, at last, appears in her first bout. She also undergoes some uncomfortable preadolescent ordeals before reconciling with Nicole, in scenes that Jamieson (Pest in Show), in her first graphic novel, keeps blessedly free of smarminess. Jamieson’s full-color cartooning has a Sunday comics vibe, and her pacing is faultless. Astrid struggles to do right as she tries to understand her soured friendship with Nicole, and she narrates her own failures with heartwarming candor (“I don’t know why I did it. I didn’t mean to hit them”). When she comes up with an elaborate scheme to bolster a teammate’s failing confidence and carries it off despite the pressure of their upcoming bout, readers will want to stand up and cheer. Ages 9–12. Agent: Paul Rodeen, Rodeen Literary Management. (Mar.)

Publishers Weekly

A Newbery Honor book
2016-2017 Texas Bluebonnet Award winner
A New York Times Bestseller
A Spring 2015 Indie Next Pick
A New York Times Book Review Notable Children's Book of 2015
A New York Public Library Best Book for Reading and Sharing of 2015
A Publishers Weekly Best Book of 2015
A School Library Journal Best Book of 2015
A Kirkus Reviews Best Book of 2015
A Top 10 Latin@ Book of 2015
A Parents Magazine Best Children's Book of 2015
A Chicago Public Library Best Book of 2015
A Texas Bluebonnet Award 2016-2017 nominee
A 2016 YALSA Quick Picks for Reluctant Readers selection
A 2016 YALSA Popular Paperback selection
An ALA Notable Children's Book of 2016
A 2015 Nerdy Book Club Award Winner for Best Graphic Novel

“Roller Girl's message of self-discovery, friendship, and perseverance will roll its way right into your heart.” —Raina Telgemeier, New York Times bestselling author of Sisters

“This spiky, winning graphic novel captures the bittersweetness of finding a new passion and saying goodbye to your former, more uncertain self.” —New York Times Book Review

* "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...Full of charm and moxie—don't let this one roll past." —Kiruks, starred review

* “The story will engage readers… Offer this comic to fans of Telgemeier’s Smile and Laura Lee Gulledge’s Page by Paige.”—School Library Journal, starred review

* "Readers will stand up and cheer."—Publishers Weekly, starred review

* "Jamieson’s dialogue captures coming-of-age…so authentically"—Horn Book, starred review

* "[A] sharp and engaging graphic novel”—BCCB, starred review

"Visually, Roller Girl is very appealing — think Lynn Johnston with a modern edge — but it's the storytelling that really sets this graphic novel apart…A great choice for tween girls, whether they're remaking themselves, renegotiating friendships or just weathering the stormy seas of early adolescence." —Chicago Tribune

From the Publisher

Twelve-year-old Astrid Vasquez has a pretty good life, and she shares just about all of her adventures with her best friend, Nicole. But when Astrid decides to sign up for roller derby camp, and Nicole does not, Astrid’s life changes dramatically. Faced with a new challenge, and with no friend to support her, Astrid runs into one problem after another. Her first roller derby practice is a disaster, and her second one is not much better. Astrid wants to be “tougher, stronger, and fearless” but she begins, instead, to feel more insecure, clueless, and awkward. Can she master the skills needed for roller derby and become a star? And can she make new friends while still keeping her old ones? Fast-paced, fresh, and witty, this story deals with coming-of-age problems inherent in parent-child, pre-teen, and boy-girl relationships. The rapid dialog moves the story forward, and the comic strip panel illustrations are expressive and colorful. The background for the action—the roller derby—is an interesting choice. It is not one that a majority of girls probably know a lot about, but its emphasis on female physical strength, determination, and character is commendable. Significantly, the story does not sugarcoat the violence in the sport, or the fact that the main character channels her emotional anger to help her “knock out” the other team’s players. This is a fine, well-written book—a real page-turner that readers will not want to put down. Reviewer: Leona Illig; Ages 8 to 12.

Children's Literature - Leona Illig

★ 12/01/2014
Gr 4–8—Twelve-year-old Astrid realizes that her interests are distinctly different from those of her best friend. Mesmerized while viewing a roller derby, she dreams of becoming a "Roller Girl" but discovers that the sport is considerably more daunting than she imagined and is not without physical, social, and emotional pain. Nevertheless, Astrid is determined to succeed. While this graphic novel provides interesting information about the sport, at its heart it is a story of friendship, exploring the tensions which test the girls' relationship as they move from childhood to adolescence. Astrid learns to be honest with herself, her mother, and her friends through a series of stressful events. The graphic novelist employs several excellent visual devices: angles to denote action and effective placement and space within panels. Jamieson's clever use of imagery is noteworthy. For example, desert and prehistoric depictions are used to suggest exaggerated perceptions of elapsed time. Her clothes shopping "hell" sequence is spot-on. Panels with stick figures are employed for comments, notes, and explanations. A prologue effectively frames the story and the realistic style with full-color art is reminiscent of the work of Raina Telgemeier. While at times some panels are a bit text-dense, the story will engage readers who will identify with Astrid as she deals with frustrations and disappointments. It will especially appeal to those whose aspirations fly in the face of convention. Offer this comic to fans of Telgemeier's Smile (Scholastic, 2010) and Laura Lee Gulledge's Page by Paige (Abrams, 2011).—Barbara M. Moon, Suffolk Cooperative Library System, Bellport, NY

School Library Journal

★ 2014-12-06
One summer changes everything for two 12-year-old girls whose friendship is tested when their interests—and attitudes—diverge.Astrid and Nicole have been BFFs truly forever. When the girls go to the roller derby one night, Astrid is immediately hooked and jumps at the chance to attend a roller-derby camp, skating alongside the tough, dyed girls. Nicole, however, who's passionate about ballet, decides not to follow along with Astrid, creating the first real rift the girls have known. The two quickly make new friends in their new circles: Astrid with her roller-derby cohorts and Nicole with the popular ballet crowd. As Astrid navigates the rough-and-tumble sport she's fallen in love with (and the bumps and bruises that come with it), she must also deal with what happens when friends just stop being friends and grow apart. 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. Full of charm and moxie—don't let this one roll past. (Graphic fiction. 9-13)

Kirkus Reviews