Roller Girl, Victoria Jamieson
Roller Girl, Victoria Jamieson
List: $15.00 | Sale: $10.50
Club: $7.50

Synopsis

The Newbery Honor Award Winner and New York Times bestseller Roller Girl is a heartwarming tale 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 -- now adapted for audio -- 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, perseverance, and girl power!

Performed by Almarie Guerra, with Jesse Bernstein, Ron Butler, Abigail Caro, Robbie Daymond, Giordan Diaz, Em Eldridge, Christopher Gebauer, Kim Mai Guest, Kirby Heyborne, Hillary Huber, Rachel Jacobs, Jorjeana Marie, Kathleen McInerney, Alex McKenna, Cassandra Morris, P.J. Ochlan, Adenrele Ojo, Georgette Perna, Kate Reinders, Tara Sands, Monika Felice Smith, and Bahni Turpin

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.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Natalie on August 01, 2018

Roller Derby, Girl-Power, and Friendship I was pumped to read this middle-grade graphic novel all about recognizing female empowerment within the roller derby community, especially after having read and loved Pamela Ribon's SLAM! Vol. 1, which is a YA comic bundle set around the same premise.......more

Goodreads review by Jasmine on May 22, 2020

This book was recommended to me by a fellow bookstagrammer. I gave it to my 8 years old and he loved it so much that he read it 3 times! It's no wonder because I absolutely loved this book! I read it in one sitting from 10:30pm to 2:30am! The story was on roller derby and I knew nothing about it so......more

Goodreads review by Calista on August 22, 2018

Roller-rific. This was amazing. I want to go to a real Roller Derby event. i think it would be fun. I enjoyed the movie that came out a few years ago. This is a story about Astrid at age 12 learning to be a tough and cool Roller Girl. She joins a summer camp to learn to skate, bump, fall, and jam. S......more

Goodreads review by Raina on December 10, 2015

Holy crap, I'm so excited that I get to be a kids librarian in a time when the market is nurturing and embracing literature like this. Jamieson has a soft spot for the everysoul - she doesn't tell stories just about the stars of the world. Here, she uses her background playing roller derby to tell a......more

Goodreads review by Dave on November 10, 2020

Raina Telgemeier territory, which is to say it is a perfect antidote to the sturm und drang and anguish and suffering of Crime and Punishment! :) Happy and positive and colorful. A girl grows up with a mom taking her and her sister to the opera and ballet to expose her to a certain type of cultural e......more


Quotes

A Newbery Honor book
2016-2017 Texas Bluebonnet Award winner
New York Times Bestseller
A Spring 2015 Indie Next Pick
New York Times Book Review Notable Children's Book of 2015
A New York Public Library Best Book for Reading and Sharing of 2015
Publishers Weekly Best Book of 2015
School Library Journal Best Book of 2015
Kirkus Reviews Best Book of 2015
A Top 10 Latin@ Book of 2015
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