Friday, April 15, 2016

ROLLER GIRL by Victoria Jamieson


Review by Christi De Leon

1.    BIBLIOGRAPHY

Jamieson, Victoria. Roller Girl. New York: Dial Books, 2015. ISBN 0803740166

2.    PLOT SUMMARY

During the summer before middle school, a girl named Astrid becomes interested in roller derby and decides to sign up for roller derby camp. Nicole, her childhood best friend, chooses to go to dance camp instead. Astrid has a difficult time keeping up with the more experienced roller girls at camp, her friendship with Nicole gets complicated, and she makes a new friend named Zoey who shares her love for roller derby. After a series of struggles, Astrid realizes how to face challenges and become strong.

3.    CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Taking place in Oregon, twelve-year-old Astrid is on an emotional rollercoaster ride as she copes with the struggles of early adolescence while attempting to redefine herself as a roller girl. Told in first person with constant dialog, this powerful graphic novel engages in a way that readers feel how Astrid feels through the unforeseen events that occur. Tension emerges all around her as she continuously struggles at roller derby camp, and she eventually hits a breaking point. As the summer progresses, Astrid learns the influence of a positive role model, the importance of honesty, the true value of friendship, and how to rise above the negativity. Astrid discovers how to become strong and fierce, as if she had to grow emotionally before she could embrace her fear. Although she still has a lot to learn, her dream of being a roller girl becomes far more promising by the conclusion of the story.

A key moment in the story occurs when Astrid visits Nicole’s house to apologize for lying and work matters out. Although Astrid gets to express what has been on her mind, their differences are inevitable at this point. Leaving Nicole’s house, Astrid mentions the poster in Kindergarten that teaches feelings. Astrid goes on to say, “They didn’t tell you about feelings that got mixed together like a smoothie.” Not only can most readers relate to this poster from early childhood, but readers can also understand these jumbled up feelings firsthand as a natural way of dealing with changes, especially at this age.

This authentic story has a female protagonist, yet this highly visual graphic novel has the potential to be favored by anyone. The author’s use of imagery is exemplary. Accurate cultural markers are presented both visually and within text. Being a roller girl herself, the author organized the novel with reflection upon some of her own experiences, creating a graphic novel that is believable and insightful.

4.    REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

2016 Newbery Honor Book
 New York Times Bestseller

From The Horn Book: “Jamieson’s dialogue captures coming-of-age.. so authentically.”

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

From Publishers Weekly: “Readers will stand up and cheer.”

5.    CONNECTIONS

Gather other graphic novels to read such as:

Chmakova, Svetlana. Awkward. ISBN 0316381306

Gulledge, Laura L. Page by Paige. ISBN 0810997223

Gather other Victoria Jamieson books to read such as:

The Great Pet Escape. ISBN 162779106X

Olympig! ISBN 0803735367

Possible activities:

Discuss attributes of Astrid’s character, such as perseverance.

Encourage students to share what their derby names might be if they were characters in this story.

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