Roller Girl

Roller Girl

Graphic Novel
Twelve can be a tough and confusing age to be in every way
possible. Mentally there's one of the biggest cognitive shifts of
one's entire life with increasing abilities to think abstractly and
perceive shades of gray. Academically there are a lot more
pressures. Physically there are changing shape and runaway hormones
to cope with. Socially there are sometimes shifts in friendships and
loyalties as even the closest of chums can develop different interests
and priorities. Narrator Astrid lives through a very tough patch in
Victoria Jamieson's Roller Girl.
Astrid loves every minute of a roller derby match her mom takes
her and her best friend, Nicole, to. When her mother tells her about
a junior roller derby camp she's eager to sign up, sure that Nicole,
with whom she does everything, will go along with this plan. "Of
course she'd want to come. We were best friends, and that's what best
friends do. They do everything together."
Nicole, however, has other plans for her summer. She's going to
a six week dance camp where she will finally go on pointe. Worse yet,
she has started to hang around with Rachel, a mean girl who considers
Astrid to be a freak show. Astrid overhears Rachel advising Nicole to
ignore her when they start junior high.
Roller derby camp proves to be a lot more challenging than
Astrid had expected it to be. Practices are exhausting. All the
other girls seem to be more experienced and talented.
This dynamic graphic novel, written and illustrated by an actual
roller derby skater, would be a great summer read for youngsters
getting close to their own middle school/junior high entrances.
On a personal note, Mazie, who is one of my BFFs treated me to ice
cream at the Family Dog. Our schedules are so full it's a real treat
when we can get some us time beyond email and being at the same place
at the same time. But we can pick up where we left off as easily as
if we saw each other every day. If there was a real emergency, I know
we'd come through for each other.
A great big shout out goes out to Mazie who knows just about all there
is to know about me and likes me for my authentic self.
jules hathaway


Sent from my iPod