Roller Girl

• Genre: Fiction; middle grade graphic novel
• Originally Published: 2015
• Reading Level/Interest: Lexile GN440L; grades 4-8
• Structure/Length: 16 chapters; approx. 240 pages; approx. 2 hours, 19 minutes on audio
• Protagonist and Central Conflict: Inspired by a night at the roller derby, 12-year-old Astrid signs up for a girls’ Junior Roller Derby Camp, assuming best friend Nicole will attend with her; when Nicole decides on dance camp instead, Astrid must learn strength and perseverance on her own.

Victoria Jamieson, Author

• Bio: Born and lives in Pennsylvania; attended the Rhode Island School of Design; once played on a roller derby team in Portland, Oregon
• Other Works: All’s Faire in Middle School (2017); When Stars Are Scattered (with Omar Mohamed; 2020)
• Awards: Newbery Honor Award (2016), YALSA Quick Picks for Reluctant Readers (2016); ALA Notable Children's Book (2016)

CENTRAL THEMES connected and noted throughout this Teaching Unit:

• Embracing Fear
• Opportunity Born of Loss and Failure
• The Importance of Friendship in Identity Formation

STUDY OBJECTIVES: In accomplishing the components of this Unit, students will:

• Develop an understanding of roller derby and how it serves to empower its participants in order to more effectively discuss and analyze protagonist Astrid’s coming-of-age.
• Create a comic and/or dramatic skit that shares the novel’s theme of Opportunity Born of Loss and Failure.