This debut graphic novel by Victoria Jamieson--aka Winnie the Pow, a roller derby skater herself--will make readers as fascinated by the world of roller derby as is her 12-year-old heroine, who falls in love with the sport and practices to improve her skills.
Astrid goes from a girl who can barely balance on skates to an "insane" speed demon during her time at Junior Roller Derby Camp. She still struggles with mastering her "plow" (stopping) and falls nearly every time she gets "hit" (blocked) by a teammate. But through practice, she steadily improves in credible ways. As Jamieson explains the sport's juicy language and its mix of skillful skating and aggressive blocking, she also charts the changes in Astrid's friendship with Nicole, her best friend since first grade. Nicole wants to learn to dance en pointe at ballet camp, not master blocking at derby camp. A standout sequence depicts a split-screen of Astrid's growing anger (on the right) as she eavesdrops on Nicole listening to a ballet friend coach her on how to shed Astrid as a friend (on the left). Astrid lets her mother assume she and Nicole are still tight and attending camp together, which results in an emotionally authentic blowout.
In the course of the camp's duration, Astrid learns a great deal about herself as a skater, a daughter and a friend. Jamieson's honest approach and ability to chronicle visually the inner life of her heroine will have readers hoping for more from this talented writer and artist. --Jennifer M. Brown, children's editor, Shelf Awareness