about the book
“‘Tonight, we are having an Evening of Cultural Enlightenment!’” Astrid’s mom announced.
Astrid and her best friend Nicole are used to going on ECEs, but that doesn’t mean they enjoy them. They’ve been to poetry readings, the opera, and modern art galleries—and those were the good trips.
So what is the ECE this time? THE ROLLER DERBY!
It’s the best thing Astrid has ever seen! She’s so in love with the sport that she signs up for derby camp, even though Nicole is joining dance camp instead. It’s the first thing Astrid hasn’t done with Nicole.
She soon finds out that roller derby is harder than it looks: physically, socially, and emotionally. Can Astrid power through all the pain to make both middle school and her first derby bout a success?
about the author/illustrator
When twelve-year-old Victoria Jamieson’s family moved to Florida, her parents bought season passes to Disney World. It was their way of trying to get Victoria and her two brothers excited about leaving Pennsylvania.
Growing up, Victoria was always interested in creating. She sewed a lot, especially flags and stuffed animals. Since her mom was an art teacher, there were always supplies around the house. Even though Victoria loved making things, she never really considered art as a career because she wanted more financial stability, but her mom encouraged her to study art at college.
So she went to Rhode Island School of Design and found herself drawn toward illustration over animation (all that time at Disney!). After graduation and working some odd jobs, Victoria worked as a book designer at HarperCollins.
And somewhere along the way, Victoria began writing and illustrating her own stories. Her debut graphic novel, Roller Girl, is loosely based on her own experiences playing roller derby and losing a friend due to the family move.
Victoria didn’t become interested in roller derby until she read the book Derby Girl by Shauna Cross. Up until then, she was not a sports person at all. While writing Roller Girl, Victoria played and coached roller derby. Since then, she’s had a baby and only plays on a recreational team—she doesn’t have time to do more! There is a free eBook on Victoria’s website on the making of Roller Girl.
Victoria lives in Portland, Oregon, with her husband, son, and surly cat.
Sources:
Author/Illustrator website
Author/Illustrator biography: Penguin
Author/Illustrator interview: Kirkus Reviews
Author/Illustrator podcast: Picturebooking
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