Roller Girl by Victoria Jamieson

Roller Girl (2015)
Written and illustrated by: Victoria Jamieson
Dial Books for Young Readers, New York, New York
Lexile: GN440L
Accelerated Reader: 2.0

Tenacious, Relatable, Comical, Visually Appealing, Girl Power!

Suggested Delivery:  independent

Electronic Resources to Support Reading:

      1.  Victoria Jamieson

          This website is author Victoria Jamieson's personal site in which students can explore her blog, other books, learn more about her personal life, and her own journey participating in roller derby.

      2.  A How-To on Writing Graphic Novels
            This website explains a step by step process on writing graphic novels.  It has questions to walk one through the story writing/art process, as well as "character bibles" that outline each character's complexities.  Many of the prompts and questions in this tool will help inspire those writing a graphic novel and look at their work in a fresh new perspective.  

Key Vocabulary:

• tutelage - protection over or authority over someone or something
• jammer - in roller derby, person who tries to pass the blockers on the other team; for every blocker passed, a point is scored
• blocker - in roller derby, a person who tries to prevent the jammer from passing and scoring 
• crossover - a technique while skating to increase speed around the corner, first starting with feet parallel and then crossing one foot over the other foot
• pushcart - a drill in roller derby where one partner places their hands on the other partners' lower back and pushes her around the track
• pointe - in ballet, when a dancer uses the tips of the toes to dance

Before Reading:  Before introducing students to the new book they will be reading, Roller Girl, the teacher will surprise and ignite excitement by skating in the classroom with roller blades on.  Not only will this amuse the students, but get them ready and intrigued to find out what they are going to be reading about next.  Students will watch a short video on roller derby for kids Kids Roller Derby.  Many students may not be familiar with what roller derby is, so this will be a brief introduction to what they will learn much more about while reading Roller Girl.  

During Reading:  Students will be given a journal to complete during the reading of Roller Girl.  The journal will be filled out after each chapter and students are expected to spend approximately ten minutes in completing each entry.  Each entry will have space for the student to draw a picture, or pictures, (this could be doodles, important words or phrases, symbolic representations of what just occurred in the text, or an important event the student took away from reading) as well as space underneath to write about what their picture represents to them.  Students should record important events or pivotal characters that make up each chapter, or any emotional response that a chapter may have had on them personally, especially if they can relate to Astrid's roller derby journey.  This exercise is a form of writing reflection and creative outlet for students to draw and represent their interpretations and experiences while reading Roller Girl.

After Reading:  Upon completion of Roller Girl, students will be divided into four groups with a specific section of the book to pay close attention to.  In those groups, they will comprise a set of discussion questions about their assigned portion of the text, and ask those questions to the teacher.  The teacher will answer the questions in a round table discussion group, answering each discussion question from each group.  Students are welcome to volunteer to participate in discussing their thoughts and responses to discussion questions as well.  After the discussion of the questions is through, have students share their strategies for comprising their list of questions.  Discuss with the class 'What makes a good discussion question?'

Writing Activity:  While about halfway through Roller Girl, inform students they will be writing their own short graphic novel.  Before brainstorming with the class ideas of what their graphic novels could be about, share aloud a boring narrative story, one without a plot twist, without conflict or an interesting turn of events.  Ask students if they would like to draw and create a graphic novel from that story.  (No hands should be raised and students should look relatively uninspired).  Then, share aloud another story, this one with conflict, excitement, ups and downs, surprises and resolution.  Ask students which story they would rather use to create a graphic novel.  Then help students with brainstorming a list of possible events or conflicts they may construct in their own personal graphic novel.  Stress to students while representing their story artistically and creatively is important to a graphic novel, those not comfortable with their drawing skills are welcome to doodle and represent the events and feelings going on in their story in a way they see fit.  The quality of the artwork is not nearly as important as the feelings and journey the reader is taken on while reading their graphic novel.  As a whole class, closely analyze Victoria Jamieson's graphic novel and what makes it such a wonderful representation of this style of writing, from the illustrations to the humor to the dialogue and shapes of the picture templates.