ROLLER GIRL COMING AT YOU!

Fans of Raina Telgemeier will cheer for Roller Girl, a fun and poignant graphic novel by Victoria Jamieson. When twelve-year-old Astrid discovers roller derby, she is instantly enamored. What's not to love about powerful women with cool names playing a tough and exciting sport? Especially the star of the Rose City Rollers, Rainbow Bite. Astrid can't wait to sign up for the summer Junior Derby Camp and assumes her best friend will too, but is in for a rude awakening when Nicole decides she'd rather be at dance camp with Astrid's longtime sworn enemy, Rachel. Roller Derby is a lot harder than she'd ever thought, especially without her best friend there for support. But rather than quit when things get hard, Astrid buckles down and focuses on her dream of becoming a real roller girl, like her idol Rainbow Bite. She faces more than a few embarrassing falls, bumps, bruises, and other assorted humiliations along the way, but she also finds out just how tough she really is. 

Readers will root for Astrid as she learns to skate, experiences her first real bout, picks her roller derby name, and discovers who she really is on her own. This entertaining graphic novel, which boasts relatable characters, exciting action, coming-of-age drama, and plenty of heart, will make a perfect read for fourth graders and up. 

INTRODUCING BUNJITSU BUNNY

In a series of thirteen vignettes, Isabel, nicknamed Bunjitsu Bunny, proves her mastery. The animated young rabbit, though expertly trained and admirably skilled, accomplishes this not by kicking higher, hitting harder, or throwing further than others, but rather by exploring alternatives to expected solutions. Whether she is confronting monsters in her dreams, helping a friend redefine his abilities and self-perception, or schooling pirates, Isabel approaches each challenge with indomitable spirit.

Though there’s a lesson to be learned with every tale, the tone strikes a perfect balance to avoid seeming overly moralistic. Bold black and white illustrations on every page lend themselves well, deftly capturing the movement and spirit of each character. John Himmelman’s Tales of a Bunjitsu Bunny is a celebration of humor, wisdom, kindness, and creative thinking. A second book, Bunjitsu Bunny's Best Move, is set to be published October 2015.

For grades 1 and up.

DREAMING A NEW DREAM

Jessica loves running.  There is nothing that makes her feel more empowered or more alive.  Her life revolves around running.  Running on the track, in her neighborhood, with her dog.  All of her friends run track with her at her High School.  Then one day, on the way home from a track meet, the bus gets into a terrible accident and Jessica loses her leg below her knee.  She doesn’t know what to do.  She feels like she’s lost everything her life was about.  Everything her life was heading towards.  And then, she gets her first prosthetic leg.  It’s ugly and hard to use, but with support from her family, friends, and team, Jessica finds it within herself to become the runner she was and will be again.  Experience the journey of searching inside yourself for strength you never knew you had and fulfilling dreams you never thought possible.

The Running Dream by Wendelin Van Draanen is a great book for sports lovers and realistic fiction lovers in Grades 7 and up.

GIRLS AND BASEBALL

It's 1980 and no girls in her small Michigan town play baseball in the Little League, that is until twelve-year-old Madison joins the team. She just wants to play baseball but when the press starts writing about her and the crowds start showing up to the team's games, all that changes. In No Cream Puffs by Karen Day, the author tells the story of one girl's very eventful summer that started off with her punching a boy on the last day of school and went on to losing her best friend to the popular girls, becoming friends with the rock star who was staying with her neighbor, developing a crush and ending with a very exciting championship ball game. Best for readers in grades 5-8