I confess, I am not a skater and I tend to land on my behind A LOT when I attempt to skate. But you don't have to be a skater to enjoy this book (lucky for me). Dorothy and her sister Samantha have come to live with their wacky grandmother while their mom tries to become a singing star in Nashville. Grandma Sally lives in the top two floors of the funeral home where she used to run the mortuary. She sold the business to a young couple, but still owns and lives in the building. With closets made of old coffins and couches made from gurneys, the building's past is very obvious. To make matters worse, Sally drives the girls to the first day at their new schools in a hearse! Things go downhill fast from that point. But, in spite of all the changes and embarrassments, Dorothy does manage to make some friends and without really planning it, they become a roller derby team.
This is the first in a series that will feature Dorothy and her teammates. The debut story shows a girl finding friends and a sense of family with girls who are all very different from each other - a big contrast with the blond "Pompoms" who seem to live for the chance to humiliate Dorothy at school. Readers will appreciate how girls of various ethnic backgrounds, academic skills, and body types all come together as a team. Great for middle grade readers, whether they enjoy sports or not. The series has its own YouTube page for news and information.
I read an e-book provided by the publisher through NetGalley. It will be released in stores on July 1, 2014.
P.S. My sister, Megan, was on the Hard Knox Rollergirls team for a while. Here are some photos she and her teamates took. Megan is the one on the left in this first photo.
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