Dorothy's Derby Chronicles

August 4, 2014
In Dougherty and Birnbach's debut, 11-year-old Dorothy and her younger sister have been sent to stay with their costume-wearing, fun-loving grandmother, who lives in a funeral home and has a warm heart beneath her nutty exterior. It turns out that Grandma was a roller derby queen in her day, a story that includes the mysterious death of a teammate who haunts Galactic Skate, the place Dorothy and her new friends begin training for their own roller derby team. They are coached by Grandma and assisted by Max, the cute worker who becomes Dorothy's crush. Meanwhile, the popular Pompoms tease the misfits on Dorothy's team, though lead mean girl Alex has secrets that set her apart. Birnbach's spot illustrations and comics sequences pepper the story, showcasing skating action and hinting at the characters' vivacious personalities. Speaking to the insecurities of middle school, parental abandonment, and the thrill of a crush, this first book in the Dorothy's Derby Chronicles series should easily drum up excitement among readers who aren't afraid to get their elbows bruised. Ages 9âup.

June 15, 2014
New in town after her mother's virtual abandonment, Dorothy immediately runs into trouble with her middle school's popular girls, especially the angry and unhappy Alex.Her problems are further complicated by her racy grandmother, a retired funeral-home operator and former roller-derby star who thrives on conflict. Dorothy makes friends with a few of her school's outcasts, but the whole group is attacked at the local roller rink by some of the popular girls. This, with some help from Grandma, inspires them to form a roller-derby team-quite a feat, since not all of them even know how to roller skate. Rising to the top of team competition, they move on to the finals, but only good coaching and smart strategizing will lead them to a win there. The largely stock characters are predictable, as are many of the conflicts they face, including Dorothy's absent mother and Alex's embarrassment over having two dads. A surfeit of subplots competes for attention with the apparent aim of female self-realization. Those expecting a zombie or two will be disappointed: The titular "Undead Redhead" is just Dorothy's team name. Occasional graphic-novel-style panels accompany the text, adding a flavor of the lively action of derby bouts.While roller-derby tales are virtually nonexistent, this average effort has little to propel it past other athlete-focused tales. (Fiction. 9-12)

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July 1, 2014
Grades 4-6 What do you get when you mix a potentially haunted roller rink; a pink-haired, hearse-driving grandma; and girl power? A new series: Dorothy's Derby Chronicles. In this first installment, gothic scenes, creepy language, and clandestine subplots, along with an eclectic roller-derby team, blend easily in a sincere tale of familial love, friendship, and tween crushes. Throughout, the story highlights how roller derby inspires protagonist Dorothy, BFFs Jade and Gigi, and the rest of the team to build confidence, learn individual and collaborative strengths, and, more significantly, discover that it's OK to be different. After all, Dorothy lives in a converted funeral home and has trouble not falling while off her skates, though according to Grandma Sally, Normal is overrated! Noting the diversity on her team, Dorothy observes that the players are different sizes and colors and ranged from conservative . . . to wild women. A motivational read that nicely kicks off a spunky new series.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)