Shelly Struggles to Shine

September 1, 2020
Grades 3-6 A month after the events of Kenzie Kickstarts a Team (2020), the Derby Daredevils are pumped for their first bout as part of their local junior league. As they prep though, Shelly starts to feel like she doesn't have an important role in the team. Instead, she feels like the comic relief. In a well-intentioned but misdirected attempt to establish her worth to her friends, she comes up with elaborate costumes based on each of their derby personae. When things finally pull together, it's because everyone has established that their unique talents are what makes them a good team in the first place. Shelly's is a new perspective in the series, which began with Kenzie as the point-of-view character, and it may mean future stories featuring the other team members could be in store. Escabasse's cartoon illustrations continue to delight. Rosewater throws in subtle points about making assumptions and communicating one's feelings, and champions the truth that everyone has a unique perspective and brings something to the table, bolstering the book's main theme of teamwork.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)

October 1, 2020

Gr 3-6-This second series installment is written from Shelly's perspective as she tries to identify her role on the roller derby team. As the Derby Daredevils prepare to participate in a junior tournament, the teammates naturally settle into various leadership roles, but Shelly feels unseen. She settles on creating costumes, but by ignoring her friends' wishes and aggressively pursuing her idea, she amplifies the problem instead. Ultimately, the team grows even stronger by learning to communicate and by recognizing each member's unique strengths and contributions. Shelly is white, but the team and supporting cast are notably diverse. Characters of varying race, gender, and sexuality are represented, and notable attention is given to Fen, a friend of Shelly's whose pronouns are they/them. These identities are woven seamlessly into the narrative and support the explorations of friendship, communication, and personal identity. The Derby Daredevils are a wonderfully enjoyable lot and a welcome addition to the middle-grade scene. Readers need not have read book one to thoroughly enjoy book two. Bring on more roller derby! VERDICT Readers will enjoy this welcoming and acutely relatable sequel. Recommended as a general purchase.-Taylor Worley, Springfield P.L., OR

Copyright 2020 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.