Published by Amulet Books (Released September 15)

Summary:  Shelly loves being part of the Daredevils roller derby team.  But when she and her friends get the chance to play in a bout, Shelly starts noticing the skills each of her teammates has and feeling like she’s not the best at anything.  She decides to use her artistic talents to design special derby gear for each one of her friends.  Things like bubble boots and sticky gloves seem amazing in her imagination, but fall far short in reality.  The other girls start to get frustrated by Shelly’s insistence that they try her inventions, and using a couple of them in the bout earns Shelly a penalty.  When Shelly finally shares what she’s feeling with the other Daredevils, they reassure her that she is an important part of the team.  And one of her ideas ends up winning them a special award!  176 pages; grades 3-6.

Pros:  This illustrated book will appeal to fans of Roller Girl and anyone who enjoys a good friendship story.  True to the roller derby spirit, there are all sorts of body types, genders, and sexualities woven effortlessly into the story, and everyone is celebrated for being themselves.  I haven’t had a chance to read book 1, Kenzie Kickstarts a Team, but that one is currently available.  I’m hoping there will be at least one book in the series for each of the five Daredevils.

Cons:  Some of Shelly’s creations, as well as her insistence that the girls try them out, were pretty cringey.

If you would like to order book 1 from Amazon, click here.

If you would like to pre-order book 2 from Amazon, click here.