November Book Club: “Roller Girl” and “Whiteout”

Welcome to the very first ‘meeting’ of the  Heroic Girls Book Club.

The Heroic Girls Book Club “meets” monthly online to discuss graphic novels: one for adults, and another all-ages book. We will be using the Heroic Girls Book Club Facebook page to conduct discussions about the books at the end of the month. Full details can be found on the Heroic Girls Book Club page. And you can sign up for the book club mailing list to get updates on new books.

We are getting an early start for the month of November because it is our first month and we want to give some time to build the group before we launch. Our selections for the month are:

All-Ages: ‘Roller Girl’

'Roller Girl' by Victoria Jamieson
‘Roller Girl’ by Victoria Jamieson

by Victoria Jamieson

(Recommended for grades 5-8, although I loved it myself.)

Plot: “For most of her 12 years, Astrid has done everything with her best friend, Nicole. But when Astrid falls in love with roller derby and signs up for derby camp, Nicole chooses to go to dance camp. And so begins the most difficult summer of Astrid’s life as she struggles to keep up with the older girls at camp, hang on to the friend she feels slipping away, and cautiously embark on a new friendship. As the end of summer nears and her first roller derby bout (and junior high!) draws closer, Astrid realizes that maybe she is strong enough to handle the bout, a lost friendship, and middle school. In short, she’s strong enough to be a roller girl.”

Awards: Newbery Honor Winner, 2016 Eisner Nominee


Whiteout by Greg Rucka and Steve Lieber
Whiteout by Greg Rucka and Steve Lieber

Adult: Whiteout

by Greg Rucka and Steve Lieber

Plot: “U.S. Marshal Carrie Stetko has made Antarctica her home. In the vastness of The Ice, she found peace… Or at least that’s what she thought, until someone commits a murder in her jurisdiction and the lawwoman is forced to use her detective skills once more or become another victim to this mysterious killer.”

Awards: Whiteout was nominated for the “Best Writer”, “Best Penciller/Inker or Penciller/Inker Team” and “Best Limited Series” Eisner Awards in 1999, and in 2000 it was nominated for the “Best Graphic Album” Eisner Award.


We have been sponsored by The Comics Dungeon in Seattle, which offers mail order service and Empire’s Comics Vault in Sacramento. If you are not near either of those shops you can use the Comic Shop Locator to find a shop near you.

The books are also usually available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble and other online retailers — but we like to support local shops before the big stores, when possible.

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