About Bea Mullins Takes a Shot: A League of Their Own meets The Mighty Ducks in this fierce and heartfelt queer middle grade contemporary novel about learning to face your fears even when your goals are on thin ice.

Thanks in large part to the runaway success of Jacob Tierney’s Heated Rivalry TV series (based on the Game Changers books by Rachel Reid), queer sports romances are having a moment. Whether it’s falling for a teammate or getting together with a rival player, there’s something about the high-intensity environment of sports that pairs so perfectly with the heightened emotions of a romance novel. Plus, let’s be honest: who can resist seeing their crush in a uniform?

While the Game Changers series is aimed at adult audiences, there’s a whole world of queer sports romances out there for kidlit readers, too. If you’re searching for stories that are just as full of feelings as Heated Rivalry but tailored to a younger crowd, look no further than these eight queer middle grade contemporary novels. From sporty tweens facing first crushes to young athletes on journeys of self-discovery, there’s something here for everyone waiting for the next episode of Heated Rivalry to drop.

Bea Mullins Takes a Shot by Emily Deibert

Yes, I wrote this one, but it’s hard not to recommend my own sapphic ice hockey novel when we’re talking about a queer hockey romance! Twelve-year-old Bea would rather spend middle school on the sidelines, but after reluctantly joining her school’s ragtag girls’ ice hockey team, she winds up falling for the sport—and the team’s star player, Gabi. When a lack of funding threatens her team’s future, Bea has to face her insecurities to keep her friends (and her crush) on the ice. There are high-action hockey scenes, wintery skating dates…and maybe even a kiss in the hockey rink’s locker room!

Crushing It by Erin Becker

This dual-POV first-crush romance sees ex-besties and current soccer teammates Mel and Tory falling for each other without realizing it in a You’ve Got Mail or Love, Simon style twist. After a fight breaks apart their friend group, Mel and Tory are at odds with each other both on and off the soccer field—and at the same time, both girls are connecting with anonymous new friends through their school’s messaging app. This book is fast-paced and swoony, and interspersed with the girls’ texts and poems throughout. It totally brought me back to that butterflies-in-stomach feeling of being thirteen years old and hopelessly crushing on someone.

It’s All or Nothing, Vale by Andrea Beatriz Arango

Fans of rivals-to-crushes romances will love this poignant novel in verse by Newbery Honor-winning author Andrea Beatriz Arango. After a life-changing accident, champion fencer Vale struggles with her sense of identity and her feelings toward fencing when she returns to her gym. Complicating matters is new girl Myrka, a fencing prodigy who’s all but replaced Vale…and the fact that Vale can’t quite decide if she wants to be Myrka, or just plain wants her. This was an incredibly moving exploration of queer identity, disability, and self-discovery that will appeal to anyone who’s ever grappled with what it means to be the best at something.

Vote for the G.O.A.T by Ali Terese

Burned-out soccer star Meg and chronically ill overachiever Jo have to team up to save their school’s missing goat mascot (and yes, it’s an actual goat!) in this zany middle school heist with the cutest romantic subplot. Sporty Meg and lone wolf Jo don’t initially have much in common, but become friends through their shared campaign to save their school’s goat mascot, Babette—and the way their friendship develops throughout this laugh-out-loud story is incredibly sweet. This book also has a great message about bodily autonomy in the context of sports, and culminates in what might just be the most adorable school dance scene of all time!

Thanks a Lot, Universe by Chad Lucas (and the sequel You Owe Me One, Universe!)

Thanks a Lot, Universe by Chad Lucas remains one of the most tender, heartfelt explorations of identity and tween friendships I’ve ever read. In this dual-POV story, basketball teammates Brian and Ezra become close after problems at home lead Brian and his younger brother to run away. Ezra tries to help Brian through his struggles with anxiety, while at the same time coming to terms with the fact that he’s started developing feelings for Brian, which he’s not sure that Brian reciprocates. This book (and its fantastic sequel, You Owe Me One, Universe) will have you laughing one moment and crying the next. 

Skating on Mars by Caroline Huntoon

Skating on Mars is another novel set in the world of ice skating, but this time it’s figure skating that takes center stage. Nonbinary tween Mars is dealing with the recent death of their father (who they never got to come out to), while also trying to find their place in a historically gendered sport. The rink is where Mars feels most at home, but when a hotshot figure skater challenges them to compete as a boy, Mars has to grapple with the binary expectations of the sport they love. At the same time, Mars develops a seriously sweet crush on new girl Jade.

Kenzie Kickstarts a Team by Kit Rosewater (and the rest of the books in the Derby Daredevils series!)

This illustrated series about a group of roller derby-loving tweens is perfect for readers on the younger end of middle grade. In the first book, Kenzie and Shelly (aka Kenzilla and Bomb Shell in the derby world) need to wrangle together three new teammates in order to compete in their city’s new junior derby league. But things get awkward when Shelly recruits Kenzie’s neighbor Bree—who also happens to be the girl Kenzie’s secretly crushing on. Full of humor, heart, and lots of roller derby action, I adored this entire series!

The Queen Bees of Tybee County by Kyle Casey Chu

Written by Kyle Casey Chu, aka Panda Dulce (a founding queen of Drag Story Hour!) The Queen Bees of Tybee County sees basketball-loving Derrick discovering a love for drag. Although Derrick’s initially reluctant to spend the summer with his fashion-loving grandmother, things change when she introduces him to the world of beauty pageants—and Derrick starts to realize that maybe he’d like to compete, too. At the same time, he’s worried about what his dad will think, while also starting to wonder whether he might like his best friend JJ as more than just a friend. A must-read for anyone trying to discover their authentic self!

The post Eight Queer Sports Novels For Tween Readers appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Hi, Kit! Welcome back! It’s been five years since we last spoke, how have you been and what have you been up to?

Oh my goodness. Way to start this interview by making me cry! I’m kidding—mostly. What a  strange whirlwind 2020 & 2021 was, with having three books come into the world, all within the shelter-in-place period. Those two years remain sort of hazy in my memory. I’m also going to blame the fact that my first child was born in May 2020. But I’ve been up to a lot since then! School visits, library visits, conference visits, festival visits. And thanks to 2020, I don’t take a single one of those opportunities for granted. I’m out on a small national tour this week to celebrate my YA debut, All’s Fair In Love And Field Hockey, and it is a dream come true four times over since I didn’t get to do this with my MG debut series.

When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?

My mom really fostered a love of books for my sister and I at a very young age. I used to staple paper together and make my own books, then sneak them into my school classroom library. (As if they could pass as actual books… oh dear…) I LIVED for the Scholastic Book Fair coming to my school. But I think the biggest lightbulb moment for being a writer was when my mom decided to take a break from her job as a paralegal and spend the next six months writing and querying a full middle grade manuscript. That’s when I thought oh wow, this is a real thing I could do someday.

Quick lightning round! Tell us:

• The first book you ever remember reading: Dr. Seuss’ Marvin K. Mooney Will You Please Go Now! Apparently my dad used to hide this book from me because of how many times I asked him to reread it in one sitting.
• The one that made you want to become an author: If You Were a Writer by Joan Lowery Nixon. I found this picturebook at a Scholastic Book Fair in third grade and it CHANGED MY LIFE.
• The one that you can’t stop thinking about: Loves Me, Loves Me Not by Anilú Bernardo has been on my mind SO MUCH lately because it’s the first romance book I ever read and fell in love with as a young teen.

Your latest novel, All’s Fair In Love and Field Hockey, is out now! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?

Rival sports stars secretly dating.

What can readers expect?

Fun, swoony moments! Witty and tension-filled banter! Slapstick-level hijinks the main characters get up to as they hide their budding relationship from their respective teams! But also… more than the classic romance tropes, too. All’s Fair is a romance within a queer coming of age journey. There’s grief and academic expectations and complicated familial relationships. But hopefully, all of these elements come together in a whole and satisfying way. Reactions from early readers have been really promising on this front, so fingers crossed!

Where did the inspiration for All’s Fair In Love and Field Hockey come from?

My incredible agent Lauren Speiller had been pushing for me to consider writing YA for a while in the fall of 2021, and she directed my attention to an article in Them magazine titled: “Team USA and Team Canada Womens Hockey Players Keep Marrying Each Other.” That article was like a seed being planted in my head that I thought about off and on, until one day in spring 2022 the idea had grown into this swoony YA romance about high stakes field hockey, and I sat down and wrote it!

Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?

I love writing dialogue. Any time I get two interesting characters together, the pages zoom by and I have to pause and remind myself to describe setting, feeling, internalization, because I just want them to say witty things to each other forever. Thank goodness for my editor Ali Romig, because she’s the one who was able to direct these conversations into some amazing hijinks settings that elevated the dialogue to another level. I LOVED writing the mini golf scene. I LOVED writing the first “secret practice” scene.

Did you face any challenges whilst writing? How did you overcome them?

My mom was in the hospital battling cancer while I wrote this book, and the storyline with the protagonist Evelyn and her own mom provided some escapism for me during that time. But those moments were also really hard to write. I think I sobbed my entire way through Chapter Twenty-Four. But also, I’m so, so glad that it’s in there and part of this story.

What’s next for you?

I have another YA romance coming out from Delacorte summer 2026 called Buried Feelings, and I’m working on revisions for that project right now. It’s a contemporary story set in San Francisco about two ex-friends with a complicated past. They’re racing each other to solve a city-wide treasure hunt from the 1980s with clues embedded in LGBTQIA+ history (ala National Treasure, but for the gays.) I had to basically write a treasure hunt to be solved within the book itself, which was really challenging. But I love this book SO MUCH and I can’t wait to share it with readers next year!

Lastly, what books are you looking forward to picking up this year?

SO MANY BOOKS. ALL THE BOOKS. Matthew Hubbard’s The Rebel’s Guide to Pride. Alice Murphy’s A Showgirl’s Rules for Falling In Love. Becky Albertalli’s Amelia, If Only. Ashley Herring Blake’s Dream On, Ramona Riley. Rachel Lynn Solomon’s What Happens in Amsterdam. Jennifer Dugan’s Summer Girls. Dahlia Adler’s Come As You Are. Cale Plett’s Wavelength and The Saw Mouth. Charlotte Lillie Balogh’s Kill the Lax Bro. Jenna Levine’s Road Trip With A Vampire. ANYTHING Laura Piper Lee writes. And then so many others I’m not thinking of at this specific moment in time but will kick myself over forgetting in about ten minutes. It’s a HUGE year for books. I am getting fed.

Will you be picking up All’s Fair In Love and Field Hockey? Tell us in the comments below!

The post Q&A: Kit Rosewater, Author of ‘All’s Fair In Love and Field Hockey’ appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

One thing about the Derby Daredevils series that always makes me smile is how Rosewater balances lighthearted and fun moments with exploring tougher topics. Tomoko, in particular, faces a lot of discrimination—for being plus-sized and her Japanese heritage—and Rosewater introduces the concept of microaggressions in a supportively coded environment. The ways in which Tomoko is ridiculed are an everyday occurrence and this book really shows how hard it is to speak up for yourself when people just gloss over derogatory comments and try to rationalise that “it was just a joke” or “they didn’t mean it that way”. I loved how Tomoko finds the strength to stand up for herself in the face of this discrimination but even more so that she has the courage to tell her friends that—while being generally supportive—they also need to be more aware of how they react to these instances of microaggressions to be a good ally. These kinds of topics are rarely discussed in children’s books with this level of empathy and engagement and that’s where this series truly shines.

As always, Sophie Escabasse’s illustrations are beautiful, fun, and add so much to this diverse cast of characters. From situational humour to nasty old women, this great middle grade series is elevated to a higher level thanks to these stunning illustrations.

Tomoko as a character has such a big heart and so much love for her friends and I just adore reading about these fierce girls and can’t wait to read the next installment!

Shining a light on microaggressions and what it means to be a true friend, Tomoko Takes the Lead is another fabulous installment in the diverse, lighthearted, and fun middle-grade series The Derby Daredevils!

Tomoko Takes the Lead is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore, as of June 1st 2021.

Will you be picking up Tomoko Takes the Lead? Tell us in the comments below!

Synopsis | Goodreads

Book 3 in this highly illustrated middle-grade series stars shy Tomoko and finds the team at roller derby summer camp in nearby Dallas

School’s out, and the Derby Daredevils are excited to spend all summer tearing up the track. But, the coaches have something special planned: the Austin league is heading to Dallas for a week of roller derby sleepaway camp! Tomoko could not be more excited—she loves roller derby and her team. Plus, she’s been going camping with her uncle every summer since she can remember. She’s got all the gear and the skills she needs for two weeks in the great outdoors.
But roller derby camp isn’t in the great outdoors. It’s in the middle of the city. And it means meeting a bunch of new kids, which isn’t exactly a strength for shy, introverted Tomoko. Disappointed, she puts her head down and skates hard until the team gets lost in the middle of Dallas—without a grown-up or a cell phone to guide them back to camp. Tomoko uses her wilderness skills and navigational know-how to lead them home and her calm demeanor to keep everyone feeling safe.

The post Review: Tomoko Takes The Lead by Kit Rosewater appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

With the roller derby action getting more competitive as the Derby Daredevils become part of the official junior roller derby league and other teams come to visit for an official tournament, each of the girls is looking to improve the team’s overall performance – they need to be better, faster, stronger, and win that trophy!

And it seems that everyone knows their place and a has designated task, whether it’s Tomoko’s epic blocking skills or Kenzie’s new game strategies. Shelly ends up asking herself what she brings to the team. What makes her stand out? How does she contribute to the girls becoming the best team they could possibly be?

Initially, Shelly struggles to find something to excel at and makes some poor choices that almost causes the Derby Daredevils to be disqualified from the competition. And yet, in the end, with the help of her teammates and the support of her family, Shelly finds a balance between being a team player and being proud of her own achievements.

I think I said this in my review of Rosewater’s debut of the Derby Daredevils, but this is just such a wholesome series. From the incredible and diverse cast of characters to the depictions of female friendships all while competing against other teams, this series just always manages to make me smile with its wholesome and supportive vibes. Yes, the girls sometimes don’t see eye to eye; yes, there’s sometimes conflict but they work through it and they all become stronger together. No one gets left behind. They’re part of a team but their value as an individual is never diminished and it’s ultimately what makes them such a force to be reckoned with and a delight to read about.

Rosewater manages to show that even if you’re part of a team, you’re still valid on your own and just because you haven’t found the ‘one thing’ you’re great at yet, doesn’t mean you don’t contribute just as much as others to the team. Showcasing that enthusiasm, moral support, and encouragement is just as important as knowing how to roll fast or think quick, Shelly is sure to make young readers feel empowered and ready to take on the world by storm.

Shoutout to Rosewater for the casual queer rep as well; the introduction of a non-binary side character and Kenzie’s ongoing crush on Bree made my heart flutter!

And the illustrations. Oh, the illustrations. I am just obsessed with Sophie Escabasse’s artistic style! She just knows how to convey emotions from slumping shoulders to confident strides on wheels perfectly. Every character just jumps off the page and makes the reading experience that much more entertaining.

Heartfelt, optimistic, and all about supporting your friends, Shelly Struggles to Shine shines (see what I did there?) just as brightly as its predecessor and has my fingers itching for the next instalment!

Shelly Struggles to Shine is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore, as of September 15th 2020.

Will you be picking up Shelly Struggles to Shine? Tell us in the comments below!

Synopsis | Goodreads

Book #2 in this highly illustrated middle-grade series explores what it means to be a team player

Now part of the official junior roller derby league, the Derby Daredevils are ready to compete in their first tournament. Kenzie writes new game plays. Bree works on her speed. Tomoko sharpens her blocking skills. And Jules fearlessly hip checks everyone in sight. But Shelly isn’t sure what she’s best at. In hopes of taking home the tournament’s Star Skater award, Shelly designs extra-special gear for the Daredevils. But not everything works as well as Shelly imagined, and she can’t get the team on board. Without the gear, how will Shelly shine on the track? With high-energy illustrations from Sophie Escabasse and lots of roller derby action, Book #2 in the series explores individuality while hitting home what it really means to be part of a team.

The post Review: Shelly Struggles to Shine by Kit Rosewater appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Welcome to the most beautiful month of the year, Pride Month! Usually, this month is packed with parades, events and festivals, but due to all of us #stay(ing)athome, Pride will have to find a way to take place online even more than the years before. But we are not The Nerd Daily for nothing, after all; we specialise in making the online world as welcoming, engaging, and inclusive as possible!

Let’s make this month as colourful as we can! To help you kick off, we present you: The LGBTQ+ Literary Alphabet. We will take each letter (and as many of the letters from the ‘+’ category as we can) and will recommend you some fantastically diverse books that are simply perfect for a good pride month read. 

And we’ll start right here! Our letter today is: L as in Lesbian. We’ve divided our bookish recommendations into genres, so that every single one of you bookworms can find a book that fits your tastes and reading habits! From adult and YA, all the way to middle-grade fiction, we’ve got you covered!

Happy reading!

Adult Fiction

Carol by Patricia Highsmith | Goodreads

Patricia Highsmith’s story of romantic obsession may be one of the most important, but still largely unrecognized, novels of the twentieth century. First published in 1952 and touted as “the novel of a love that society forbids,” the book soon became a cult classic.

Fingersmith by Sarah Waters | Goodreads

With dreams of paying back the kindness of her adopted family, Sue agrees to a plan. Once in, however, Sue begins to pity her helpless mark and care for Maud Lilly in unexpected ways, but no one and nothing is as it seems in this Dickensian novel of thrills and reversals.

The Wicked Cometh by Laura Carlin | Goodreads

Even in the darkest of times, you cannot bury the truth . . . A debut historical novel that will appeal to fans of Sarah Waters and The Silent Companions.

Disobedience by Naomi Alderman | Goodreads

Steeped in Jewish philosophy and teachings, Disobedience is a perceptive and thoughtful exploration of the laws and practices that have governed Judaism for centuries, and continue to hold sway today. Throughout the novel, Alderman retells stories from the Torah — Judaism’s fundamental source — and the interplay between these tales and the struggles of the novel’s unique characters wields enormous power and wisdom, and will surely move readers to tears.

Young Adult Fiction

The Miseducation of Cameron Post by Emily M. Danforth | Goodreads

The Miseducation of Cameron Post is a stunning and unforgettable literary debut about discovering who you are and finding the courage to live life according to your own rules.

Juliet Takes A Breath by Gabby Rivera | Goodreads

A gutsy, queer YA coming-of-age story perfect for fans of The Poet X, Roxanne Gay and Feminists Don’t Wear Pink.

Tell Me Again How a Crush Should Feel by Sara Farizan | Goodreads

Leila has made it most of the way through Armstead Academy without having a crush on anyone, which is a relief. As an Iranian-American, she’s different enough; if word got out that Leila liked girls, life would be twice as hard. But when beautiful new girl Saskia shows up, Leila starts to take risks she never thought she would. As she carefully confides in trusted friends about Saskia’s confusing signals, Leila begins to figure out that all her classmates are more complicated than they first appear to be, and some are keeping surprising secrets of their own.

The Falling in Love Montage by Ciara Smyth | Goodreads

Two girls embark on a summer of montage-worthy dates (with a few strings attached) in this hilarious and heartfelt lesbian rom-com that’s perfect for fans of Becky Albertalli and Jenny Han.

Fantasy & Sci-Fi

The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon | Goodreads

From the internationally bestselling author of The Bone Season, a trailblazing, epic high fantasy about a world on the brink of war with dragons – and the women who must lead the fight to save it.

This Is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone | Goodreads

Co-written by two award-winning writers, THIS IS HOW YOU LOSE THE TIME WAR is an epic love story spanning time and space.

The Deathless Girls by Kiran Millwood Hargrave | Goodreads

Gothic, intoxicating, feminist and romantic – this is the breathtakingly imagined untold story of the brides of Dracula, by bestselling author Kiran Millwood Hargrave in her much-anticipated YA debut.

Cinderella Is Dead by Kalynn Bayron | Goodreads

This fresh take on a classic story will make readers question the tales they’ve been told, and root for girls to break down the constructs of the world around them.

Classics & Poetry 

The Color Purple by Alice Walker | Goodreads

A powerful cultural touchstone of modern American literature, The Color Purple depicts the lives of African American women in early twentieth-century rural Georgia. Deeply compassionate and beautifully imagined, Alice Walker’s epic carries readers on a spirit-affirming journey towards redemption and love.

Carmilla by J. Sheridan Le Fanu | Goodreads

A classic Victorian vampire novella, which influenced Bram Stoker’s later treatment of the vampire mythos in Dracula. Secret fans of the fantastic YouTube adaptation of this novella may find themselves drawn in even further by the original novella that started it all.

Rubyfruit Jungle by Rita Mae Brown | Goodreads

Bawdy and moving, the ultimate word-of-mouth bestseller, Rubyfruit Jungle is about growing up a lesbian in America–and living happily ever after.

Middle-Grade Fiction

In The Role of Brie Hutchens by Nicole Melleby | Goodreads

An own-voices LGBTQ novel from the acclaimed author of Hurricane Season, about eighth-grader Brie, who learns how to be true to herself and to her relationships with family, friends, and faith.

The Mighty Heart of Sunny St. James by Ashley Herring Blake | Goodreads

Twelve-year-old Sunny St. James navigates heart surgery, reconnections with a lost mother, first kisses, and emerging feelings for another girl.

Kenzie Kickstarts a Team by Kit Rosewater | Goodreads

A highly illustrated middle-grade series that celebrates new friendships, first crushes, and getting out of your comfort zone

Ivy Aberdeen’s Letter to the World by Ashley Herring Blake | Goodreads

In the wake of a destructive tornado, one girl develops feelings for another in this stunning, tender novel about emerging identity, perfect for fans of The Thing About Jellyfish.

Will you be picking up any of these books? Tell us in the comments below!

The post LGBTQ+ Alphabet Recommendations: L for Lesbian Fiction appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Hi Kit! Thank you so much for making the time to talk to us! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?

Hello! It’s a pleasure to chat with The Nerd Daily! I’m a debuting children’s book author with the first book in my series, The Derby Daredevils, out on March 24^th, and the second book out on September 15^th! Before I was an author, I taught middle school theatre and high school English for five years, then worked as a bookseller at an indie bookstore while balancing writing. I also have a graduate degree in Children’s Literature, though I mostly studied picture books for my thesis. I live in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and when I’m not writing or reading I’m either running at the park, barking at the neighbors alongside my dog, or cheering on my local roller derby leagues!

People often say that to become a writer, you have to be a reader first! What was the first book you remember reading? And what are some books that shaped the way you approach writing?

That is such a great piece of advice, and one I stand behind! The first book I remember reading and thinking ‘I want to write like this’ was Ramona the Pest by Beverly Cleary. Authors like Cleary and Judy Blume provided some of the staple books in my childhood. I love the comfortable feeling of settling into a relatable and funny character’s life, especially as that character goes through all the ups and downs and hoops of growing up. When I write now, one of my main goals is to emulate this same comfortable style while updating the contemporary world to be a bit more diverse than it was portrayed in the books I read as a kid.

If you had to describe Kenzie Kickstarts a Team in five words, what would those be?

Fierce female friends on wheels!

Now tell us a bit more about the book!

The fierce female friends are Kenzie and her best friend Shelly, who together make up the Dynamic Duo on the roller skating rink! Kenzie and Shelly learn they have a shot at joining the newly-formed junior derby league together… but only if they can fill out three more slots and form a whole team on their own. Each added player strains the notion of the Dynamic Duo, and while Shelly’s happy to meet new friends, Kenzie starts to worry about all the changes happening around her. And things turn especially complicated when Shelly decides that their final player should be Kenzie’s awesome neighbor… who also just so happens to be Kenzie’s secret crush.

Kenzie’s friends are a bunch of really vivacious characters. Did you draw inspiration for them from your friends?

Thank you! I did, actually! Shelly is based on my childhood best friend Holly, who is as fearless and friendly as her fictional counterpart. Tomoko is based on my adult friend of the same name who I worked alongside at the indie bookstore. Camila is based on a girl I knew from theatre camp who always had the most gorgeous, flowing hair. Jules is based on a wonderfully rowdy kid who I happened to be extremely close to in fifth grade. And Bree is based on a friend of the same name who I know from yoga now!

There is a quiz on your homepage where readers can find out which of Kenzie’s teammates they are the most like! Who do you get when you take the quiz? Follow-up question: beyond the quiz answer, who do you relate to the most out of the Daredevils?

I had to take the quiz again juuuuust to be sure, but I’m definitely Kenzie. The cool thing about the Daredevils is, I relate hardcore to all six girls. I deliberately put a piece of myself in each of them, in part because this is a rotating protagonist series, which means I’ll be telling each other their stories! But I also try to put myself into all of my characters because I want them to be relatable, and I have to start by relating to them myself. With Kenzie, I relate to her worries over losing her best friend with changing dynamics. One of my worst traits growing up was how fiercely I wanted ONE BEST FRIEND, which meant I was sometimes a jerk to new potential friends. I try to be a lot better about that now, but I still get what it’s like to want to be someone’s favorite person. At least I get to be my dog’s favorite person! …I think.

Let’s get to the good stuff! Kenzie and her best friend Shelly want to be on a Derby team more than anything. Can you tell us more about your connection to derby and what you like most about it?

At this stage in my life (I’m currently 33 weeks pregnant and a waddling blimp) I’m more of a bench-warming fan of roller derby than anything else. But when I first got into roller derby in 2017, I trained to be a player and then to be a referee. Training to be a referee was my favorite, because I loved learning about all the rules and specifics of the sport! My personal love and connection to roller derby comes from it being such an empowering sport that challenges the standard notions of who gets to be considered an athlete. Anyone can be an all-star on the derby track. And derby isn’t just about any one physical attribute. It asks its players to be creative and resourceful and wily… all great components for middle grade team shenanigans!

Fantastic illustrations by Sophie Escabasse complement your story about the Derby Daredevils. Can you tell us a bit about the process of working with an illustrator? What did working together entail to get the cast of characters just right? And do you have a favorite illustration of Sophie’s?

Such a great question!! I would say my favorite illustration from Book 1 is the final illustration, when the team is walking out from tryouts together. Though the illustration on page 105 also makes me burst out laughing every time knowing the context. Sophie was and is an absolute dream to work with. I am so grateful to my agent and editor, as well as to Sophie and her agent, for bringing us together on this project. I made a rookie author mistake of falling in love with Sophie’s work before she was officially signed on… and that month or so of negotiations was so stressful! Once everyone had signed contracts, I sent Sophie a short letter about how I thought of the characters… and that was it! 99% of the time her sketches seem right out of my own head. She always captures the exact moments I hope she’ll capture, and presents the characters with so much expression and emotion. I cannot say enough good things about Sophie, and can’t wait for Book 1 of her graphic novel series, The Witches of Brooklyn, which comes out this fall!

Kenzie and her friends’ story continues in Shelly Struggles to Shine (out September 15^th!) – what can readers expect from the sequel? And may there be a hint of romance heading Kenzie’s way?

I am so, so excited for Book 2 of the Daredevils series to hit shelves in September! The sequel follows Shelly along with the rest of the Daredevils as they head to their first official derby tournament! Shelly’s story doesn’t have a romantic thread the way Kenzie’s does… but it poses the question of how creativity and art specifically can fit into a sports setting, which is something I’ve been wanting to tackle within the roller derby realm for a long time now! We do get some glimpses at Kenzie’s continuing relationship with a certain someone… but I also have big plans for that thread, hopefully to be revealed later in the series!

Lightning Round: What was the last book, the last movie, and the last song you read/saw/heard?

The last book I read was Nicole Melleby’s upcoming In the Role of Brie Hutchens, which releases on April 21^st and is fantastic! The last movie I watched was Into the Spiderverse, which I’ve seen nearly twenty times now because it’s my favorite movie. And the last song I shimmied to this morning was “Start a Riot” by DUCKWRTH & Shaboozey… from the Spiderverse soundtrack!

And last but not least, do you have any book recommendations for our readers?

I probably have too many! But really, one can never have enough books. Loriel Ryon’s MG debut Into the Tall, Tall Grass comes out on April 7^th and is phenomenal. Other upcoming MG releases I highly recommend include Nicole Melleby’s In the Role of Brie Hutchens, out on April 21^st, Ash Van Otterloo’s Cattywampus, out on August 4^th, and A.J. Sass’s Ana on the Edge, out on October 20^th!

Will you be picking up The Derby Daredevils? Tell us in the comments below!

The post Q&A: Kit Rosewater, Author of ‘The Derby Daredevils’ appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

What do you get if you pick up a copy?

• Girls supporting girls and standing up for themselves!
• Stereotypes like “girls can’t play basketball” or “girls are too weak to play derby” are kicked in the butt in this book!
• The most diverse and awesome group of friends you could ask for
• There is a quiz on Kit’s website where you can find out which of the Daredevils you are most like!

Review:

If I had to summarise this book in one word, it would be “wholesome”. It is entirely impossible to get rid of the cheesy smile you’ll be wearing when you read Kenzie’s story. Kenzie Kickstarts a Team follows Kenzie as she and her best friend Shelly try to find three other derby players so they can show up as a team on tryouts – and crush the other teams, obviously. Kenzie and Shelly who have always been a duo are dealing with their own doubts and insecurities as they search for new players to fit their impromptu team and the girls they find are refreshingly inclusive and diverse. From Tomoko, a shy and amazing basketball player, to Bree who is cool, confident, and knows her way around a skateboard, there is someone to relate to for everyone who picks up this book. The competitive streak that bonds them all together made the stakes higher and keeps you on your toes as you keep your fingers crossed for the girls to get what they’re working so hard for. And as is the case in roller derby, so it is in life – these girls have to figure out how to fall and then get back up again and start all over.

This sweet book delves deep into the dynamics of friendship and the fear of growing up ultimately meaning growing apart. As new friends change the way Kenzie and Shelly interact and see each other, there are some hurt feelings and miscommunications. But this is also a tale of encouragement and a reminder that you have to stick together and let the other person expand their horizons while still having them be part of your life. It’s a story about getting out of your comfort zone and opening up to the possibility of finding new friends – and maybe even more than that. Yes, there is a hint of romance in the works for Kenzie and I am keeping my fingers crossed that readers will get to see where her crush on Bree takes her in the next instalment!

A charming debut filled with friends supporting each other and superb illustrations, The Derby Daredevils prove what we have known all along – girls who stick together can rule the world – and derby tryouts, obviously.

The Derby Daredevils: Kenzie Kickstarts A Team is available on Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers as of March 24th 2020.

Will you be picking up The Derby Daredevils: Kenzie Kickstarts A Team? Tell us in the comments below!

Synopsis | Goodreads

A highly illustrated middle-grade series that celebrates new friendships, first crushes, and getting out of your comfort zone

Ever since they can remember Kenzie and her best friend Shelly have dreamed of becoming roller derby royalty. Accompanying Kenzie’s mom, the roller derby superstar to her practices, make their dreams feel closer than ever when Austin’s city league decides to host tryouts for a brand-new junior league! The only caveat? You need a five-person team to try out. Kenzie and Shelly, the dynamic duo, are stunned. Where are they going to find three new players in just one short week so they can make the league? Well, they will just have to convince three girls that there’s nothing better than roller derby. But as the two of them venture out and encounter new friends, Kenzie starts to wonder – is Shelly still going to be her best friend when she’ll have three new girls who are also obsessed with derby at her side?

As things get awkward, friendships are tested and unlikely crushes are revealed, the girls have to band together to make their dreams a reality.

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