“Nice work out there, Dorth.” Max was so close, she could feel his sweet, warm breath on her face.
And then it happened. One moment Dorothy was looking up into his twinkling brown eyes and the next moment his soft, full lips were pressed against hers. It was a quick kiss—gentle and a bit awkward, but it made Dorothy’s whole body fizz like soda water. The whole world seemed to spin as Dorothy’s heart fluttered out of her chest. Her first kiss! Max looked down at her and smiled his crooked smile. Everything was right in the world.
Derby Games
Trivia Training!
Test how much you know about roller derby!
Questions
1.Roller derby started as a roller-skating race event. True or False
2.Roller derby is only for girls and women. True or False
3.What was the name of the roller derby movie with Drew Barrymore?
4.You have to be at least 10 years old to play roller derby. True or False
5.How many roller derby leagues exist in the world today?
a.More than 500
b.More than 700
c.More than 1,000
d.More than 1,500
6.Which piece of equipment do roller derby athletes NOT wear?
a.Helmet
b.Mouth guard
c.Shoulder pads
d.Knee pads
e.Wrist guards
7.It is illegal to hit other skaters in the chest. True or False
8.You can have the same roller derby name as someone else. True or False
9.Roller derby is totally fake. True or False
10.You have to be a good athlete to play roller derby. True or False
Answers
1.True! Roller-skating endurance races started as early as 1884! The term “derby” was first used in a media story in 1922, and Leo Seltzer created the official sport in 1935.
2.False! There are at least 40 all-men’s roller derby leagues, and sometimes they play the girls!
3.Whip It! came out in 2009 and starred Ellen Page, Kristen Wiig, and Drew Barrymore.
4.False! Many junior leagues let kids as young as six years old play the sport.
5.There are more than 1,500 men’s, women’s, recreational, and junior leagues in the world.
6.Roller derby players often hit with their shoulders, but they don’t wear shoulder pads.
7.False! Hitting a skater in the sternum with your shoulder is an awesome hit! But hard to do!
8.False! There is a worldwide website called Two Evils that lists all roller derby names. You have to get approval from the skater if your name is very similar.
9.False! Roller derby is a totally real, full contact sport, with strict rules and penalties.
10.False! Roller derby can make athletes out of non-athletes. All you have to do is love to skate.
Visit us at www.dorothysderby.com for more trivia fun!
The Name Game!
Create your own roller derby name!
For Your First Name
Take the first three or four letters of your first name.
Attach the name of your favorite animal to it.
For example:
Meghan/Dog = Megdog
Alece/Tiger = Aletiger
Emily/Cat = Emicat
For Your Second Name (Unless you love having just one name!)
Choose one of the following for the first half of your last name:
For first names A–D: Roller (or Roll)
For first names E–H: Skate
For first names I–L: Killa
For first names M–P: Wheel
For first names Q–T: Speed
For first names U–W: Hit
For first names X–Z: Track
Attach your favorite movie character to it. (Add yours if you don’t see it listed!)
Villain
Queen
Princess
Star
Geek
Bully
Pal
Bestie
Here’s How You’d Roll!
Meghan/Dog/Queen = Megdog Wheel Queen
Alece/Tiger/Villain = Aletiger Roller Villain
Emily/Cat/Geek = Emicat Skate Geek
Visit us at www.dorothysderby.com for more fun ways to find your true roller derby identity!
Read on for a special sneak peek at Dorothy’s next derby adventure.
Chapter 1
“You okay, Dorth?” Max said, squeezing Dorothy’s hand.
Dorothy just stared up into Max’s chocolate brown eyes. Words weren’t coming. From the tiptop of her curly red hair right down to her hand-me-down roller skates, Dorothy was buzzing with delight. She wasn’t even twelve yet, and she had just been kissed! She had thought the night couldn’t get any better after coaching her team, the Slugs ’n’ Hisses, to a win at the Halloween championship bout, but here she was, hand in hand with the boy of her dreams.
Floating on a cloud of bliss, Dorothy was barely aware of the roller rink under her feet or her nearby team chanting, “I’m a roller derby girl. Derby, derby, roller, yeah!”
And there was another sound too, like a squeal. But not a happy squeal. More like a metallic screech, actually. And it was growing louder.
Suddenly, Dorothy’s gaze shot upward and her bliss vanished, replaced instead with heart pounding terror.
“Get off the floor!” she screamed. “NOW!”
Dorothy’s team stopped chanting and turned to look at her with puzzled faces.
“Frappit,” Dorothy said, dropping Max’s hand. She rocketed towards her team, her arms waving frantically above her head. “Move it!”
“You heard your coach!” Grandma Sally yelled. Unaware that her sexy nun costume was riding up dangerously high, Grandma hooked Jade by the arm and pulled her towards the bleachers. The tight fishnet stockings made Grandma’s backside look like a pair of misshapen waffles.
“Ouch, Grandma! Easy,” Jade complained, hopping on one foot. “My ankle, remember?”
The next few seconds were a blur of confusion. The clack and swoosh of skate wheels, the cries of “run!” from the few remaining fans standing in the bleachers, and above it all, a metallic banshee shriek growing louder by the moment.
In the chaos, Dorothy realized she had lost track of Sam. Cold fingers of panic wrapped around Dorothy’s throat and squeezed. Her nine-year-old sister had been there just a minute ago, chanting and celebrating with her team. Where was she now?
Then it happened. With a bang like a gun going off…
Acknowledgments
This book is dedicated to roller derby athletes everywhere, to the misfits, dorks, geeks, class presidents, ex-cheerleaders, prom queens, and class clowns that roller derby loves. You know who you are. Because roller derby doesn’t care how big or little you are, where you come from, or who you know. It loves everybody.
Special thanks to everyone who rolled with us and helped us jam through this process with winning success. And especially to our juniors: Sawyer, Claire, Hannah, Dominic, and Lilly.
Love, Meghan and Alece
About the Authors
Meghan Dougherty is a roller derby–playing wife and mom and owner of a small PR agency. Since 2007, Meghan has been entertained and inspired by her roller derby sisters, who are some of the smartest, most independent, and funniest women she knows. Alece Birnbach has been drawing girls her whole life. From her fine art to her commercial illustrations—found on products across the country—Alece has been inspired by the diversity and complexity of the feminine form and spirit. Friends for more than twenty years, Meghan and Alece share a free spirit and entrepreneurial quest for adventure. Together they hatched a genius plan to combine Alece’s gift of capturing the essence of sassy girl power with Meghan’s roller derby story and adventures, to cr
eate a book series for girls. All to give tween girls a taste of the fun, fierceness, friendship, empowerment, and positive body image that the sport of roller derby brings to women from six to sixty.
Dorothy’s Derby Chronicles: Rise of the Undead Redhead Page 12