Astrid's mother takes her and her best friend, Nicole, on numerous "Evenings of Cultural Enrichment" which often confuse, bore, or inappropriately amuse the two girls; one night in fifth grade, they attend a roller derby match between the Oregon City Rollergirls and the Rose City Rollers.

Roller derby makes Astrid stronger and helps her to try new things, like dying her hair and standing up to Nicole and Rachel.

She and her daughter have an honest conversation, and Astrid confesses that her actions were only because she simply did not know how to explain to her that her friendship with Nicole has changed.

Nicole gives her flowers and asks her out to dinner, which she politely rejects and instead chooses to stay with her team, ending their friendship on agreeable terms.

[2] In 2016, the American Library Association named Roller Girl to its list of Newbery Honor winners, alongside Kimberly Brubaker Bradley's The War That Saved My Life and Pam Muñoz Ryan's Echo.