Roller Skates is an endearing and entertaining story that relies heavily upon literary allusion for its effect. Sawyer's regular references to major works of literature not only entice readers to explore books on their own but also provide thematic connections throughout her novel. She draws from all of literature, alluding to the youthful freedom and discovery of "brave new worlds" in Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventure in Wonderland; Frances Hodgson Burnett's Little Lord Fauntleroy; Howard Pyle's Robin Hood; Bernard Shaw's Pygmalion; the Bible; Alfred, Lord Tennyson's "The Lady of Shalott"; and many of Shakespeare's plays. Many pages are devoted to Shakespeare's The Tempest, allowing readers familiar with this play to recognize parallels between Prospero and Uncle Earle, Caliban and Aunt Emily, and both Miranda and Ariel and Lucinda. The enchanted New York City that Lucinda discovers during her unrestricted year mirrors Prospero's enchanted island.

Bird imagery reinforces...