American Girl

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American Girl is a line of dolls and accessories based on pre-teen girl characters from various periods of American history. Pleasant Rowland began selling them by mail order in 1986. Fourteen million American Girl dolls have been sold, as have 123 million books.^[1]

American Girl books consist of several series: American Girl, History Mysteries, and Girls of Many Lands.

In 1998, Pleasant Company became a subsidiary of Mattel, Inc.

The company's flagship line is a collection of historical 18-inch dolls that come with books and accessories. The dolls, representing 9-10 year old girls, live through important times in American history and provide a child's perspective of significant events in American history.

Contents 1 Overview 2 American Girl Movies 3 Historical Character dolls 3.1 Kaya, 1764 3.2 Felicity Merriman, 1774 3.2.1 Elizabeth Cole, 1774 3.3 Josefina Montoya, 1824 3.4 Kirsten Larson, 1854 3.5 Addy Walker, 1864 3.6 Samantha Parkington, 1904 3.6.1 Nellie O'Malley, 1904 3.7 Rebecca Rubin, 1914 3.8 Kit Kittredge, 1934 3.8.1 Ruthie Smithens, 1934 3.9 Molly McIntire, 1944 3.9.1 Emily Bennett, 1944 3.10 Julie Albright, 1974 3.10.1 Ivy Ling, 1974 4 Just Like You dolls 5 Coconut, an American Girl's Best Friend 6 Girl of the Year dolls 6.1 2001: Lindsey Bergman 6.2 2003: Kailey Hopkins 6.3 2005: Marisol Luna 6.4 2006: Jess Akiko McConnell 6.5 2007: Nicki Fleming 6.6 2008: Mia St. Clair 6.7 2009: Chrissa Maxwell 7 Bitty Baby and Bitty Twins dolls 8 American Girl Magazine 9 American Girl Stores 10 Retired product lines 10.1 Amelia's Notebooks 10.2 Hopscotch Hill collection 10.3 American Girl Mini Rooms 10.4 Angelina Ballerina dolls 10.5 Miss American Girl Bear 10.6 Girls of Many Lands 11 Awards and Controversies 11.1 Awards 11.2 Product Quality 11.3 Girls, Inc. 11.4 Girl Of The Year 2005 Marisol 11.5 De-emphasis on Educational Aspects 11.6 Historical Accuracy 11.7 Labor Issues 11.8 Name Controversy 12 External links 13 References

[edit] Overview

In 1983, educator, writer and entrepreneur, Pleasant T. Rowland was looking for dolls to give her nieces for Christmas, and found only baby, teen and adult dolls. That shopping experience, coupled with a visit to Colonial Williamsburg, inspired her to create the American Girl line of historical dolls and books.

In 1986 the first Pleasant Company catalogs had Samantha Parkington, Kirsten Larson, and Molly McIntire. These featured the first three stories of each character's eventual six-book series, as well as their pajamas, beds and trunks. The doll's facemold was designed by Götz, a German doll-maker. The company added three historical characters (Felicity Merriman in 1991, Addy Walker in 1993, and Josefina Montoya in 1997) as well as a magazine American Girl, a line of contemporary 18-inch 'American Girl of Today' dolls and the 'Bitty Baby' collection for younger girls.

In the 1990s production was moved to Hungary for a year, to Germany, and then to China.

Rowland retired as president of American Girl two years later. The layout of the catalogs gradually changed, shifting to a greater emphasis on the commercial web site and the modern doll collection (versus the historical dolls which were at the core of Pleasant Company's marketing efforts).

In 2000, Kit Kittredge was added to the historical line. The company introduced a line of limited edition modern dolls that year, each produced for one year. An eighth historical doll, Kaya, was added in 2002.

In 2004, the name of the company changed from Pleasant Company to American Girl. In 2005, the name of the "American Girl Today" line was changed to "Just Like You."

In 2007, two American Girl Boutique and Bistros (smaller versions of the AG retail stores) opened in Dallas, Texas and Atlanta, Georgia. Two additional smaller retail stores opened in 2008 near Boston and in the Mall of America.[1]

A ninth historical doll, Julie, was released in the fall of 2007, along with Julie's Best Friend doll, Ivy.

In October 2008, American Girl announced its intent to 'archive' the collection of Samantha. Sales for that collection officially ceased on May 31, 2009 when the tenth American Girl historical doll, Rebecca Rubin, was released.

[edit] American Girl Movies

2004- American Girl teamed up with Red Om production company and Julia Roberts to create the first American Girl movie Samantha: An American Girl Holiday. Samantha was played by AnnaSophia Robb.

2005- Red Om produced the second American Girl TV movie Felicity: An American Girl Adventure, which starred Shailene Woodley as Felicity.

2006- The third American Girl television movie produced by Red Om, Molly: An American Girl on the Home Front featured Maya Ritter as Molly.

2008- The first American Girl movie to appear in theaters was Kit Kittredge: An American Girl which opened in wide release on July 2, 2008. It was produced by Picture House. Kit was played by Academy Award nominee Abigail Breslin and notable co-stars included Stanley Tucci, Chris O'Donnell, Julia Ormond and Joan Cusack.

2009- "Chrissa Stands Strong" premiered on HBO January 5, 2009 and was released directly to DVD the next day. The first non-historical American Girl character film release, this DVD is a companion to the modern Girl of the Year collection for 2009 detailed later in this article. Cast members of note include Sammi Hanratty as Chrissa, Annabeth Gish, and Michael Learned^[2].

Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas is reportedly outlining a movie proposal entitled "Julie: An American Girl Musical". ^[3]

[edit] Historical Character dolls

Although the books are written for the eight-to-thirteen-year-old market, they cover child labor, child abuse, poverty, racism, slavery, alcoholism, animal abuse, and war, among other topics. The tone is gentle so as to appeal to a school-aged girl. In the back of books is a "Looking Back" section that discussing the character's historical setting, tied into the book theme. (For example, the introductory book introduces the time in history, the birthday story talks about childhood and growing up.)

Short stories in small hardback books were published starting in 1999 that gave more insight into the characters, set either during or after the events of the six central books. Some of these were published in American Girl Magazine before being released as small hardcover books. Different "Looking Back" sections pertaining to the story were given (e.g., Addy's Summer Place talks about Cape Island in 1864; Kit's Home Run discusses baseball in 1934.) The last group of stories was published in 2003 and the company discontinued the single books in early 2006, before releasing a "Short Story Collection" for each character. Each book has six stories.^[4]

The first dolls in the American Girl/Historical line — Samantha, Kirsten, Molly — all shared the same face mold. The dolls were created with white muslin bodies. The cloth bodies weres changed in 1991 in response to the low necklines of Felicity's period gowns.

Each of the historical characters is given a historical year ending in 4, although their stories cover about two years each. The "Best Friend" line of dolls (companions to the historical dolls) have stories set either during, after or before the events of her companion's series.

[edit] Kaya, 1764

Kaya (pronounced KY-yah) is a Native American girl of the Nez Perce tribe. Kaya's full name is Kaya'aton'my, or "she who arranges rocks." Her story takes place in America's Northwest in the state of Idaho in 1764, before white settlers disturbed the Native American way of life in the west.

Kaya was introduced in 2002 and American Girl reportedly worked with a Nez Perce panel of consultants in creating her stories and collection. The Kaya doll has dark skin; dark brown eyes and braided hair; and a unique face mold not used for any other doll. In fact, Kaya is the only doll that does not smile with her mouth open, as baring one's teeth is considered offensive to Nez Perce peoples. Her collection and books do not follow the titling pattern established by previous dolls; instead the titles more accurately reflect the cycle of life in tribal society. A glossary is included for the many Nez Perce words and phrases, and many words are spelled phonetically.

[edit] Felicity Merriman, 1774

Described as a horse-loving colonial girl living in Williamsburg, Virginia who is caught between Patriot and Loyalist family and friends at the onset of the American Revolution, themes in her core books include loyalty and staying true to one's ideals.

Many items from Felicity's collection were retired in the early 2000s. However, following the success of the made-for-TV adaptation of Samantha's stories, Felicity's core books were dramatized and Felicity: An American Girl Adventure aired on the WB on November 29, 2005. Many discontinued items from her collection were reintroduced, while other items were redesigned (including Felicity's 'Meet dress' which was changed in 2005 from a rose print to her what was formerly known as her purple flowered 'Traveling Gown'). The doll's appearance changed over time. Felicity's hair was originally a carrot-red and she had soft green eyes, but these features have been changed to a more auburn shade and vivid green eyes.

[edit] Elizabeth Cole, 1774

Shy Elizabeth is vivacious Felicity's best friend, despite her Loyalist family leanings during the American Revolution. The book, "Very Funny, Elizabeth", written by Valerie Tripp and set in 1775, concerns the engagement of Elizabeth's snobby older sister, whom Felicity and Elizabeth take every opportunity to tease until a joke goes wrong and Elizabeth finds herself facing a move back to her native England.

The Elizabeth doll was introduced in August 2005 and the character prominently featured in the Felicity DVD. The doll has the Josefina face mold, blue eyes and long blond hair with pincurls. She also features changeable earrings. In the original book illustrations Elizabeth had dark hair and eyes; due to alleged concerns that the young actresses in the movie and their doll counterparts would too closely resemble one another, Elizabeth's appearance was changed and subsequent editions of the Felicity books were re-illustrated to reflect these changes.

[edit] Josefina Montoya, 1824

María Josefina (ho-se-FEE-na) Montoya is Mexican, living in what is now the US state of New Mexico when it was still a part of Mexico in Santa Fe. She and her three older sisters must face a new way of life after the death of their beloved mother and the arrival of their Tia (Aunt) Dolores. Josefina's family speaks Spanish, so there are many Spanish words and phrases in her books, which also include a glossary/pronunciation guide. The focus of her stories is on family, Mexican culture and traditions, and incorporating the past with the present and future in the wake of their mother's death.

Josefina was the last doll introduced before the Mattel takeover (although Kit and Kaya were in development) and the second of three dolls to have a cultural panel to assist in her creation (the first being Addy and the third being Kaya). The Josefina doll debuted with a brand new face mold, medium skin, dark hair, and brown eyes. Her collection initially included many period-appropriate outfits and household items, but most have since been retired and are now only available on the secondary market and not directly from American Girl.

[edit] Kirsten Larson, 1854

Kirsten (Keer-sten or Kur-sten) Larson is a Swedish immigrant who lives in the Minnesota Territory with her extended family. She faces the hardships of adjusting to life as a pioneer in a new and unfamiliar country and the challenge of learning a new language. Kirsten was one of the first three dolls produced by American Girl. Unlike many of the dolls, Kirsten's books have maintained their original illustrations (with the exception of the covers). The doll has long blonde banged hair that is braided and looped; fair skin; and crystal blue eyes. Like Josefina, Kirsten's collection initially included many period-appropriate products which are now only available on the secondary market.

[edit] Addy Walker, 1864

Addy Walker is a fugitive slave who escaped with her mother from North Carolina to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania during the American Civil War after her master split up her family. Addy dreamed of a new life of freedom but realizes that starting over means starting from the bottom and facing on-going prejudice and racism. According to the New York Times Addy was not without controversy as, "In 1993 critics attacked the company for making Addy a slave at the start of her stories, wondering why the company could not have chosen a post-slavery era for its African-American doll."^[5] Addy's core books were written by Connie Porter and originally illustrated by Melodye Rosales and Bradford Brown, but later redrawn by Dahl Taylor.

Currently the historical line's only African-American, Addy was the fifth doll to be added to the collection. She was the first non-white doll to be added to the historical line and was the first doll to have earrings. A new mold was created for this doll to give Addy more ethnically appropriate features. The doll has dark skin; dark brown eyes; non-removable earrings; and textured black hair.

A play about Addy was commissioned and produced by the Seattle Children's Theater in 2007. Entitled Addy: An American Girl Story, the play was taken on limited national tour from January through May 2008 through Kids Entertainment, Inc. [2]

[edit] Samantha Parkington, 1904

Samantha is an only child growing up during the Edwardian period (although American Girl designated her as Victorian). Orphaned at age five and raised by her wealthy Victorian-era grandmother in fictional Mount Bedford, New York, Samantha befriends a poor servant girl named Nellie O'Malley. Eventually Samantha, Nellie and Nellie's young sisters are adopted by Samantha's uncle and aunt. Samantha book themes include women's suffrage, child labor, and classism. The first two books in the core series were written by Susan S. Adler; the third book by Maxine Rose Schur; the last three by veteran American Girl author Valerie Tripp. The multiple authorship has been criticized for disconnectedness of the characterizations. The Samantha doll has dark brown hair now (the original had lighter brown hair, but it was changed in the early nineties); fair skin; and dark brown eyes.

Red Om Productions produced "Samantha, An American Girl Holiday," in cooperation with American Girl. This made-for-TV movie starred AnnaSophia Robb, then 10, as Samantha and Mia Farrow as Samantha's grandmother. The show premiered on WB Television Network in November 2004 and was released to DVD soon thereafter.

In an unprecedented move, American Girl sent an email to select customers on October 6, 2008 stating in part that "...Samantha's complete collection - including Nellie and her accessories - will be moving into the American Girl Archives..." at some point in the near future, at which point only her books and DVD will remain available for purchase. This move was publicly confirmed on the AG website on October 13, 2008. According to the American Girl website, the last available date for purchasing items from Samantha's collection was May 31, 2009.

[edit] Nellie O'Malley, 1904

Born to Irish immigrants, Nellie works for Samantha's neighbors and is befriended by Samantha. She personifies the working-class immigrant experience of the time and teaches Samantha about the conditions faced by children who work in factories. Nellie and her sisters are orphaned and later adopted by Samantha's relatives.

In 2004, American Girl broke new ground by introducing Nellie O'Malley as Samantha's "Best Friend." She came with a small collection of clothing and sold with a book written by Valerie Tripp. "Nellie's Promise" is set in 1906 (Samantha's core books run from 1904-1905). Despite challenges, Nellie is determined to honor the promise she made to her mother while keeping peace in her new family and holding true to her ideals. The Nellie doll was given the Josefina facemold, short strawberry-blonde hair, deep blue eyes, and freckles.

American Girl announced on October 6, 2008 that Nellie and her collection would be moved into the "American Girl Archive" with Samantha and her collection, thus becoming unavailable for purchase through American Girl. The last date to purchase items from Samantha's collection was May 31, 2009, but in fact the Nellie doll sold out in mid-December 2008 according to the American Girl website.

[edit] Rebecca Rubin, 1914

Rebecca Rubin, American Girl's tenth historical character, debuted on May 31 2009. She is a 9-year-old girl of Russian-Jewish descent whose maternal grandparents and parents immigrated to the Lower East Side of New York City. Rebecca is fascinated by the budding film industry and aspires to become an actress, but her family of Russian immigrants disapprove of acting and movies. Her six core books, written by Jacqueline Dembar Greene, focus on issues related to assimilation and accommodation to mainstream American culture while incorporating familial, religious, and cultural traditions and beliefs. Rebecca is the third historical character whose books break from the original titling pattern (following precedent set by Kaya and Julie). The doll has the Josefina face mold, curly light brown hair, and hazel eyes.

[edit] Kit Kittredge, 1934

Kit Kittredge faces the hard times of the early years of the Great Depression in Cincinnati, Ohio. Her family struggles to adjust to the realities of the economy after Kit's father loses his job. Kit's full name is Margaret Mildred Kittredge, with Kit as a family nickname. Kit's core series of books was written by Valerie Tripp and illustrated by Walter Rane. The Kit doll debuted in 2000 and was the first doll to have freckles, and a short hairstyle.

A feature film Kit Kittredge: An American Girl was released to theaters on July 2, 2008, starring Abigail Breslin, then 12, as Kit. Many new items were added to Kit's collection as product tie-ins to the movie. Kit is the second doll to have her own Nintendo DS game, "Kit Mystery Challenge". Kit also has a PC video game called "A Tree House of My Own".

[edit] Ruthie Smithens, 1934

Ruthie is Kit's best friend. Her family is well-off compared to the financial struggles of Kit's family. The character of Ruthie adores fairy tales, idolizes movie stars, is generous and often tries to help Kit but sometimes wounds her friend's pride instead. Her accompanying book, "Really Truly Ruthie" by author Valerie Tripp, is set in late December 1932 and showcases how Ruthie helps the Kittredge family save their home from foreclosure.

Ruthie is the 5th doll in the Best Friends collection and was released July 1, 2008 with a small collection in anticipation of the Kit movie. The Ruthie doll has an original facemold, dark brown curly hair and light gray eyes.

[edit] Molly McIntire, 1944

Molly's story is set during World War II. Molly lives in Jefferson, Illinois with her parents and three siblings, where she helps her family and loved ones stay cheery during the war. Her physician father is stationed in England caring for wounded soldiers. Molly's report card reveals her middle initial to be "J." Throughout her core stories, Molly has two equal best friends but gains a third friend named Emily Bennett in her birthday story. Molly's six core books focus on themes of teamwork, family adaptation to her father being gone during the war, and setting and maintaining priorities.

Molly was one of the original three dolls offered by Pleasant Company. She has medium brown, braided hair; gray eyes; and wears distinctive round glasses. While the company sells eyeglasses separately to fit any 18" American Girl doll, Molly is the only doll to be sold with them. Molly has a large collection based on fashions from the World War II era.

Molly: An American Girl on the Home Front was the third TV movie based on the historical characters and the only one to air on the Disney Channel on November 26, 2006. The movie stars Maya Ritter, then 13, as Molly, and Molly Ringwald as Mom. The movie deviates from the books in many ways, including the omission of the youngest brother, Brad, from the family.

[edit] Emily Bennett, 1944

Emily Bennett is an English girl who is unexpectedly sent to America to temporarily stay with the McIntires for two weeks in the story "Happy Birthday, Molly!". At first Molly thinks of Emily as snobby and prim, but their bond strengthens when they discover a shared fascination for the English princesses and other girlish pursuits.

Emily is the third doll in the "Best Friends" collection. She was released September 5, 2006 in anticipation of the Molly made-for-TV movie. Since technically Emily is not Molly's "best friend," she was marketed instead as "Molly's English friend." The Emily doll has light, red hair and light blue eyes. Her accompanying book, "Brave Emily," by author Valerie Tripp is set in 1944. Its "Looking Back" section discusses children during WWII who were sent outside of Europe for safety.

[edit] Julie Albright, 1974

Julie Albright is a ten year-old girl growing up in San Francisco, California during the period of September 1975-76. Her six main books were written by Megan McDonald and illustrated by Robert Hunter and Susan MacAliley. Her series is the second to break from the traditional titling pattern (Kaya was the first, as noted above). She is the first historical character to have divorced parents. Following the divorce, Julie moves with her mother and older sister to a different part of the city, leaving behind her pet bunny and best friend Ivy. She visits her father on the weekends. Julie's books focus on gender equality in school sports, America's Bicentennial celebration, preserving endangered species (such as the bald eagle), and running for class president. Her stories also touch on the Disability rights movement, feminism, the Vietnam War, Earth Day and Watergate and deal with general issues of responsibility and adapting to change. Many references to the events and zeitgeist of the mid-1970s are included.

The Julie doll was released September 10, 2007. The doll has long, very straight, blonde hair with a small side braid; brown eyes; and the Josefina face mold. Her "Meet Outfit" is the first that does not include a dress or skirt.

Julie is the second doll to have her own computer game, entitled Julie Saves the Eagles. (Previous computer software such as The American Girl Premiere 1st and 2nd Edition and American Girl Dolls were themed around multiple dolls). Julie is also the first American Girl character to have her own Nintendo DS game, Julie Finds a Way.

Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas is reportedly outlining a movie proposal entitled "Julie: An American Girl Musical." If this movie makes it to the production stages, open casting calls are planned. ^[6]

[edit] Ivy Ling, 1974

Ivy Ling is a Chinese American girl who also lives in San Francisco. Her solo book is entitled "Good Luck, Ivy" by children's author Lisa Yee. The book is set in May/June 1976 and focuses on Ivy's conflict with gymnastic competition obligations and her family traditions and responsibilities. The "Looking Back" section in her book is about Chinese-American history.

The Ivy doll debuted with Julie, thus being the first "Best Friend" doll to be released with the main character. Ivy is also the first Asian doll in the historical collection. Ivy has a face mold like the Jess doll which was discontinued, straight dark shoulder-length hair with bangs, brown eyes, and removable earrings. She has a very limited collection to date, including only one extra outfit.

[edit] Just Like You dolls

Formerly known as the "American Girl of Today" and "American Girl Today" collection, this line of contemporary dolls was introduced in 1995. In December 2005, the name of the line was changed once again to the current Just Like You (JLY). This line has included thirty-nine different dolls over the years, although several have been retired and are now only available used on the secondary market. Each doll has a different combination of face mold; skin tone; eye color; and hair color, length and style. These variations are standardized by American Girl and individual dolls in this line are not uniquely customized by the company per customer preferences. The majority of the dolls feature the original face mold, but some feature the face molds originally designed for Addy and Josefina, one uses the mold originally designed for Jess, and there is one unique mold in use that is meant to broadly represent East Asian facial features. Each doll comes dressed in a modern outfit and optional ear piercing is available for an additional fee. A wide variety of contemporary clothing, accessories, and furniture are available for separate purchase. ^[7]

[edit] Coconut, an American Girl's Best Friend

Released in 2000, Coconut the West Highland Terrier was marketed as a pet for the Just Like You doll line with an accompanying line of accessories. Coconut had a magnetized mouth to hold magnetized accessories, which were included in separate sets designed to match or compliment JLY doll outfits. The line expanded with the introduction of a black cat with a white muzzle named Licorice, marketed from 2003-2008 as Coconut's "best friend". In 2009, the magnetized mouth feature was discontinued and several new pets were introduced to the line (a golden retriever named Honey, a calico cat named Ginger, and Sugar the Yorkie), while Licorice was discontinued.

[edit] Girl of the Year dolls

Beginning in 2001, American Girl introduced Limited Edition Girl of Today dolls, which feature smaller, specific collections and individual storybooks, similar to the historical doll's "Meet" book. Although each collection is specific to the doll's character, each features accessories based on the book's plotline. These dolls remain available from American Girl for only one year following their release.

[edit] 2001: Lindsey Bergman

Lindsey was the first of the "Girls of the Year" series. Described as a girl "who is eager to help," her accompanying book details the difficulties her impulsive attempts at "helping" can cause. Lindsey is Jewish, and her book touches on her brother's Bar Mitzvah experience and party plans. The doll has the original face mold; light skin; short, curly auburn hair; blue eyes; and freckles. A small collection consisting of a scooter set and laptop accompanied her release.

[edit] 2003: Kailey Hopkins

Kailey Hopkins lives near tide pools in California and is an avid swimmer and surfer. When development threatens to destroy the tide pools, she engineers a protest to make a difference. The Kailey doll has blond, sun-streaked hair with two mini braids; brown eyes and the original face mold. Kailey's collection included various beach outfits and toys.

[edit] 2005: Marisol Luna

Marisol Luna is a Latina girl who aspires to be a dancer. She moves from Chicago's Pilsen neighborhood to a suburb that does not have a dance studio where she can practice her favorite ballet folklorico dances. The Marisol doll has the Josefina face mold, wavy brown hair, brown eyes and a medium skin tone. Introduced during the Christmas season of 2004, Marisol's extensive collection of dance outfits and accessories sold out in early December 2005.

[edit] 2006: Jess Akiko McConnell

Jess Akiko McConnell accompanies her archeologist parents on a several months-long expedition to Belize where she learns new lessons about responsibility and preservation of history. To illustrate her mixed Japanese-American and Irish heritage, the Jess doll debuted with a unique face mold (which was later slightly modified for Ivy.) The doll has light skin, dark brown hair with auburn highlights, and brown eyes.

[edit] 2007: Nicki Fleming

Nicki Fleming is an animal lover who volunteers to train a service dog when her mother cannot because she is pregnant. Nicki also faces friendship difficulties which test her loyalties. Nicki was the first Girl of the Year to have two books: "Nicki" and "Thanks to Nicki", both by Ann Howard Creel. The Nicki doll features the original face mold; long, curly caramel-colored hair; blue eyes and freckles. Her extensive clothing and accessory collection sold out early in December 2007.

[edit] 2008: Mia St. Clair

A preview of the 2008 Limited Edition doll, Mia, was unveiled on the November 21, 2007 episode of Oprah. She was released on January 1, 2008 with numerous outfits, accessories, an ice rink, and furniture. Following the precedent set by Nicki, Mia has two books: Mia and Bravo Mia, both written by Laurence Yep. Her stories chronicle her passion for competitive figure skating, which is at odds with her hockey-playing family. The Mia doll has the classic AG face mold, red layered hair with a 'half-braid', hazel eyes, and freckles. Like Julie, Mia has a game, called "Mia Goes For Great!" Mia sold out on the American Girl website on December 17, 2008.

[edit] 2009: Chrissa Maxwell

The collection of Chrissa Maxwell was released on January 1, 2009. An accompanying direct-to-DVD film entitled "Chrissa Stands Strong" based on her story ^[8] premiered January 5 and became available for purchase the next day. The theme of Chrissa's books and DVD focuses on peer bullying issues. Both books are written by Mary Casanova (author of previous Girl of the Year Jess' adventure and a book for the now-defunct AG Girl of Many Lands line). The Chrissa doll has dark brown, straight shoulder-length hair with highlights; light blue eyes and the Josefina face mold. In a break from tradition, Chrissa's collection includes two best friend dolls named Gwen and Sonali. Gwen has long-banged blond hair, brown eyes and the original face mold. Sonali has dark brown eyes, dark skin, dark loosely-curled hair, and a brand new face mold to represent her Asian Indian heritage.

[edit] Bitty Baby and Bitty Twins dolls

Bitty Baby, a baby doll, comes in several different styles (African American, Asian American, Blond white, Brunette white, and Hispanic). She is 15 inches tall. She comes wearing a sleeper and with her own Bitty Bear (a small, 5 inch tall stuffed bear)

This collection was originally introduced in 1990 as 'Our New Baby,' with a complete line of realistic accessories for the doll as well as matching ones for real infants. However, this collection was revamped for toddlers, with accessories becoming less realistic and a change in clothing .

Also part of this line are the "Bitty Twins", a set of toddler/preschool-aged dolls which come as a pair in any gender combination. They have wigs, unlike the molded hair of the Bitty Baby line. Originally the Bitty twins were marketed as babies in sleepers like Bitty Baby, and only blonde versions were available (although brunettes were later released). In July 2006 the twins were marketed as roughly pre-school aged, and the girls were given longer hair to reflect this. The outfits have also changed to reflect the twins' aging, including potty training accessories and pull-up underpants. In addition to the Caucasian dolls, African American, Asian, and Hispanic twins became available in 2008, allowing for a total of fifty five "twin" combinations. Bitty Twin dolls can be purchased indivdually at an American Girl Place store.

[edit] American Girl Magazine

The American Girl company also features a bimonthly magazine, targeted at girls aged 8-14. The magazine includes a letters to the editor section, crafts, short stories, story and art contests, and inspiring articles. The magazine contains no advertising, apart from advertisements for subscriptions to the magazine. In most issues, a mini cut-out magazine for dolls is placed. Most of the models on the cover are aged 8-13. At the beginning of 2009, design changes were made to the magazine. The puzzle page and Girls Express section has the most notable differences.

[edit] American Girl Stores

American Girl Places (AGP) are stores where the full line of American Girl dolls, clothes and accessories can be purchased directly, instead of through a catalog. The first store debuted in Chicago, followed by one in New York, and a third in Los Angeles in 2006. In addition to displays for each historical doll and large Just Like You sections, the stores have a café, theatre, doll hair salon, a drop-off doll hospital, photo studio, and other doll accessory centers.

The three AGP stores featured theaters which presented three different live musicals: The American Girl Revue, Circle of Friends, and a show for younger children called Bitty Bear's Matinée: The Family Tree. All the theaters closed by late-summer 2008. The theater spaces are currently vacant at the New York and Los Angeles stores, and there is no theater in the new Chicago store which opened in September 2008.

Two American Girl Boutiques and Bistros (AGB) opened in 2007. The AGB venues are smaller than the AGP stores, with rotating stock and casual restaurants. The first two locations were North Point Mall in Alpharetta, Georgia and the Galleria Dallas Mall in Dallas, Texas. A third store opened at the Natick Collection in Natick outside of Boston on November 1st, 2008, and a fourth store opened in the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota on November 12, 2008. The Boutiques and Bistros are now referred to on the AG website as "American Girl" followed by the location of the store, as opposed to using the Boutique and Bistro name.

[edit] Retired product lines

[edit] Amelia's Notebooks

Amelia's Notebooks are a collection of books designed like a marbled composition book, supposedly written by a 9-year old girl named Amelia (actually written by author Marissa Moss). The books were set in a personal narrative, journal-like format, and had numerous doodles all about the book. Amelia spoke of her adventures in school, at home, and other common places. American Girl used to have a portion of their website set aside for Amelia, with games, and other features. Amelia's Notebooks is no longer published by American Girl Press, but is still published under Simon & Schuster.

[edit] Hopscotch Hill collection

Based on the book series by Valerie Tripp, this was a set of four dolls in first grade, and the target market was girls aged 7-9. Unlike other dolls manufactured by American Girl, the dolls had hard plastic bodies and multiple joints. The first dolls to be introduced were Hallie, Skylar, and Logan. They were then joined by Gwen. Lindy, Delaney and Conner were characters featured in books but not produced as dolls. These dolls are no longer available through American Girl.

[edit] American Girl Mini Rooms

American Girl Mini Rooms, usually carrying the logo of A*G Mini•s, were small collections meant to be set up as miniature rooms and locations released in October 2000. The basics consisted of a light box, a clear shield for the front, a drawer to store small parts in, and ways of connecting room together. None of these were meant for dolls to play in, but merely as creative room decoration. Each set had wallpapers, furniture, lights, and other small details to make the room look "real."

The major sets were the Blue Room, Purple Room, Horse Stable Set, Lil's Diner, Groovy Room, Loft Apartment, Rooftop Patio, Petite Boutique, Paddock, and Cabana. Lil' Pets were small pets to display in the room, and Lil' Extras were add-ons and not part of any specific set. The first three had second releases with various changes.

When the line was first released, it was tremendously popular and the American Girl warehouse quickly emptied. Rooms were seen on eBay selling for as much as $2000.

The line ended a few years later. One speculation for the ending of the line is that a lot of the electric wiring was defective, either causing electrical shorts or failing to light and thus meaning a return. The sets were small and elaborate, and targeted more towards older children, as well as expensive for the size and lack of playability--a complete room was $178, much more than a doll, and the decor sets were about 20 dollars. According to former employees, the line was discontinued following the purchase of Pleasant Company (American Girl) by Mattel due to the high cost of manufacturing.

[edit] Angelina Ballerina dolls

American Girl produced a line of dolls for Angelina Ballerina, stories based on the life of a fictional mouse girl, Angelina Mousling. The line was similar in scope to one of the Historical Collection dolls, incorporating a large number of accessories and playsets, a Best Friend doll in the way of Angelina's companion Alice Nimbletoes, and a cousin to Angelina named Henry Mouseling. The line was produced from 2001 until 2004, when the toy rights were transferred to the Target Corporation.

[edit] Miss American Girl Bear

A teddy bear named Miss AG Bear, and several doll-style outfits, were available through the American Girl catalogues from 1994 through 1996.

[edit] Girls of Many Lands

Designed for American Girl by renowned American doll artist Helen Kish, these dolls represented 12 year old girls from various historical periods around the world. The line included Isabel Campion (1592, Tudor England); Neela (1939, Calcutta, India); Minuk (1892, native Yup'ik village, Alaska); Kathleen (1937, Dublin, Ireland); Cecile (1711, Versailles, France); Spring Pearl (1857, Canton, China); Saba (1876, Ethiopia); and Leyla (1720, Istanbul, Turkey). Each doll was accompanied by a book which detailed her unique story. The dolls were nine inches tall, exquisitely dressed and elaborately coiffed. The dolls were marketed from 2002-2005 as collector items for an older teenage market, and are now retired.

[edit] Awards and Controversies

[edit] Awards

The company has earned many awards, most notably the Oppenheimer Toy Award, eight times.^[9]

[edit] Product Quality

Some long-time adult collectors on American Girl message forums have been vocal about their dissatisfaction with Mattel's management of the product line, particularly criticizing what they see as a decline in product quality.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Girls, Inc.

In August 2005, one of the products offered by American Girl was the "I Can" band. The company web site stated that "American Girl will give 70 cents for every dollar of “I CAN” band sales, plus a $50,000 donation, to Girls, Inc., a national organization dedicated to inspiring all girls to be strong, smart, and bold".^[10] The relationship to Girls, Inc. has been criticized by some conservative activists on the grounds that Girls, Inc. supports abortion rights and acceptance of homosexual orientation. American Girl states that these donations are earmarked to support the work of Girls, Inc. in the areas of intellectual development, leadership, and sports programs. American Girl has since severed ties with Girls, Inc.

[edit] Girl Of The Year 2005 Marisol

In 2005 residents of Pilsen, a neighborhood in Chicago, Illinois, claimed the book Marisol portrayed their neighborhood as unsafe, because in a passage Marisol's mother explains that they are moving to the suburb of Des Plaines because Pilsen is "dangerous" and "there is no place to play." American Girl received protests, including some from the local Latin-American community, prompting Stephanie Spanos, senior public relations associate for American Girl, to respond: “We feel that this brief passage has been taken out of context in the book...In the story you’ll see that Marisol’s parents want to have a house and a yard, and a place for her to play. As well as [those], there are some other reasons, too, that they are talking about moving."^[11]

[edit] De-emphasis on Educational Aspects

Various American Girl collecting message forums posters complain that the company has lost the educational focus of its original characters, citing the company's gradual switch in marketing focus from its historical collection to the heavily-promoted JLY and Limited Edition lines. In the JLY line, American Girl has also weathered complaints regarding its switch in focus from emphasizing the creation of one's own doll character and writing stories for it to its current presentation of the dolls as stand-ins for the child herself (a concept similar to that of other popular doll companies like My Twinn.

[edit] Historical Accuracy

In an article published in Children's Literature Association Quarterly, Jennifer M. Miskec summarizes such criticisms, noting, "Daniel Hade, for instance, critiques the 'historical errors, misrepresentations, and overgeneralizations' of the American Girl books. Elizabeth Kowalski-Wallace is likewise concerned with the American Girl version of history, in particular how 'historical specificity is somewhat mitigated by the design of the series' and how the 'American Girls dolls offer a version of history in which the past is different but also exactly the same.'" ^[12] Paula Hyman, a professor of modern Jewish history at Yale, has noted inaccuracies in the series featuring Rebecca Rubin, a Jewish protagonist.^[13]

[edit] Labor Issues

The American Girl Place store in New York City was the center of a labor dispute with Actors Equity Association (AEA). On August 3, 2006, fourteen of the eighteen adult actors at the store's now defunct theater went on strike.^[14] After several organizing votes and challenges filed by the producers, AEA reached a two-year contract effective April 1, 2008. All American Girl Place theatres were subsequently closed in September of that year. ^[15]

[edit] Name Controversy

At the time of Mattel's launch for the Rebecca doll, controversy arose when it was discovered that the doll shared its name with a domestic eco terrorist currently wanted by the FBI. The real Rubin has been linked to two of the biggest eco-terrorist attacks in the United States--the 1998 bombing of a Vail, Colo., ski resort and a 2001 explosion at an Oregon power plant.

[edit] External links

• Official American Girl web site
• American Girl Publishing Site
• American Girl Playthings Collector Guides
• Complete Guide to American Girl Doll Collecting

[edit] References

• Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas
• Doll Diaries
• WetPaint

[16] http://www.heebmagazine.com/blog/view/1763