American Girl

File:American girl dolls logo.jpg

For other uses, see American Girl (disambiguation).

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. Since then, 14 million American Girl dolls have been purchased, as well as 123 million copies of books about their adventures.

In 2008, the 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 that helped to shape the United States.

History

In 1983, educator, writer and entrepreneur, Pleasant T. Rowland was looking for dolls to give her nieces for Christmas and found only baby dolls and teen/adult dolls. There were no preteen 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 catalogs were sent out for Samantha Parkington, Kirsten Larson, and Molly McIntire. These catalogs featured only the first three stories of each character's eventual six-book series, as well as their pajamas, beds and trunks. The stories were originally written by author Danielle Steele. The first dolls were designed by Götz in Germany; older dolls have tags that say "Made in West Germany." In the 1990s production was moved to Hungary for a year and then to China.

Since then the company has added three more historical characters: Felicity Merriman in [1991], Addy Walker in [1993], and Josefina Montoya in [1997]; as well as a contemporary magazine American Girl, followed by a line of contemporary 18-inch 'American Girl of Today' dolls and the 'Bitty Baby' collection for younger girls.

Sold To Mattel, Inc.

In 1998 Mattel, Inc. acquired The Pleasant Company. Rowland retired as president of American Girl in 2000. In 2004, the name of the company changed from Pleasant Company to American Girl. Since then, the layout of the catalogs has changed, shifting to a greater emphasis on the commercial web site and the Just Like You Collections.

In 2000, Kit Kittredge was added to the historical line. The company introduced a line of Limited Edition modern dolls, each produced for only one year. An eighth historical doll, Kaya, was added in 2002 to coincide with the introduction of Hallmark Gold Crown American Girl themed products. Hallmark began to market ornaments, charms and bracelets, bookends and books..

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 Places, appeared in Dallas, Texas and Atlanta, Georgia. Another two American Girl Boutique and Bistros will open near Boston and Minneapolis in November 2008.[1]

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

American Girl Movies

In 2003, American Girl teamed up with the Red Om film studio and Julia Roberts to create the first American Girl movie Samantha: An American Girl Holiday. Samantha was played by AnnaSophia Robb. Nellie, Samantha's servant friend, was played by Kelsey Lewis.

This new product line would continue in 2005 with a redesigned Felicity collection and the second American Girl movie Felicity: An American Girl Adventure. Felicity was played by Shailene Woodley. Felicity's best friend, Elizabeth, was played by Katie Henney, who was the host of Behind the Scenes of Samantha: An American Girl Holiday.

The third American Girl Movie was entitled Molly: An American Girl on the Home Front, premiering in 2006. Maya Ritter starred as Molly in her first major film role as an actress. Co-starring in the film were Tory Green as Molly's English friend, Emily, and Molly Ringwald as Molly's mother, Helen McIntire.

The fourth and latest American Girl movie is Kit Kittredge: An American Girl. This is the first movie of the series to open in theaters. The debut was on July 2 2008. Kit is played by Academy Award nominee Abigail Breslin. Notable co-stars include Stanley Tucci and Joan Cusack.

American Girls Collection dolls

The American Girls Collection includes nine cloth-bodied dolls, each character representing a particular period and region of U.S. history and dressed in clothing representative of the time, place and social background of the character.

Although the books are written for the seven-to-twelve-year-old market, they cover child labor, child abuse, poverty, racism, slavery, animal abuse, and war, among other topics. The tone is gentle so as to appeal to a middle-class school-aged girl. In the back of every book is a "Looking Back" section that talks about the historical setting the characters live in, each tied into the theme of the book (the introductory book introduces the time in history, the birthday story talks about childhood and growing up, etc.)

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 five stories.

The first dolls in the American Girl/Historical line — Samantha, Kirsten, Molly — all share the same face mold. New face molds are noted with the individual dolls. Originally, the dolls were created with white muslin bodies. This was changed in 1991, in response to the low necklines of Felicity's gowns. Thus, earlier dolls are easily recognized and considered more collectible.

Each of the historical characters is given a historical year ending in 4, even though their stories roughly cover about two years each. The series more accurately spans a time from xxx4 to xxx6 (such as Felicity's covering 1774 to 1776); thus, two of the Best Friends books have different years on their books while being part of the same series. The "Best Friend" line of dolls - companions to the historical dolls - are set either during or after the events of her companion's series. Each of their books - one per doll - cover a different situation of the time that pertains to their looks and story.

Kaya'aton'my 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 1764, before white settlers disturbed the Native American way of life in the west. She is the oldest doll chronologically, but is the third most recently introduced historical doll. She has dark skin; deep brown eyes; and black braided hair.

Kaya was introduced in 2002. American Girl worked closely with the Nez Perce Native Americans to create Kaya. She is the only doll that does not smile with her mouth open, as baring one's teeth is considered offensive to Nez Perce people; no other doll shares her face mold. Her collection and books do not follow the trends set down by previous dolls, more accurately reflecting the history of life in the tribe. There are many Nez Perce words and phrases in her books, and a glossary in the back to define the words used. These words are spelled phonetically in the story to ease in pronunciation.

Kaya's pets are her horses Steps High; her foal, Sparks Flying; and her dog Tatlo.

Her "Meet Outfit" includes a deerskin dress, with a matching belt; moccasins; and hair ties made from real shells. Kaya's accessories includes a woven bag to carry food; a belt pouch to carry little treasures; and a red-, green- and blue-dyed porcupine-quill necklace.

The company adds that all animal products are simulated unless otherwise noted.

Felicity Merriman, 1774

Felicity Merriman was the first doll added to the American Girls Collection following the initial introduction of Kirsten, Samantha and Molly in 1986. Felicity is a colonial girl living in Williamsburg, Virginia, caught between Patriots and Loyalists at the beginning of the American Revolution.

The Felicity movie was released in October 2005; many discontinued items were reintroduced, while other items were replaced with redesigned accessories. One such change is her so-called 'Meet dress.' Originally a rose print, it has been replaced with her former 'Traveling Gown'. The original Meet dress is now retired while the Traveling Gown is now only available with the doll. Felicity's hair was originally a carrot-red, but has been changed to a more auburn shade. Her eyes are a greenish-hazel color. In connection to these changes, Felicity's books have been reillustrated. Felicity's pets are Posie the lamb and Penny and Patriot, the horses. Originally, Penny was released as the American Girl Horse so all dolls could "own" her.

The current "Meet Outfit" is a lavender gown with flower embroidery; white stockings; a shift; and black shoes with gold buckles. Felicity's accessories include a white mob cap with a lavender ribbon to match the gown; a choker with purple blossoms; red and white garters; a brocade bunching purse; a white scalloped hankerchief; and a shiny, silver, pretend coin called a bit.

Felicity: An American Girl Adventure was the second TV movie and aired on the WB on November 29 2005.

Elizabeth Cole, 1775

Elizabeth is Felicity's best friend. She is the daughter of a Loyalist family during the American Revolution. Her family moved to Virginia from England. In contrast to Felicity, Elizabeth's personality is described as very shy.

The Elizabeth doll was introduced in August 2005 and the character is prominently featured in the Felicity film. Elizabeth had dark hair and eyes in the original Felicity book illustrations. Due to concerns that the dolls would too closely resemble one another, and that the young actresses in the movie would look too much alike, the doll was given blonde hair and blue eyes. Subsequent editions of the Felicity books have been re-illustrated to reflect this change.

The facemold used for the Elizabeth doll is identical to the mold used for the Josefina, Marisol, and Nellie dolls. Her clothing and accessories complement Felicity's line. Elizabeth's book, "Very Funny, Elizabeth" was written by Valerie Tripp and is set in 1775. Elizabeth's snobby older sister Annabelle becomes engaged, and Felicity and Elizabeth take every opportunity to tease her. But after a joke goes terribly wrong, Elizabeth finds herself facing a move back to her native England. The "Looking Back" section is about colonial-era marriage.

Elizabeth's "Meet Outfit" is a bright-pink taffeta gown; a shift; white stockings; cream slippers with dark pink bows; and earrings. Her accessories include a faux-pearl chocker; earring drops; a pinner cap with grosgrain and lace, with a light pink bow on top; and a white patterned fan.

Josefina Montoya, 1824

María Josefina (ho-seh-FEE-na) Montoya is Mexican, living in what is now the US state of New Mexico, when it was still a part of Mexico. She and her sisters must face a new way of life after the death of their mother, and the arrival of her aunt Tia Delores, which happens before the events in the stories. Josefina's family speaks Spanish, and so there are many Spanish words and phrases in her books and a glossary in the back to define the words used in the story; the beginning of each of her books tells the reader how to pronounce her name. Her books have also been translated into Spanish.

In her stories, her first name was revealed to be María; however, in practice with Spanish traditions of the time, the character goes by her middle name, Josefina. She has three other sisters: Ana, who is married with two little 3- and 5-year-old boys; Francisca, who is 15-years-old, is very impatient and headstrong; and Clara, who is a very sweet and sensible 12-year-old.

Josefina was the last doll introduced before the Mattel takeover. Josefina was the second of three dolls to have a cultural panel to assist her creation, the first being Addy and the third being Kaya. The Josefina doll was the first to use her face mold; Nellie, Elizabeth, Marisol, Julie, and a Just Like You doll share her face mold. She has medium skin, dark hair, and brown eyes.

Josefina's pet is a goat kid named Sombrita.

Josefina's "Meet Outfit" is a white camisa (blouse) with puffed sleeves; a red skirt printed with black flowers and a brown sash; a blue hair ribbon with faux evening primroses; and gold hoop earrings. Her accessories include a colorful rebozo (shawl) with fringed trim; a faux-leather pouch; a replica pendant with a garnet in it; a white handkerchief with a red flower; and a pretend jola coin.

Kirsten Larson, 1854

Kirsten (KEER-sten) Larson is a Swedish immigrant who lives in the Minnesota Territory. She faces the hardships of adjusting to life as a pioneer in a new and unfamiliar country.She also faces the challenge of learning a totally different language. Kirsten's pets are a Mama cat (named Missy in the book) and her kitten. The cats were originally black, but in 2000 their color was changed to gray. She has long blond hair that is braided and looped, with bangs; fair skin; and crystal blue eyes.

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).

Kirsten's "Meet Outfit" is a blue calico dress with an attached red-and white-striped apron; striped stockings; long, white, lacy pantalettes; brown lace-up boots; and hair ribbons. Her accessories include a wooden spoon; a spoon bag with 1854 stiched into the red heart; a white hankie with blue Xs embroidered into it; a red-shecked sunbonnet; and an amber, heart-shaped necklace from her grandmother.

Addy Walker, 1864

Addy Walker is a fugitive slave who escapes with her mother from North Carolina to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania during the American Civil War, after her master split up her family by selling her older brother and father to another plantation owner. Addy and her mother leave Addy's baby sister, Esther, behind. Addy dreams a new life of freedom will include many things, but she realizes that starting over means starting from the bottom. She has very dark skin; dark brown eyes; and thick black hair.

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, but a few Addy dolls have the original mold and tend to fetch high prices on the secondary market. Addy does not own a pet in the books, but Addy's friend, M'Dear's pet canary, Sunny, is sold as Addy's pet.

Addy's "Meet Outfit" is a pink dress with white stripes; black stockings; white pantalettes; dark cap-toed lace-up boots; a silky blue ribbon; and gold hoop earrings. Her accessories include a straw bonnet with blue calico ribbon; a kerchief to carry her things; a gourd to drink water from; a pretend half-dime; and an African cowrie shell necklace from her great-grandmother.

The Addy Walker books were written by Connie Porter and originally illustrated by Melodye Rosales and Bradford Brown, but were redrawn by Dahl Taylor.

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]

Samantha Parkington, 1904

Samantha is an only child growing up during the Edwardian period, whose parents were killed in a boating accident when she was five years old. She is being raised by her wealthy Victorian-era grandmother in Mount Bedford, New York. She has dark brown hair; fair skin; and light brown eyes. She is best friends with a poor servant girl named Nellie O'Malley. Eventually Samantha, Nellie and Nellie's young sisters are adopted by Samantha's Uncle Gard and Aunt Cornelia. Themes touched on in Samantha's books include women's suffrage, child labor, and classism.

Samantha herself does not own a pet, but Jip, her Aunt Cornelia's pet dog, is sold as Samantha's pet.

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.

Red Om Productions produced "Samantha, An American Girl Holiday," which starred Mia Farrow as Samantha's grandmother and AnnaSophia Robb as Samantha. The show premiered on WB Television Network in November 2004 and was released to DVD soon thereafter.

Samantha's "Meet Outfit" is a checked taffeta dress; long black stockings; black strapped shoes; bloomers; and a checked ribbon to match her dress. Her accessories include a velvet burgundy hat with rose, dove gray, and gold ribbon; a velvet rose-colored purse with a gold chain; a handkerchief with red flowers embroidered; a golden locket to hang from the brooch on her dress (pictures of her mother and father are inside); and a pretend Indian head penny.

Nellie O'Malley, 1904

In 2004, American Girl broke new ground by introducing Nellie O'Malley to the historical doll collection. Marketed as Samantha's "Best Friend," the Nellie doll has a small collection of clothing and is sold with a book written by Valerie Tripp. Nellie has the Josefina facemold, short strawberry-blonde hair, deep blue eyes, and freckles. Nellie was the second doll with short hair and freckles. She is Irish.

Nellie is a poor servant for the next-door-neighbors, the Rylands. Samantha was very quick to befriend her. And after Nellie and her sisters, Bridget (7) and Jenny (8), become orphans, Samantha's favorite Uncle Gard and Aunt Cornelia adopt the orphans. Her story book is set in 1906 (though Samantha's books are titled from the year 1904), and is titled "Nellie's Promise". In this story book, Uncle Mike threatens to ruin Nellie's new life. She is determined to try to keep peace with her family and still keep her promise she made to her mother.

Nellie's "Meet Outfit" is a white Swiss-dot dress with 3/4 puffed sleeves; white tights; white underpants; black Mary-Janes; and a blue ribbon. Her accessories include a white floppy straw hat; with periwinkle ribbon and purple pansies; a periwinkle drawstring bag printed with pansies; a lace embroidered hankie; a pretend Irish penny; and a Celtic cross necklace that once belonged to her mother.

Kit Kittredge, 1934

Kit Kittredge is growing up in 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. Although referred to as 'Kit' in almost all books and promotional material, Kit's full name is Margaret Mildred Kittredge. She got this name when her father kept singing her the song, "Put All Your Troubles In Your Old Kit Bag", after he learned it when fighting in World War One. It should be noted that although the year 1934 appears on the cover of the book, 'Meet Kit' is actually set in 1932. The Kit books were illustrated by Walter Rane.

She has an older brother named Charlie.

Kit was the first doll to have short hair and freckles. She debuted in 2000 as the seventh American Girl historical doll. Her favorite baseball team is the Cincinnati Reds. Kit's pet is a basset hound named Grace. Her "Meet Outfit" is a lilac sleeveless sweater; a matching lilac button-up cardigan; a floral linen skirt; white strappy sandals; white bloomers; and a green double-diamond shaped barrette. Her accessories include a crocheted hat, with a green ribbon tied off into a bow; a straw wallet; a pretend buffalo nickel; and a necklace styled after a compass placed inside a ship's wheel.

The feature film Kit Kittredge: An American Girl was released on July 2 2008. Abigail Breslin portrays Kit. Madison Davenport portrays Ruthie, Kit's best friend. Many new items have been added to Kit's collection as product tie-ins to the movie.

Kit will be the second doll to have her own DS game (the first was Julie), titled "Kit Mystery Challenge" and targeted for release on June 24 2008.

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 and idolizes movie stars. She is generous and often tries to help Kit, but sometimes wounds her friend's pride instead. Ruthie is the most recent historical Best Friend doll marketed by American Girl, with an accompanying book entitled "Really Truly Ruthie" by author Valerie Tripp. The book is set in late December 1932 and in it, Ruthie helps the Kittredge family save their home from foreclosure.

Ruthie is the 5th doll in the Best Friends collection and was released June 1 2008 with a small collection in anticipation of the Kit movie, which is set to debut in select theaters July 2008. The Ruthie doll has the original face mold, dark brown curly hair with reddish/burgundy highlights, and gray eyes.

Ruthie's "Meet Outfit" is a dark purple floral dress with puffed sleeves; white bloomers; light-blue knitted socks; black Mary-Janes; a purple hair ribbon; a black purse with a silver clasp; a hankie printed with flowers; two rose-shaped and -colored barrettes; and a black watch, a gift from her father. Her collection includes pink satin monogrammed pajamas and a play outfit.

Molly MacIntire, 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 to stay cheery during the war. Her physician father is stationed in England caring for wounded soldiers. Molly has an older sister named Jill, a pesky older brother named Ricky, and a little brother named Brad. Molly's report card that comes with her school bag reveals her middle initial to be "J." Throughout her core stories, Molly has two equal best friends, named Linda and Susan. She gains a third friend in her birthday story, Emily Bennett, who was later fashioned as her "Best Friend" doll. Molly also has a pet dog, Bennett, who is named after her friend Emily. Molly's six core books focus on themes of teamwork, missing her father who is stationed overseas 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 WWII era.

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

Molly's "Meet Outfit" is a navy blue, green, and red argyle sweater; a white dickey with blue rickrack; a navy blue skirt; red hairbows to keep her braids tied; white ankle socks; black Mary-Janes; and glasses. Her accessories include a navy blue beret, a red shoulder bag, a pretend steel penny, and a silver locket (a picture of her father is inside).

Emily Bennett, 1944

Emily Bennett is an English girl who is unexpectedly sent to America to temporarily stay with the MacIntires for two weeks in the story "Happy Birthday, Molly!". At first Molly thinks of Emily as snobby and prim, but slowly their bond strengthens when they discover a shared fascination for the English princesses (the future Queen Elizabeth II and her sister, Margaret Rose) and other girlish pursuits. Emily has a pet dog named Yank (short for Yankee), who is the brother of Molly's dog, Bennett.

Emily is the third doll in the "Best Friends" collection and was released September 5 2006 along with her collection. Technically, Emily is not Molly's best friend, so she is advertised instead as "Molly's English friend." The Emily doll has red hair and light blue eyes. Her accompanying book, "Brave Emily," by author Valerie Tripp is set during Molly's series in 1944. Its "Looking Back" section discusses children during WWII who were sent outside of Europe for safety.

Emily's "Meet Outfit" is a light blue dress with cherry blossom print and a red dotted tie-back sash, knickers, red ankle socks, a cherry blossom headband, and black T-strap shoes. Her accessories include a white cardigan sweater, her grandfather's World War One dog tags, an English coin worth three-pences, and a scrapbook.

Both Emily and Molly are the stars of the third movie, which premiered Fall 2006. The movie was premiered exactly November 26 2006 on the Disney Channel.

Julie Albright, 1974

Julie Albright is a young girl growing up in San Francisco during the period of September 1975 through September 1976 (although her book covers state her stories are set in 1974).

Her six core books were written by Megan McDonald and illustrated by Robert Hunt 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, Tracy (who really never wants to spend time with her dad) to a different part of San Francisco, leaving behind her pet rabbit, Nutmeg, and her best friend, Ivy. Julie has to petition to play on the boys' basketball team at her new school. Her books also focus on America's Bicentennial celebration; preserving endangered species like the bald eagle; running for class president; sign language; touch on feminism, the Vietnam War 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's "Meet Outfit" includes a white, crinkle-gauze peasant blouse over a multi-colored striped turtleneck; butterfly-printed underwear; two-tone bell bottom jeans; brown platform sandals; and a brown braided belt with blue, purple, and orange plastic beads on the ends. Her accessories include a purple crocheted cap; a gold necklace that says "Julie" on it; a faux-suede purse with flowers printed on; and a replica Bicentennial quarter.

Julie is the first 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 Paper Dolls were themed around multiple American Girls.

Julie is also the first American Girl character to have her own Nintendo DS game, Julie Finds a Way.

Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas is also outlining a new movie for her next year called Julie: An American Girl Musical.

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 Jess' face mold: straight black shoulder-length hair with bangs, brown eyes, and gold removable earrings. Ivy's limited collection to date includes an accessory purse set and a Chinese New Year dress.

Ivy's "Meet Outfit" is a dressy cowl-neck top, contrast-stitched twill pants, rainbow-printed underwear, and tan Western-style boots. Her accessories include a denim bag with patches and a fancy fringe trim, gold-toned chandelier earrings to attach to her earring posts, a raspberry beret, and a replica Chinese coin.

Just Like You dolls

Formerly known as the "American Girl of Today" and "American Girl Today" line, this style of doll was introduced in 1995. In December 2005, the name of the line was changed to the current name.

The "Just Like You" line of dolls has twenty-eight options (although several have been retired and are no longer sold), each with a unique combination of face mold, skin, hair and eye color. Many of the dolls use the original mold used for the American Girl/Historical line; some use the molds designed for Addy and Josefina, and one doll has a unique East Asian face. (There are currently no Just Like You dolls with Kaya's face mold.) This allows the owner to choose a combination that best resembles herself; dolls are not uniquely customized by the company. The doll comes dressed in a modern outfit that changes about every two years and currently includes a book with a music CD that promotes self-confidence. Previously, instead of the book and CD, the doll came with a blank book made to resemble the Meet stories and a booklet of writing tips. Many modern accessories are available for these dolls, from ever-changing clothing to beds to furniture and even wheelchairs. The dolls are the same size and style as the historical line. Many collectors use these dolls to create their own historical dolls and characters. In recent years, the company released two new Just Like You dolls each fall, but did not release any in the fall of 2007.

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, and each doll has an animal companion. Each of these dolls were only available for a year after being released. The line is now known as the Girls of the Year.

2001-2002: Lindsey Bergman

Lindsey is a ten-year-old Jewish girl who is eager to help. But sometimes, her help creates more problems than solutions. Lindsey had light skin, short, curly auburn hair, blue eyes, and freckles. Lindsey is always getting into trouble, and always finds a way to fix the problem but eventually, she gets into trouble again. Lindsey was the first of the "Girls of the Year" series. She used the "original" face mold. Also available in Lindsey's line were a scooter set and a laptop with a messenger bag.

2003-2004: Kailey Hopkins

Kailey Hopkins lives near tide pools in California, where she swims and surfs. When a developer threatens to destroy the tide pools by constructing a large mall complex, she protests with her friend. The Kailey doll has blond, sun-streaked hair, brown eyes, and was made with the "classic" face mold. Kailey's hair was arranged in two mini braids in the front. Her 'Meet' outfit consisted of a blue sundress, straw sandals, and blue underwear. She carried a tweed bag with a frisbee inside. Also available in Kailey's line were: a bikini and wetsuit, her dog, Sandy (although she had no dog in the book), a boogie board, a snorkel set and a camera set.

2005: Marisol Luna

Marisol is a dancer from Chicago's Pilsen neighborhood. Introduced during the Christmas season of 2004, Marisol was retired December 2005. Her collection sold out in early December, 2005. Marisol uses Josefina's face mold, has wavy brown hair, brown eyes, and is Hispanic. In her books, she moves away from her home and tries to find a new dance school. She comes in a bright pink tank top, a purple wrap top and silk, khaki capris, and purple and gold Mary-Janes. She is considered the best-selling Girl of the Year since she sold out the earliest.

2006: Jess McConnell

Jess Akiko McConnell accompanies her archeologist parents on a month-long expedition to Belize. 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 Ling). Jess' "Meet" outfit is an orange halter top, a pink and orange tye-dye halter skirt and braided flip-flops. Jess' collection featured a two-piece bathing suit/wet suit combo; inflatable kayak; tree swing; and pair of pajamas. Most of her collection had little to do with her actual story.

2007: Nicki Fleming

Nicki Fleming is an animal lover who volunteers to train a service dog. Nicki is the first girl of the year to have two books, "Nicki" and "Thanks to Nicki" written by Ann Howard Creel. Her second book, "Thanks to Nicki" continues her story as she faces the problems of dealing with being in the middle of a fight between her two best friends, and letting Sprocket, the service dog, go. Her doll uses the 'classic' face mold and has long, curly caramel hair, blue eyes, and freckles. Her collection sold out early in December 2007. On January 15 2007 Rachael Ray gave Nicki dolls to each of the audience members.

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, furniture, and two books (Mia and Bravo Mia both written by Laurence Yep). Thus far, Mia has the largest collection of any of the Limited Edition dolls. The Mia doll has the classic AG facemold, red layered hair with a 'half-braid' to the right side of her head, hazel eyes, and freckles. She comes wearing a pink sweater with a snowflake on it, a heather gray skirt, pale pink tights and blue hightop sneakers with pink laces. She is a figure skater growing up with three brothers ( Perry, Rick, and Skip) who all play hockey. She has faithful best friend named Anya. Mia was originally prototyped with a new dark-skinned (not the same as the Addy mold) face mold. Like Julie, Mia has a game. It is called "Mia Goes for great"

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 boy/girl toddler dolls that come as a pair in either blond or brunette. They feature synthetic hair, unlike the molded hair of the Bitty Baby line. Originally the Bitty twins were marketed as babies that came in sleepers like Bitty Baby, and only came in blond (brunettes were released later). In July 2006 they were aged up to roughly pre-school age; the girls were given longer hair to reflect this. The outfits have changed to reflect the twins' aging, including potty training with underpants. The twins now can be combined to have matching or divergent hair colors and be same gender or different gender twins, allowing for ten combinations. In June 2008, American Girl released three other styles of Bitty Twins - Asian, African-American and Hispanic, allowing for many more combinations to be available.

American Girl Magazine

The American Girl company also features a bimonthly magazine, targeted at girls aged 9-12. The magazine includes a letters to the editor section, crafts, short stories, contests, various contests, and inspiring articles. The magazine contains no advertising.

In most issues, a mini cut-out magazine for dolls is placed. Most of the models on the cover are aged 8-11.

American Girl Place

American Girl Places are stores where American Girl dolls, clothes and accessories can be purchased up directly instead of through a catalog. The first store debuted in Chicago, followed by the New York store. The most recent store opened in Los Angeles in 2006. In addition to displays for each historical doll and a large Girl of Today section, the stores have a café, a doll hair salon, a drop-off doll hospital, a photo studio, and a theater. The theaters have presented three different shows: a musical, The American Girl Revue; a second musical called Circle of Friends; and a show for younger children called Bitty Bear's Matinee: The Family Tree. It was announced in winter 2008 that all of the theaters would be closing by mid-summer.

Two American Girl Boutiques and Bistros opened in 2007. These venues are smaller, with rotating stock and casual restaurants. The first Boutique and Bistro opened in North Point Mall in Alpharetta, Georgia (north of Atlanta). A second Boutique & Bistro opened in Dallas, Texas, at the Galleria Dallas Mall. Next up, American Girl plans to open 2 more- one in Boston, and one in Baltimore.

Retired product lines

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.

Hopscotch Hill collection

Based on the book series by Valerie Tripp, this was a set of four dolls in first grade. 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.

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 dollars, 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.

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.

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.

Movies

Samantha: An American Girl Holiday (2004)

• IMDB Profile

Samantha was the first American Girl movie to be broadcast on The WB, on November 232004. During the movie, animated commercials for Tide, a brand of laundry detergent, were broadcast. One of the commercials included a scene where a girl received a Samantha doll for Christmas. The movie was broadcast again on November 25 (Thanksgiving Day U.S.). It drew six million viewers. The movie starred:

• AnnaSophia Robb as Samantha Parkington
• Kelsey Lewis as Nellie O'Malley
• Mia Farrow as Grandmary
• Jordan Bridges as Uncle Gard
• Rebecca Mader as Cornelia
• The movie went to VHS and DVD quickly in time for Christmas 2004.
• The movie was nominated for the Young Artist Award in the category of Best Family Television Movie or Special (2006).
• AnnaSophia Robb was nominated for the Young Artist Award in the category of Best Performance in a TV Movie, Miniseries or Special - Leading Young Actress (2005).
• Olivia Ballantyne won the Young Artist Award in the category of Best Performance in a TV Movie, Miniseries or Special - Supporting Young Actress (2005).

Felicity: An American Girl Adventure (2005)

• IMDB profile

• Shailene Woodley as Felicity Merriman
• Katie Henney as Elizabeth Cole
• John Schneider as Edward Merriman
• Marcia Gay Harden as Martha Merriman
• Kevin Zegers as Ben Davidson
• Eulala Scheel as Nan Merriman
• The movie went to VHS and DVD quickly in time for Christmas 2005.
• The movie was nominated for the Young Artist Award in the category of Best Family Television Movie or Special (2006).
• Shailene Woodley was nominated for the Young Artist Award in the category of Best Performance in a TV Movie, Miniseries or Special (Comedy or Drama) - Leading Young Actress (2006).

Molly: An American Girl on the Home Front (2006)

IMDB profile

Premiered on Disney Channel on Sunday, November 262006.

The first two movies were broadcast on The WB; Molly's aired on Disney Channel, due the merger of UPN with The WB and both sides felt that the movie's content would not fit with the goals of the new network.

• Maya Ritter as Molly McIntire
• Tory Green as Emily Bennett
• Josette Halpert as Alison Hargate
• Hannah Fleming as Susan
• Samantha Wilson as Linda
• David Baker as Dr. James McIntire
• Molly Ringwald as Helen McIntire
• Genevieve Farrell as Jill McIntire
• Andrew Chalmers as Ricky McIntire

• Joyce Chopra was nominated for the DGA Award in the category of Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Children's Programs (2007).

Kit Kittredge: An American Girl (2008)

IMDB Profile

Kit's story is the first to be made into a feature film, released by Picturehouse and written by Ann Peacock. It was originally scheduled to air in theaters in Fall 2007 but production difficulties forced a delay. Oscar nominee Abigail Breslin stars as Kit, and filming began on June 4 2007. The movie was released on July 2 2008.

Filmakers: Directed by Patricia Rozema, Screenplay by Ann Peacock. Produced by Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas, Ellen L. Brothers, and Lisa Roberts Gillan.

Cast: Abigail Breslin, Julia Ormond, Joan Cusack, Jane Krakowski, Stanley Tucci, Chris O'Donnell.

Awards

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

Controversy

The company has been criticized on several fronts.

• The pricing of the American Girl products has been a consistent issue. Dolls themselves cost $90 American dollars, and most outfits cost around $26, with furniture sometimes costing over $100. However, the prices have held steady with minimal increases over the company's 20+ year history.
• Longtime collectors have been vocal about their dissatisfaction with Mattel's management of the product line. In particular, there has been criticism of the replacement of many items by inferior quality products.

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". 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.

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." The Latin-American community decided to protest the book and doll.

Stephanie Spanos, senior public relations associate for American Girl, responded: “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."

De-emphasis on educational aspects

Some fans of American Girl complain that the company has lost the educational focus of its original characters and accompanying books. The name of the modern doll line was changed from "American Girl of Today" (which emphasized modern girls being part of history, and complemented the historical line of dolls) to "Just Like You." This line was originally sold with six blank books and a writing kit to encourage the owner to write stories about her doll, in the same pattern as the historical characters' six core books. This package was replaced by selling the doll with one book and a writing kit, and later replaced by a "fill-in-the-blanks" scrapbook for the owner to complete about her doll's interests. Beginning in 2007, the dolls came packaged with a single book and a short music CD, and advertising campaigns present the doll as a stand-in for the child herself (a concept similar to that of other popular doll companies like My Twinn).

Labor Issues

The American Girl Place store in New York City was the center of a labor dispute with Actors Equity Association (AEA). The American Girl Theater runs two shows: a one hour fifteen minute musical theater production with child actors performing the roles of the historical girl characters and adult actors performing supporting roles, and a shorter musical theater show for younger audiences in which adult actors portray the stuffed animal "Bitty" characters. On August 32006, fourteen of the eighteen adult actors at the store went on strike.

External links

• American Girl Dolls
• Official American Girl web site
• Guide to American Girl doll collecting
• American Girl Playthings website with in depth information about past and present product lines offered by American Girl; also has a message board for collectors
• American Girl Fans Message Board-Now is closed for new members

News

• Archived article about the uniqueness of the American Girls Doll.
• Kit's Movie Headed For Theatres