If you're on StoryGraph (a goodreads alternative), a lovely person has made a list of American Girl historical books to read as a challenge.
Technically requests you read them in order but sometimes might not be feasible for people. Includes the newer Julie and the Blue Guitar, so I think it's pretty filled out. I'm slowly going to make my way through it (and see how many of these I do already have!)
I know the whole six-book format and the accompanying school outfit, birthday outfit, school lunch, pet, etc. could be read as formulaic but I really enjoyed seeing the school lunches over time, it was fun to see that change!
Kirsten, 1854
Addy, 1864
Samantha, 1904
Rebecca, 1914
Kit, 1934
Molly, 1944
Julie, 1975
Even with characters like Kaya, Felicity, and Josefina who didn’t go to school in the traditional/usual sense, they still included something to show/teach us about their culture/era.
Kaya's Foods
Felicity's Tea Lesson
Josefina's Picnic Lunch
But then they stopped doing that and the only character who has gotten a school lunch set since is Courtney. EDIT: Actually Nanea also got a school lunch set! Yay! 💚
Nanea, 1941
Courtney, 1986
So I wanted to ask: what do you think a school lunch set would look like for Claudie, Maryellen, Melody, and the Hoffman twins? And what would be good food sets for our other non-traditional learning girls: Caroline, Cécile, and Marie-Grace? (You could probably make an argument for Caroline's Travel Basket here but as cool as that set is, to me it's more about the message and map she's delivering than the food.)
"Raquel Reyes is a 10-year-old girl living in Kansas City, Missouri, with her family. Her dad is Mexican American and her family owns the best paleta shop in the city, Paleta-Palooza. Every year on the first day of summer, the shop introduces two new flavors, drawing long lines of customers. Raquel is learning how to DJ and will be bringing “la música” to the event.
Raquel is also excited but nervous about her summer plans—visiting family on the East Coast and attending a family wedding. She’s most looking forward to becoming closer to her cousin Sloan, who is just a year older. But when Sloan starts acting distant, Raquel is determined to figure out what’s wrong. With the help of a long-lost family diary, an unexpected animal rescue, and a whole lot of heart, Raquel discovers that family isn’t just about history—it’s about showing up for the people who need you most."
Does anyone have dolls living in Ancient Greece? These vessels from the Getty Museum Store would be a beautiful edition to their spaces. If you're in the Malibu area, I highly recommend visiting the Getty Museum.
Does anyone have dolls living in Ancient Greece? These vessels from the Getty Museum Store would be a beautiful edition to their spaces. If you're in the Malibu area, I highly recommend visiting the Getty Museum.
Have you seen Moana yet? She’s stunning and I say this as someone who hasn’t been impressed with most of the DisneyAG dolls, the only one I’ve liked before this was Tiana.
I got Summer’s cat Fettuccine today! For anyone that isn’t aware, AG did it again and just like trans icon Coconut, Fettuccine is a gender fluid icon!
On Reddit the day of Summer’s release a user pointed out that on the website, Fettuccine was labeled with she/her pronouns and in Summer’s journal they were labeled with he/him pronouns.
Someone pointed it out and AG changed it on the website to he/him but Fettuccine is a gender fluid icon in my eyes so I will be using she/her, he/him & they/them pronouns for them.
I talked a little more about this over here but this was a really fun project I did a little while back!!
You can go watch the full video about Catherine's backstory and life in Elizabethan england over here
Hee! American Girl released playline Rapunzel doll that isn't limited, after the $300 Collector Rapunzel last year that toy scalpers are now trying to sell for $900.
(First picture is the new doll, 2nd one is the collector doll from last year)
I have no stake in this - I'm not a huge Tangled fan - I just like watching the world burn.
As expected, some people are going ">:( This is a slap in the face to people who bought the original for $300" and I think those people are silly.
A pleasant number of people, though, are mostly going "I'm really glad kids will be able to get the play doll, since she's the normal price for an AG doll instead of three-hundred-fucking-dollars"
I'm just kind of over here going "Hee hee hee! >:D" and hoping they end up doing a re-released Belle doll eventually because I want to put her in fancy historical clothes.
Much of the price difference is accounted for in the quality of the collector's edition versus the play line edition. The collector doll was in partnership with Swarovski; her dress had 73 crystals on it, and she came with crystal-studded earrings and a tiara. Her wig was also quite a bit longer.
I'm so excited they have a more affordable Rapunzel doll! I was so tempted by the collector one because Tangled is one of my favorite movies, but I just couldn't justify it. Also, I'm annoyed that they gave her kinda gray eyes instead of bright green, and I would be too nervous to eye-swap a $300 doll. I do wish this doll also had a longer wig, but I understand why AG made the decisions they did. And even though I find it disappointing, I think they made the right decision for a children's toy. I figure I can swap that out too eventually if I find one I like better. But this doll is adorable, practical, and affordable. I absolutely plan to buy her for myself, and I love her little accessory collections.
Following in the footsteps of @enby-dollhouse and @doll-collecting-aerialist, who did posts on the variety of ballerina and tennis outfits respectively, I wanted to do my take on a section of AG outfits I love: cowgirls! Saddle up and let's head out!
Rootin', Tootin' Cowgirl (1998)
Okay, so maybe this is the outfit that inspired me to do this post in the first place. This is adorable. It's rootin'. It's tootin'. I love the bright blue color. It's advertised as a Halloween costume, but doubles just fine as a fancy rodeo outfit. I do like the idea that you can be the sheriff, or the bandit, or both at the same time! And lest we forget to mention that black cat trick-r-treat bucket!!
Molly's Dude Ranch Outfit (2004)
Is anybody doing it like Miss Molly? This outfit was not connected with any book but released as part of a "Summer Fun" collection. I like to imagine Molly went to a dude ranch near Yellowstone National Park, or maybe somewhere along her Route 66 Adventure. It's cute and pretty authentic to rodeo shows. Also, look at her little canteen!
Nicki's Ranch Outfit (2007)
Most cowgirls don't wear the fancy rodeo costumes like a lot of people think: those are for the shows and fairs! During her daily work, Nicki wears her own pink version of modern jeans, chaps, and boots. And of course her staw hat to protect her from the sun.
Rustic Ranch Outfit (2008)
Another practical outfit; it may look impractical to wear a skirt but I've seen girls who prefer it, if they are riding side-saddle. The vest is kind've plain, but it comes with a horse-themed scrapbook and a (faux) leather Western Hat.
Western Riding Outfit (2010)
Definitely a casual pick for our cowgirl. Fit for farm or school, everybody knows exactly what animal is this American Girl's favorite. Like Nicki, this girl wears a straw hat, but she'll need sunblock if she's going to ride all day with those short sleeves and skirt!
Western Plaid Outfit (2014)
I like to think of this as Abercrombie Horse Girl. I'm not sure how practical that dress is for horse riding, and I'm a bit worried about those loose band around her boots. Still, this girl has something not previously seen, even with Nicki, and that's the very important helmet! Always wear a helmet while horse riding!!
Pretty Pink Riding Outfit (2014)
Sold at the same time as the previous one, so you could choose which outfit you wanted with your life-saving helmet. This girl is wearing what I liked to call Gucci Horse Girl.
Blue-Ribbon Riding Outfit (1998)
I forgot this one so I'm adding it here to show you what I would consider an Ideal Horse Riding outfit. Helmet: check! Proper boots: check! The coat even comes with functional pockets and inner thigh padding. She certainly gets the blue ribbon from me for best dressed!
Maryellen's Cowgirl Outfit (2022)
Ah, a return to classics! This is about as stereotypical "cowgirl" as you can get. As far as I'm aware, this is meant to be her Halloween costume, which tracks with how popular cowgirls & cowboys were during the 1950s. Lookin' cute, Miss Maryellen!
Lila's Horseback Riding Outfit (2024)
I think when Glen Campbell sang "Rhinestone Cowboy" he wasn't talking about this. Still, maybe this is what horse girls these days wear? It's a shame to see a modern girl without a helmet, but you can't deny this fits Miss Lila's style to a tee!
What is your favorite AG cowgirl/horse-riding outfit? What would you like to see made in the future?
Oh my gosh, I completely forgot about those! Yes, yes, these riding habits are fabulous!
I also found some others that slipped through during my initial search:
Sport Riding Outfit (2009)
This outfit is exactly as it sounds: this girl is ready and geared up for horse riding as a sport! She has a polo shirt on, and the traditionally tight pants associated with horse racing.
Fancy Riding Outfit (2010)
Another fancy riding outfit, this time with the "Innerstar U" patch on it. She is also properly helmet-ed. It's amazing how much horse-riding attire has changed over the years!
Following in the footsteps of @enby-dollhouse and @doll-collecting-aerialist, who did posts on the variety of ballerina and tennis outfits respectively, I wanted to do my take on a section of AG outfits I love: cowgirls! Saddle up and let's head out!
Rootin', Tootin' Cowgirl (1998)
Okay, so maybe this is the outfit that inspired me to do this post in the first place. This is adorable. It's rootin'. It's tootin'. I love the bright blue color. It's advertised as a Halloween costume, but doubles just fine as a fancy rodeo outfit. I do like the idea that you can be the sheriff, or the bandit, or both at the same time! And lest we forget to mention that black cat trick-r-treat bucket!!
Molly's Dude Ranch Outfit (2004)
Is anybody doing it like Miss Molly? This outfit was not connected with any book but released as part of a "Summer Fun" collection. I like to imagine Molly went to a dude ranch near Yellowstone National Park, or maybe somewhere along her Route 66 Adventure. It's cute and pretty authentic to rodeo shows. Also, look at her little canteen!
Nicki's Ranch Outfit (2007)
Most cowgirls don't wear the fancy rodeo costumes like a lot of people think: those are for the shows and fairs! During her daily work, Nicki wears her own pink version of modern jeans, chaps, and boots. And of course her staw hat to protect her from the sun.
Rustic Ranch Outfit (2008)
Another practical outfit; it may look impractical to wear a skirt but I've seen girls who prefer it, if they are riding side-saddle. The vest is kind've plain, but it comes with a horse-themed scrapbook and a (faux) leather Western Hat.
Western Riding Outfit (2010)
Definitely a casual pick for our cowgirl. Fit for farm or school, everybody knows exactly what animal is this American Girl's favorite. Like Nicki, this girl wears a straw hat, but she'll need sunblock if she's going to ride all day with those short sleeves and skirt!
Western Plaid Outfit (2014)
I like to think of this as Abercrombie Horse Girl. I'm not sure how practical that dress is for horse riding, and I'm a bit worried about those loose band around her boots. Still, this girl has something not previously seen, even with Nicki, and that's the very important helmet! Always wear a helmet while horse riding!!
Pretty Pink Riding Outfit (2014)
Sold at the same time as the previous one, so you could choose which outfit you wanted with your life-saving helmet. This girl is wearing what I liked to call Gucci Horse Girl.
Blue-Ribbon Riding Outfit (1998)
I forgot this one so I'm adding it here to show you what I would consider an Ideal Horse Riding outfit. Helmet: check! Proper boots: check! The coat even comes with functional pockets and inner thigh padding. She certainly gets the blue ribbon from me for best dressed!
Maryellen's Cowgirl Outfit (2022)
Ah, a return to classics! This is about as stereotypical "cowgirl" as you can get. As far as I'm aware, this is meant to be her Halloween costume, which tracks with how popular cowgirls & cowboys were during the 1950s. Lookin' cute, Miss Maryellen!
Lila's Horseback Riding Outfit (2024)
I think when Glen Campbell sang "Rhinestone Cowboy" he wasn't talking about this. Still, maybe this is what horse girls these days wear? It's a shame to see a modern girl without a helmet, but you can't deny this fits Miss Lila's style to a tee!
What is your favorite AG cowgirl/horse-riding outfit? What would you like to see made in the future?