Mar 10 2009
My most influential childhood book
I would say “books” but as they’re a series, and series is singular, I’ll stick to “book” 
My mother got me into the American Girl Series all the way back in first grade. Even as a young child, I heard stories about how valuable and timeless these books and the acommpanying dolls were to girls as they grew up.
Well 16 years later, I still adore my dolls, and value the lessons I learned from those books. My 3 dolls–Kirsten, Addy, and Samantha–still sit on display, proudly in my room. My mom made me promise to never take Addy’s hair down, as her braid was so pretty. It’s still there. My mom made me all sorts of clothes for my dolls, and I still have them all. I still have my books too. I haven’t read them probably since 5th or 6th grade, but they really do hold a dear place in my heart.
Not only do these books teach about important things in American history, but they teach girls how to be strong. Every girl–even a rich girl like Samantha, or a merchant’s daughter like Felicity–has a lot to struggle through, and never lets it get her down. She always remembers to be strong, and use her head, and figures a way to get herself out of a sticky situation. Also, if said sticky situation happens due to the girl’s misjudgement in a situation, she realizes as much and owns up to it in the end, admitting her error and knowing how to fix it.
So if you hear me being extremely critical of today’s children’t literature, this series is probably a lot of why. While all these popular stories ans series are encouraging girls to be spoiled and rotten brats, here’s a series that encourages girls to be good, smart, and resourceful. And it’s also teaching important things in history. The most recent additions have been a girl living in the Great Depression and a girl whose parents were divorced in the 1970’s (when it was still taboo) and is growing up in activist era California. It’s giving girls a good start in the right direction, concerning life, and their heritage.
Hopefully, if/when I have a little girl, my books and dolls are getting passed on to her. I want to be able to give her what these books gave me, and to start opening her eyes and expanding the way she sees the world.
*Corner of my bedroom. L to R: Samantha, Addy, Kirsten*
I bought American Girl dolls for each of my four granddaughters and they loved them to death. My feeling about dolls is that they are meant to be played with, dressed again and again, their hair brushed and their faces washed.
I grew up before American Girl dolls, but I had some beautiful dolls to play with. I made their clothing myself and they had boxes of clothes. That’s because once my mother’s friends found out that I made them, they would give me all their scraps, including buttons and lace.
Marilynne
I never read those books. I think I might be a little too old to read them now!