An Abbreviated History of American Girl Publishing in the ’90s

I inactive person my Samantha doll. I was successful an American Girl nine erstwhile I was successful 2nd people (you didn’t person to person a doll to join, but I did get 1 for Christmas that year). I grew up successful the benignant of spot wherever astir of my friends had astatine slightest one, if not a mates of American Girl dolls. One of my friends had the horse, which portion of maine covets to this day. American Girl (AG) was a portion of my beingness that I look backmost connected fondly, but person ne'er genuinely reexplored. In caller years, determination person been podcasts and different media focusing connected the interaction the marque had connected the lives of radical increasing up with Felicity, Samantha, Kirsten, Molly, and Addy (and, aboriginal connected Josephina, Kaya… and aft that I mislaid count, truthful the scope of this nonfiction volition beryllium the girls of the ’90s and precise aboriginal 2000s). 

The announcement that Brit Bennett had written the book for Claudie, a caller American Girl doll who was increasing up successful 1920s Harlem made maine recognize that I had nary thought who had written the American Girl books I’d grown up with. I hadn’t thought of them arsenic having authors astatine each — they conscionable benignant of were. My 2nd and much probable conjecture would person been that the books were written successful a benignant of Carolyn Keene situation.

The 1990s wasn’t conscionable astir the dolls, of course. There was the mag and the monthly catalogs that seemed to find immoderate location with a tween miss successful it. Who didn’t portion distant an hr portion circling each of those miniatures that were retired of scope for astir families? My friends and I besides loved the advice books, which were a staple of sleepovers and erstwhile we ran retired of embarrassing moments that were AG-approved, we took to the net with overmuch little wholesome results. AG had the marketplace cornered connected things similar trade books, cookbooks, and guides connected however to beryllium a bully person and liable assemblage member. They present people a enactment called A Smart Girl’s Guide, which includes A Smart Girl’s Guide: Digital World and A Smart Girl’s Guide: Race and Inclusion.

One of the best-known nonfiction titles published by AG of my epoch was The Care and Keeping of You, which was written by Valorie Lee Schaefer. It’s inactive being published and has sold implicit 5 cardinal copies to date. A revised “older girl” publication was published successful 2013 but you tin inactive get the archetypal “younger girl” variation (though without the dispersed astir tampons). This incredible article gives a large overview and past of this peculiar title. Spoiler alert: determination person ever been radical who person wanted to support america successful the acheronian astir our ain bodies.

And portion the titles of the aboriginal American Girl books each followed the aforesaid signifier of introductions, day celebrations, Christmases, “saving the day,” and “changes” (you tin inactive get immoderate of these classics of the ‘90s arsenic Kindle Books), A speedy hunt of the American Girl tract tells maine that each of their humanities books inactive don’t diagnostic their authors connected the covers. With the objection of Meet Claudie by Brit Bennett. Despite the information that they conscionable ever seemed to exist for me, the American Girl books of the 1990s had authors.

Valerie Tripp wrote galore of the aboriginal American Girl books including books for Samantha, Molly, Felicity, and Josefina. The astir caller publication is Izzy Newton and the S.M.A.R.T. Squad (with illustrator Geneva Bowers) for National Geographic. She has besides written astir greek mythology and worked connected mediate people adaptations of classics including Sherlock Holmes and Tom Sawyer.

The Kirsten books were written by Janet Beeler Shaw, who has besides published 2 books of poetry‚ a postulation of abbreviated fiction‚ and an big novel‚ Taking Leave. She is besides the writer of the Ambersand Castle trilogy.

Shaw is besides the writer of the Kaya books. American Girl worked with Indigenous radical to make the facial mold for the Kaya doll (other American Girls up to that constituent had smiles that showed their teeth, which would person been considered disrespectful). The marque worked with the Nez Percé (Nimíipuu) but did not prosecute an writer with a related background, which is thing they person done much often successful caller years for some their humanities and modern characters. Kaya’s books disagree from the aboriginal American Girl books due to the fact that her beingness milestones would not see things similar Christmas.

Contributors to Samantha’s communicative were Susan S. Adler, Maxine Rose Schur, and Valerie Tripp. Schur has written different books for children including her astir caller Finley Finds His Fortune and Child of the Sea. She is besides a question writer who has written a postulation entitled Places successful Time.

Addy’s books were written by Connie Rose Porter, who is besides the writer of Imani All Mine and All-Bright Court. Porter was honored arsenic an Uncrowned Queens Culture Builder by the Uncrowned Queens Institute for Research & Education connected Women. Porter and Brit Bennett besides precocious met astatine the American Girl Store successful New York City for Bennett’s publication merchandise and the photos are great.