American Girl Doll News

Hey guys! Raquel comes out in just three days! I’m so excited to meet her and learn her story. Usually, I’m the one theorizing for new dolls, and I’ve had quite a few theories for her. But I have a lot of homework to do this weekend, so to celebrate her release, I figured I’d turn it over to you guys! What do you all think Raquel will be like? I’ll post your answers and my thoughts tomorrow :)

Today is Corinne and Kira's shared birthday! Corinne was born in 2011, making her 14 years old today, and Kira was born a year earlier in 2010, making her 15.

Hi everyone! I hope you all were able to read Molly Learns A Lesson so we can discuss it. If you don't have copies of these books going forward at home, you can check to see if a local library has them, and if no libraries have them, you can make an account at the Library of Congress's Internet Archive and check them out there. Molly Learns A Lesson is about Molly's school life during World War II, where she admires her teacher, Ms. Campbell, and feels jealous of popular student Allison. When each gender in the class is assigned to do a group project to help the soldiers in World War II, Allison's idea to knit socks makes Molly feel jealous enough to start her own project - only for her to realize that coming together will do the most good. When I was rereading this book, several things came to mind about the themes within, and both their historical context and what it means to be a girl in 2025. I don't want these posts to be too long, so I'll list my thoughts, and let you discuss these topics as well in the comments! Molly admires Ms. Campbell and fantasizes about her wedding, but also has to deal with a reality where big weddings can't happen as much because of the war. How do you think she balances that? Molly's fantasies are a way to cope with the stress of World War II and having to worry about her dad being away. In the book before this, she fantasized about being Cinderella for Halloween, a world without the war - she's just a girl, and she doesn't really like this reality she lives in. Molly is jealous of Allison, to the point where she doesn't want to do the assigned project because Allison had the idea. Why do you think that is? Molly feels plain. Molly doesn't feel like she has many talents. She knows she is bad at multiplication, while Allison isn't. Molly has braided hair, while Allison has curly blond hair, which is romanticized. Allison is the ideal of a perfect student during this era - what Molly aspires to be. Ultimately, Molly's experiences knowing that her dad needs blankets to treat wounded soldiers win the third-grade girls the contest. How do you think the war being so close to home affected Molly and her idea? Molly has first-hand experience with the war and what it has caused her. She looks forward to her letters from her dad, and absorbs every detail - even the details about the war. Her love for her dad and want for him to be okay drives her to do this for all the other soldiers - she knows they need blankets, and would do anything to get that for them. In school, the war looms large over everything - from patriotic songs to projects to how geography questions are presented. How do you think education is the same and different today? We aren't in a war as all-consuming as World War II - rather, a series of smaller wars that we don't hear about as much. But the way education, particularly history, is skewed is similar to how education was used as in World War II, down to state lines. Like I've said before on this blog, North Carolina's education system skews the story it tells about certain events it has a not-so-favorable role in in order for students to have state pride, and certain events the US didn't have a good role in are also sanitized. While students in World War II had patriotism incorporated in their education for use of reminding them about their part in the war, nowadays, it has been abused for more far-reaching purposes. Next week, we will read Molly's Surprise!

Just a reminder that Girl of the Year 2026, Raquel Reyes, is releasing in one week from today! I’m so excited to meet her - I hope all of you are too :)

Maritza Ochoa is the Doll of the Month for September 2025! Maritza is Bolivian on her mother’s side, Mexican on her father’s side, and 100 percent American soccer player. She dreams of playing for the U.S. women’s soccer team and even coaching it one day. Her teammate Violeta has those dreams too, but she worries she may never reach them because her family immigrated to the United States from El Salvador and may be sent back there. Maritza believes that families belong together, and with her new friends Makena and Evette by her side, she makes a plan to help. Can Maritza find the courage to lead with her heart?

American Girl is offering double points on all books this month for AG Rewards!

Now until September 7, American Girl is having a surprise sale! These items are on sale: So Many Shoes Storage Tower - $35 Community Center Accessory Set - $39 Seashell Salon Set for WellieWishers - $43 Claudie's Scooter - $46 Juice Bar - $48 Grill and Games Set - $59 Courtney's TV & Fitness Accessories - $72 Hit The Road Scooter & Sidecar - $76 Dolled Up Salon Station - $76 Maryellen's Seaside Diner Bakery Case - $78 Truly Me 124, 125, 126, 90 - $81 Truly Me 70, 89, 91, 100, 101, 105, 107, 108, 109, 112, 113, 114, 117, 119, 120, 121, 128, 129 - $88 Summer's Treat Cart - $95 Truly Me 127 Practice to Performance Set - $105 Isabel and Nicki's Computer and Desk Set - $111 American Girl Pet Spa and Daycare - $112 Claudie's Bed - $116 All Set For Sleepovers - $126 Pink Stardust Holiday Collector - $165 Gourmet Kitchen - $228 Full of Flavor Ice Cream Truck - $245

Hi everyone! I hope you all were able to read Meet Molly so we can discuss it. If you don't have copies of these books going forward at home, you can check to see if a local library has them, and if no libraries have them, you can make an account at the Library of Congress's Internet Archive and check them out there. Meet Molly introduces Molly McIntire, who lives in a typical Midwestern family with four kids during World War II. Her father is away at war, her mother works long hours at the Red Cross, and she's had to sacrifice a lot of pleasures for the war effort. But Molly soon finds herself in a war of her own when her brother hoses her down on Halloween... When I was rereading this book, several things came to mind about the themes within, and both their historical context and what it means to be a girl in 2025. I don't want these posts to be too long, so I'll list my thoughts, and let you discuss these topics as well in the comments! The war is a big change in Molly's family - but just five years ago, girls today had their own life-changing event in the form of the pandemic. How did things change back then like they changed in this story? Life practically changed overnight during the pandemic. School was immediately cancelled, then shifted towards online. You couldn't see your friends anymore. Even the projects I was working on, I had to adapt to change how I made them because of the pandemic. It was like life changed in the blink of an eye - just like how Molly has to deal with a lot of change. In Illinois, Molly only has the idea of what hula dancers are like in Hawaii, not the martial law citizens are dealing with other there. How did American Girl's decision to make Nanea add more context to this depiction of World War II? Nanea was a great edition to the American Girl family in hindsight. There wasn't much information out in the mainland United States about the treatment of everyday citizens in Hawaii, so it's not Molly's fault she romanticized the propagandized image of Hawaiian hula dancers she was fed as a kid there, but people like Nanea had to lose a lot of their freedom because of the war, and having her there in the lineup to show that adds a lot of context to this book. It is mentioned that during Halloween, there aren't many treats for the girls, but they have to be resourceful. What do you think helps Molly adjust to the new normal? Deep down, even though Molly hates eating turnips and doesn't like the fact that she can't be whatever she wants to be for Halloween, I think what helps Molly adjust is knowing that what she's doing is helping her dad. When Molly and her friends try to get back at Ricky for hosing down their costumes, Mrs. McIntire explains that anger and revenge are what starts wars and conflicts. How does this apply to World War II specifically? America entered World War II out of anger that Japan attacked Pearl Harbor. Obviously, the greater war was against Germany, but Mrs. McIntire was right that once America was attacked, they wanted to get back at Japan, and thus entered World War II after 2 years of relative silence regarding the war. Next week, we will read Molly Learns A Lesson!

We are just two weeks away from the launch of our new Girl of the Year - and American Girl is having 3 different events at stores nationwide to celebrate! On September 20, the Chicago store is having an open Girl of the Year brunch. Other stores are having release parties, but I assume they’re all sold out. The next weekend, there will be a Cookie Decorating event themed to the new Girl of the Year. This will be on Friday, September 26 in New York and Los Angeles, and Saturday, September 27 in Chicago, Dallas, Nashville, Orlando and Washington DC. Lastly, the 3 Place stores are having a painting party and lunch. This will be on September 21 in Chicago and September 28 in Los Angeles and New York.

Mattel has just announced that the position of President/CEO of American Girl has been eliminated. Jamie Cygielman, the now-former President of American Girl, is still leading the company in her new capacity of Global Head of Dolls at Mattel, with new responsibilities including leading Barbie and other doll brands. It's kind of sad to see this - the final knell marking American Girl not as a semi-autonomous division of Mattel anymore, but fully consolidated into the Mattel corporate machine after over twenty-five years of relative independence. Nothing much will change - after all, we've seen the slow effects of this over the last two and a half years - but it's still a sad day.

The new Girl of the Year for 2026 releases in FIFTEEN DAYS!!! American Girl shared a countdown on their story today:

Who will be the Doll of the Month this month - Isabel Hoffman, Nicki Hoffman, or Maritza Ochoa?