It seems like every twentysomething woman possesses a cherished memory about an American Girl doll. For me, it was reading all of the books and then spending at day at American Girl in Chicago and picking out my very first American Girl Doll. Any guesses who I had???
American Girl Dolls just celebrated their 35th birthday over the weekend! How exciting!
I was a HUGE American Girl doll fan. I had Kirsten! Before I was able to have a doll of my own, my mom made me read the first book from each girl. I ended up reading all of the books from each girl, and I am looking forward to sharing that experience with my own daughter one day.
In honor of American Girl’s birthday, I took a trip down memory lane and stopped by American Girl Place. So much nostalgia.
If you were anything like me and grew up with the books, there’s an awesome podcast called “American Girls” that goes through each book with a present day spin. I highly recommend if you were a AG fan growing up!
I thought it would be fun to take the original 8 American Girl dolls and see what each one would wear today if they were in their twenties. QWho was your favorite American Girl doll??
*You can click each girl’s outfit to shop, in case you want to dress up like your favorite doll!
Kaya
Kaya is a Native American girl of the Nimíipuu, or Nez Perce tribe. Her stories are set prior to settlement of the area by white European-Americans. Kaya is a very active young girl, fitting with an outdoor lifestyle. She swims in the river every morning with the other girls. She cares greatly for animals, especially horses.
Today Kaya
Felicity
Felicity is a tomboyish, daring, adventurous, spunky, brave, and fiercely independent-minded girl. She is very active for a girl her age in her era and is annoyed at her lack of freedom as a young girl and the ladylike things and personality that is expected of her. Felicity believes in fighting for what she wants and can be quite stubborn and headstrong at times.
Josefina
Josefina Montoya is a Mexican girl living on a ranch near Santa Fe during the time when the area was under Mexican rule, only a few years after Mexican independence from Spanish colonialism. Josefina’s mother died a year before the start of the series, when Josefina was eight. She feels lost and unsure without her Mama. Josefina is a patient girl who is very thoughtful, and many scenes show her thinking about and observing nature, life, the people around her, and her surroundings. She is very shy around people she does not know well, but very playful with her sisters.
Kirsten
Kirsten is a brave, hardworking character, given her new life in America (Minnesota) and the work needed on the frontier. She is quite sensitive towards animals and children and makes friends easily. She is occasionally prone to daydreaming. Kirsten hates being trapped inside small spaces and is a very active child. When Kirsten wants something, she becomes a bad listener and tends to pester others until she has achieved what she wants. This stubborn streak sometimes gets her in trouble.
Kirsten is the doll that I have! Maybe it is the matching blonde hair and blue eyes, but she was definitely my favorite!
Addy
Addy is a very brave, loving, thoughtful, and kind girl, who often risks her safety for the safety of others. She is very close with her family and is devastated that they are separated. Spoiler alert: when they get back together, she is over the moon excited. Her friends say she has strong “family pride”. She does not like slavery or the hard work she endured as an enslaved child.
Samantha
Samantha is an orphan who lives with her old-fashioned Grandmary. She only remembers her parents a little bit, as they died when she was about five. She seeks the approval of Grandmary and does not want to disappoint her or worry her. Samantha is curious which leads to her asking a lot of questions from the people around her and thus questioning the status quo. She can be very defiant when she feels she has been wronged.
Kit
Kit thinks herself as not being “flouncy.” She is very much a tomboy who does not like pink or ruffles, and she cares little for baking, dusting, dresses, or dance class. She enjoys baseball and likes when boys are around because she believes they are always up to something. She is interested in everything and fancies herself a reporter and factual writer. Her favorite place is the newsroom of the Cincinnati Register, where she often delivered Uncle Hendrick’s letters.
Molly
To Molly, World War II is mostly a distant inconvenience in her daily life; it is only when she is introduced to Emily that she sees that the war is truly affecting other people.She is not very good at math, dislikes turnips, and is afraid to swim underwater. admire their teacher, Miss Campbell, and like thinking about her love life. Molly is a great tap dancer. Molly is a big schemer, often the ring leader when she and her friends make plans. Molly’s mom calls her a “chatterbox,” in comparison to Emily. She is prone to daydreaming and fanciful ideas.
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