The story in the New York Times last week about an NYPL branch that was lending out an American Girl doll has resulted in tons of offers and donations of the dolls. Sadly, the library has refused the offers. I'm not sure why and it seems like such a shame.
Meanwhile, my daughter has discovered the existence of the dolls and may use some birthday money to buy one. She is having a hard time deciding which one!
Does your daughter have one?
Showing posts with label American Girl. Show all posts
Showing posts with label American Girl. Show all posts
Saturday, February 2, 2013
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
A Toy Library... With A Single Toy
Today there was a great article in the NY Times about one NYPL branch that lends out an American Girl doll. Yes, "an." A single doll. As most of you know, these are incredibly expensive dolls, sold with expensive accessories at a store which includes a cafe for tea with your doll and a hair salon - for the doll! Each doll comes with a set of books and has a back story, each set in a different time and place in American history.
There are so many things I love about the idea of lending one of these dolls out. I love that children of all different backgrounds are borrowing the same doll and returning her with accessories and clothes from their own cultures. I love that despite the "children getting older younger" phenomenon, girls as old as eleven are still playing with dolls, as they should. (I've noticed that in older books about dolls, the girls who play with them are almost always older than the age at which girls allegedly outgrow dolls today.)
My daughter devours the American Girl books, which are a great introduction to historical fiction. But she has no idea there are corresponding dolls. There is no promotional material in the books other than the picture on the cover, which looks like the corresponding doll. But if you don't know about the doll, then it's just a regular book cover.
I know there are other places in the country and around the world that have toy libraries, as I mentioned briefly here. I know a lot of them cater to children with special needs, but just like a typical library, a toy library could serve all children. I'd love to have my kids try out toys before I buy them, which is essentially what I do when I watch them carefully to see what they play with at other people's houses!
Maybe this article will encourage more libraries to lend out toys. After all, they lend music and movies and music scores. Why not toys?
Have you ever been to a toy library? Does your town have a toy library? Do you wish it did?
There are so many things I love about the idea of lending one of these dolls out. I love that children of all different backgrounds are borrowing the same doll and returning her with accessories and clothes from their own cultures. I love that despite the "children getting older younger" phenomenon, girls as old as eleven are still playing with dolls, as they should. (I've noticed that in older books about dolls, the girls who play with them are almost always older than the age at which girls allegedly outgrow dolls today.)
My daughter devours the American Girl books, which are a great introduction to historical fiction. But she has no idea there are corresponding dolls. There is no promotional material in the books other than the picture on the cover, which looks like the corresponding doll. But if you don't know about the doll, then it's just a regular book cover.
I know there are other places in the country and around the world that have toy libraries, as I mentioned briefly here. I know a lot of them cater to children with special needs, but just like a typical library, a toy library could serve all children. I'd love to have my kids try out toys before I buy them, which is essentially what I do when I watch them carefully to see what they play with at other people's houses!
Maybe this article will encourage more libraries to lend out toys. After all, they lend music and movies and music scores. Why not toys?
Have you ever been to a toy library? Does your town have a toy library? Do you wish it did?
Thursday, December 27, 2012
Library Loot #18, Part 2
Chapter books we have out from the library right now. Most of these were chosen by my 7-year-old, but I admit to holding on to a few to fill in some of my kidlit gaps.
Due to technical difficulties, the photography leaves a lot to be desired. But you can still see what we're reading!
As you can see, she is still heavily into series: Katie Kazoo Switcheroo, the Weird School books, the Humphrey books, the , those fairy books, the Amazing Days of Abby Hayes series, the Piper Reed series and the American Girl books.
What is your chapter-book-reader reading?
Due to technical difficulties, the photography leaves a lot to be desired. But you can still see what we're reading!
What is your chapter-book-reader reading?
Monday, August 20, 2012
More Books for a Seven-Year-Old
My daughter has been happily devouring books, sometimes even turning down activities like playing with her sister and baking with me in order to read! She's been zigzagging back and forth between the series I mentioned here, as well as adding some new favorites to her list. Here they are:
Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle by Betty McDonald. My daughter loved this one and we're going to look for the others in the series. I haven't read it and now it's on MY reading list now, since in each chapter Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle provides a "cure" for a different childhood misbehavior: picky eating, messy rooms, "answering back." I could use the help!
The American Girl books. These books are several series, actually, each about a different girl and each set during a different time (and place) in American history. They are related to the extravagantly expensive American Girl dolls, with the girl on the cover of each book made to look like the corresponding doll, but the books make no explicit reference to the dolls, not even at the end of the books or on the back cover! There are no product tie-ins at all! So if your child doesn't already know of the existence of the dolls, these books won't clue her in. The books are short but the vocabulary is not easy, and some of the concepts introduced are difficult or may be new to your child. Mine exclaimed in confusion and frustration when reading about the selling of slaves, "But how could people be sold? What does that even mean?!?" At the end of each book is a short (5 pages or so) non-fiction description of the historical era in which each book is set. A nice introduction to historical fiction.
The Year of the ... books by Grace Lin. This well-known semi-autobiographical series by Grace Lin, with the first two books named for a year in the Chinese zodiac, follow Pacy Lin as she struggles with the normal difficulties of growing up and being different. The third (and so far, last) book in the series doesn't follow the naming convention and is Dumpling Days. All three are wonderful.
The Dessert books by Hallie Durand.
The Great Cake Mystery: Precious Ramotswe's Very First Case: A Number 1 Ladies' Detective Agency Book for Young Readers by Alexander McCall Smith. The author of the Number 1 Ladies Detective Agency books has gone back in time and written about his protagonist as a child. This is a gentle, non-scary mystery with an exotic (to us) setting in Africa. So far this is the only book for children but I suspect this prolific author will not stop here!
Stand-alone books that she's read include:
The Pepins and their Problems by Polly Horvath.
A Necklace of Raindrops by Joan Aiken.
What has your child been reading?
The American Girl books. These books are several series, actually, each about a different girl and each set during a different time (and place) in American history. They are related to the extravagantly expensive American Girl dolls, with the girl on the cover of each book made to look like the corresponding doll, but the books make no explicit reference to the dolls, not even at the end of the books or on the back cover! There are no product tie-ins at all! So if your child doesn't already know of the existence of the dolls, these books won't clue her in. The books are short but the vocabulary is not easy, and some of the concepts introduced are difficult or may be new to your child. Mine exclaimed in confusion and frustration when reading about the selling of slaves, "But how could people be sold? What does that even mean?!?" At the end of each book is a short (5 pages or so) non-fiction description of the historical era in which each book is set. A nice introduction to historical fiction.
The Year of the ... books by Grace Lin. This well-known semi-autobiographical series by Grace Lin, with the first two books named for a year in the Chinese zodiac, follow Pacy Lin as she struggles with the normal difficulties of growing up and being different. The third (and so far, last) book in the series doesn't follow the naming convention and is Dumpling Days. All three are wonderful.
The Dessert books by Hallie Durand.
The Great Cake Mystery: Precious Ramotswe's Very First Case: A Number 1 Ladies' Detective Agency Book for Young Readers by Alexander McCall Smith. The author of the Number 1 Ladies Detective Agency books has gone back in time and written about his protagonist as a child. This is a gentle, non-scary mystery with an exotic (to us) setting in Africa. So far this is the only book for children but I suspect this prolific author will not stop here!
Stand-alone books that she's read include:
The Pepins and their Problems by Polly Horvath.
A Necklace of Raindrops by Joan Aiken.
What has your child been reading?
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