[Mary-Beth]

Can anyone tell me about the American Girl series?<br><br>
Are they good, quality books? Do they give a lot of info. on the time period they are set in? Are the girls depicted in a positive way?<br><br>
I had a friend tell me about them...and wanted to know what you all think of them.<br>
Something about the way they are marketed is turning me off...but I know I can take what I like and leave the rest too.<br><br>
Thanks!!

 

[poisonedpenny]

I read these as a kid and remember liking them a whole lot, however I don't remember very much more about them. I know they're considered historical fiction, and I remember some of the girl's names. I know that they now make way more of a marketing deal about the dolls and the clothes now, just because I saw an episode of Jon and Kate +8 that featured the two oldest going to some sort of American Girls "show" and they ate a meal at the place the show was held where the dolls actually got their own seat.

 

[LilyGrace]

To answer all your questions - yes. The books are very well put together, with a section in the back for more information on the time period/subject. The girls are shown very positively, with issues ranging from war to bilingualism to child labor as themes for the books. There's also supplements such as craft and cooking books, small plays, and books just about the time period.<br><br>
I highly recommend checking out one or two from the library or thumbing through one at the book store to see if it's something you would like. I grew up with these books (well, the first three were all we had) and fell in love with them as a 3rd grader.

 

[SagMom]

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<div>Originally Posted by <strong>Mary-Beth</strong> <a href="/community/forum/post/10173551"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/community/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style="border:0px solid;"></a></div>
<div style="font-style:italic;">Can anyone tell me about the American Girl series?<br><br>
Are they good, quality books? Do they give a lot of info. on the time period they are set in? Are the girls depicted in a positive way?<br><br>
I had a friend tell me about them...and wanted to know what you all think of them.<br>
Something about the way they are marketed is turning me off...but I know I can take what I like and leave the rest too.<br><br>
Thanks!!</div>
</td>
</tr></table></div>
My dd loved them until she was about 11 y/o. The chapter books are historical fiction, but the stories deal with challenges that pre-teen girls can relate to. She says the main characters are "wholesome" and depicted as role models.<br><br>
There are other books from American Girl besides the novels--a non-fiction series on friendship, manners, money management, games, crafts, etc. These don't have the historical aspect.<br><br>
And there is a series where each book is titled, "Welcome to ______'s World." These are set up like DK books, with lots of pictures and photos and smaller blurbs of non-fiction writing describing a particular time period.<br><br>
There may be more collections by now--I'm sure I don't remember them all.

 

[Mary-Beth]

I didn't realize these had been around long enough that any of you would have read them as a kid.<br>
I will see if my library has any. We live in an rural area, but hopefully they will.

 

[dharmamama]

All three of my kids (ages 4, 5, and 13) love American Girl. I think that they deal well with the issues that the books present: slavery, the Depression, the Revolutionary War, etc. They are optimistic books but they delve into real feelings. I feel good about my kids reading them. And I tend to be fairly critical about things.<br><br>
dm

 

[UnschoolnMa]

My Dd (now 14) has really enjoyed the AG books she's read. She's always been a fan of that kind of fiction. <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/smile.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="smile">

 

[UUMom]

I've had tremendous luck at yards sales, thirft stores, and Saver's for these types of books. I would check your local Craigslist as well; put in a request, and do a Freecycle inquiry as well. They are very-popular and, I've found, easy to come by cheaply.<br><br>
If your library does not have them (although I bet they will have some), you could ask about Inter-library Loan.

 

[rachelmarie]

I loved AG books when I was young. I read all the ones they had out then (this was in the early 90s - I'm 25 now). They're very popular so I'd imagine your library has at least some of them.<br><br>
As a child, I remember being totally interested in the time period I was reading about and wanting to learn more - so I did. <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/smile.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="smile">

 

[AnnR33]

Even though all the stories are historical fiction they have some accurate historical facts in them.<br>
As a supplement to each series they have a "Welcome to x's world" like this:<br><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325&tag=motheringhud-20&location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FWelcome-Samanthas-World-1904-Americas-Collection%2Fdp%2F1562477722%2Fref%3Dpd_sim_b_img_12" target="_blank">http://www.amazon.com/Welcome-Samant...d_sim_b_img_12</a><br><br>
These books have all types of things from that time period from food to clothing to inventions. They also have maps and pictures of important places/people/buildings. They are a great addition to the series.<br><br>
They are a really nice intro to history.

 

[Mary-Beth]

Thanks for all the replies. Sounds like a series we will look into.<br>
I will check our library or craigs list as recommended.<br>
Thanks!!