June 2017 - EASTERN OREGON PARENT - 15
A doll’s journey, from Barbie to ... American Boy?
through World War Two, the Revo-
Logan Everette, a young drum-
Pendleton Public Library sought
American Girl donations for its own
lutionary War, and the Progressive
mer growing up in Tennessee, will
Era. American Girl has since ex-
run doll buyers the standard $115;
collection. Since 2014, Pendleton
panded to feature dolls
has acquired six historical
from a growing variety
fiction American Girl dolls.
of time periods. Each
Each one was donated by
either a generous indi-
doll comes with a book
vidual or an organization
introducing the new
here in town. The dolls
character and is fol-
can be checked out for a
lowed up by several ad-
week at a time and have
ditional titles. Whereas
been hugely popular.
Barbie helps to teach
When Logan Everette
young girls what they
was announced this past
can grow to be, Ameri-
February, the library felt
can Girl aims to show
a strong responsibility to
young women what
add Logan to its grow-
they can achieve in the
ing collection of non-
here and now, while
traditional check-outs.
simultaneously teach-
ing them about the
Often the circulation desk
receives requests for male
experience of young
dolls, a request the library
Americans. American
Girl has tackled the
had not been able to fill
plight of immigrants,
in the past. In addition to
Kennedy Alvarado (left) plays with the new Logan doll
Native Americans, those and her sister Lydia helps American Girl Cecile toast a
receiving requests for a
surrounded by and af-
boy they often encounter
marshmallow in the library’s National Parks room.
young boys who wish to
fected by slavery, and
check out a doll but are too shy to
he was the result of years of re-
much more.
ask for a girl doll. Now that Logan
Recently, American Girl has shift- quests from parents and children
has arrived (courtesy of another
alike. Girls have long wanted a boy
ed their focus from solely creating
generous donor) it is the library’s
historical fiction dolls. Now, Ameri- to round out their collection and
hope that both boys and girls alike
boys have long sought a doll that
can Girl releases an annual doll-of-
will feel comfortable checking him
the-year with her own unique story reflects them. The company has
that is easily relatable to nine-year- yet to say whether or not more boy out.
Are you wondering how Barbie
dolls will be released or whether
old girls today. The girl-of-the-year
boys will begin to play a larger role
stories have focused on bullying,
is holding up with all these changes
in the company’s historical fic-
to toy consumers’ expectations?
achieving your goals, overcoming
I’d say she’s doing pretty well. After
tion line. Either way, Logan marks
obstacles such as stuttering and
all, Mattel purchased American Girl
a transition in which girls are no
embracing individuality.
longer seen as the only consumers
in 1998 and is responsible for the
Although the company has
addition of the contemporary doll
grown by leaps and bounds both in of dolls.
Several years ago a New York
line including our new friend, Logan
sales and content since its origin,
Everette.
2017 will serve as a pioneering year library began circulating an Ameri-
for American Girl. A male American can Girl Doll as part of their collec-
________
Girl doll, who plays a central role in tion. Borrowers of the doll would
spend a week with her and return
the newest girl-of-the-year story-
Jennifer Costley is assistant director
her with a letter about their time
line, will finally be available for
and youth services librarian at the
purchase.
together. Inspired by this idea, the
Pendleton Public Library.
Photo credit: Jennifer Costley
By JENNIFER COSTLEY
By 1986, Barbie had been the
doll of choice for little girls all over
America for more than 25 years.
Barbie’s creator, Ruth Handler,
created the doll when she noticed
her young daughter preferred to
give her toys adult roles when she
played with them. Part of Barbie’s
success was due to the fact that up
until her invention dolls typically
depicted little girls. It didn’t exactly
stretch the imagination when play
options were limited to give your
dolly a bottle or change your dolly’s
diaper. Handler, however, flipped
the script when she introduced the
first Barbie doll whose body was
meant to emulate the American
teenage girl; aptly, Barbie’s first ca-
reer was “teenage fashion model.”
Barbie has come along way since
her fashion model days. Although
the doll still draws sharp criti-
cism for glorifying an unrealistic
body image, it’s hard to deny the
positive impact Barbie has had on
young girls career aspirations. In
the past 68 years Barbie has held
130 careers ranging from model to
astronaut to first female president.
Although Barbie has served as a
positive role model for young wom-
en, the company has yet to achieve
the same goal with young men.
Sure, there are male Barbie dolls
but up until this point they have pri-
marily served as accessories.
In 1986, a new series of dolls hit
the toy scene. The American Girl
Company chose to go an alternate
route than Barbie, featuring dolls
modeled after nine-year-old girls
from prominent time periods in
American history. The first three
dolls — Samantha, Molly and
Kirsten — represented the life and
experiences of young girls living