Playing with America's Doll

This critical account of the American Girl brand explores what its books and dolls communicate to girls about femininity, racial identity, ethnicity, and what it means to be an American. Emilie Zaslow begins by tracing the development of American Girl and situates the companys growth and popularity in a social history of girl power media culture. She then weaves analyses of the collections narrative and material representations with qualitative research on mothers and girls. Examining the dolls with both a critical eye and a fans curiosity, Zaslow raises questions about the values espoused by this iconic American brand.