American Girl Doll News

(sings) Doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, Dora! (static icon) We interrupt Dora the Explorer for this special announcement. Today, American Girl will be revealing a huge announcement about Maryellen! People are speculating that it will be her being released at the Scottsdale store early, because @agupdatenews on Instagram posted photos of Maryellen’s display covered by a pink blanket and a bare shelf. I don’t think so, cause she is scheduled for August 27th for a reason. We will find out soon, and while you wait for the announcement, feel free to change the channel, go on our super fun Polls section (we will be debuting new ones today!), submit your entry for the GOTY 2019 contest, sign one of our petitions, or request a dream doll! Now, back to Dora! -Shelly (static) (singing) Dora, Dora, Dora, the explorer! 2 HOURS, 13 MINUTES AND 32 SECONDS LATER Martha Speaks! (static) Sorry for the interruption, but we interrupt Martha Speaks (even though it’s a great show) to tell you… THE ANNOUNCEMENT HAS BEEN MADE! Maryellen (the doll) made her public eye debut at Ellen’s Stardust Diner in New York City. WOOP! Now, back to the show.

Maryellen's Hairstyling Set- $20 Maryellen's Pajamas- $24 Maryellen's Diner- $275 Maryellen's Poodle Skirt Outfit- $36 Maryellen's Birthday Dress- $34 Maryellen's Ice Skating Outfit- $36 Maryellen's Play Outfit- $24 Maryellen's School Dress- $32 Maryellen's Ice Skating Accessories- $24 Maryellen Doll and Book- $115 Maryellen's Accessories- $24 Maryellen's TV Console- $85 Maryellen's Classroom Set- $40 Maryellen's Sofa Bed- $150 Maryellen's Jukebox- $90 Maryellen's Dog, Scooter- $22 Maryellen's Living Room Set- $58 Poodle Dress for Girls- price unknown Flower Print PJs for Girls Striped Dress for Girls Maryellen's Crinoline

I am reposting some of the questions from Olivia Rodrigo’s Q&A last night. (F is Fan and O is Olivia) F: Do you think you’ll have more acting roles in the future? O: Hopefully! If it’s meant to be, then it’s meant to be. As long as I’m having fun! F: How did you make all those cupcakes at the baseball game scene? O: I didn’t actually make them! A local bakery made them for us and they were really yummy! F: How did you get into acting? O: I started out as a singer first, and my singing coach suggested I take acting classes, and I fell in love with it! F: What BeForever doll is your favorite? O: Probably Kit. I love her story! F: Was the Cookie/Macoroons Tower real? O: Yes! It was real and it was really big! F: What was the funniest scene to film? O: The spy scene when we got to be in trench coats! F: What is your favorite song from the soundtrack? O: My favorite song was “We are the Girls” it has such a great message! It’s very inspiring. F: Grace is a very organized girl who likes to make lists. Are you organized like her? O: I actually am not. I wish I was like that. My room is always messy and I never make lists! These are not all of the questions! These are actually my favorites. If you want to see all of them, go to this website: facebook.com/americangirl

found tons of Maryellen news on a file that @agupdatenews on Instagram shared. You can go to her Instagram page and read the character descriptions there, but here is the historical overview! Historical Overview A Paradoxical Time The 1950s are commonly perceived as an simpler time and as a golden age of peace and prosperity. The U.S. emerged after WW2 as a world power, and technology promised to make life better for everyone. The mass production of goods, the growth of suburbs full of tidy new homes, and images of American family life carefully crafted and widely purveyed by media and advertisements—all sent messages of conformity. But the 1950s were paradoxical: The new technology that brought amenities like household appliances also brought social changes and even fear (e.g. the atomic bomb and the Cold War). Television sitcoms promoted images of clean-cut, happy families, but the nightly news brought different images of the wide, complicated world into people’s living rooms. The new interstate highways let families “See the U.S.A. in your Chevrolet” and see how they were like other Americans—but they could see how they were different from other people, too. Despite the powerful media messages of conformity, anyone who was paying attention could see that these did not always reflect reality or tell the truth. Optimism, Confidence, and Middle Class Prosperity The 1950s were years of peace, prosperity, promise, and exuberant growth. The Great Depression and World War Two were over, the U.S. was the most powerful nation in the world, and the economy was booming. Families were booming, too, and big families like Maryellen’s were not unusual. In fact, so many children were born that the period became known as the “Baby Boom” (officially, 1946-1964). Jobs were plentiful as industries switched from making wartime products to making goods for families to buy. Homeowners like the Larkins were proud of their new appliances and modern conveniences, and neighbors would often gather to admire big new purchases such as cars and televisions. Many former soldiers went to college on the G.I. Bill, and more young women began attending college than ever before, much like Joan and Jerry in the stories. All of these trends created rapid growth of a prosperous and confident middle class. Middleclass children like Maryellen had comfortable lives, with more opportunities for education, good health, and entertainment than any previous generation of children. Story Themes Suburbia Brand new neighborhoods full of homes, each with a yard and driveway, popped up all over America to house the millions of growing families. It was faster and cheaper for a builder to build the same house over and over, so many suburbs had identical homes, as in Maryellen’s neighborhood of The Palms. The rise of suburbia was seen most dramatically in the sunbelt, where land was relatively cheap, and by the mid-50s, Florida’s population was growing faster than any other state because of the rapid growth of its suburbs, including Maryellen’s hometown of Daytona Beach. Television Although television had been invented before WWII, it was little more than a scientific curiosity sometimes exhibited at fairs, and there were no broadcast networks or programs to watch. After the war, as manufacturers began pumping out consumer goods, televisions began to be manufactured for home use and network programming began, along with TV advertising, which paid for the shows. By the mid-50s, many families had a set in their living room, where they would gather to watch popular comedies such as I Love Lucy, Westerns such as The Lone Ranger, and variety shows such as The Ed Sullivan Show. The shows were all in black and white, and only a few channels were available, so most people saw the same news shows, programs, and advertisements. This gave newscasters and advertisers great power to shape the public’s view of life, which they didn’t always depict accurately. For example, women were usually shown as housewives even though millions of women worked outside the home. And except for a few Indians in Westerns, almost everyone on TV was white. These things were also seen in Hollywood movies, but because television was watched daily in people’s homes, it was even more influential in shaping public views. Fitting In vs. Being Different Americans whose lives didn’t match the television version sometimes felt out of step—sort of the way Maryellen felt about Christmas in sunny, sandy Florida. Advertisers and manufacturers encouraged Americans to fit in by “keeping up with the Joneses” and having cars and appliances that were as nice as their neighbors’, so that people would buy lots of new goods. Even the government encouraged conformity. Although the U.S.A. was not officially at war with Russia, the two countries were deeply suspicious of each other and had a hostile relationship known as the Cold War. People who were suspected of friendly feelings toward Russia could be “black-listed”—fired from their jobs and questioned by the government. When this happened, often their former friends also avoided them and treated them badly. In her stories, Maryellen feels this pressure to conform when she is “black-listed” by her other friends for being friendly with Angela, the Italian girl. Story Themes The Polio Vaccine In 1954, polio was a big deal; families feared it almost as much as the atomic bomb, because the disease usually struck children. It often started like the flu, with a fever, aches, and weakness, but it could last many months and cripple or even kill the patient. There was no cure, so patients were kept in isolation wards, until they recovered. Finally, when the Salk vaccine was announced, the entire nation celebrated. Still, some parents feared that a vaccination, which put a form of the virus into a person’s body, might make their children sick. So doctors and health organizations worked to promote the vaccine, with great success. As a result, the United States has been polio free since 1980. The Space Race The 1950s brought other major scientific advances. In fall 1955, when Maryellen’s flying-machine contest takes place, the U.S. government began a project to launch a rocket into orbit. When Russia launched its own rocket, Sputnik, first, America began pouring money into what became known as the “Space Race.” After several failed attempts, in 1958 a small solar-powered satellite, Vanguard 1, was finally launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida. (Today, it’s the oldest man-made satellite still orbiting the earth!) Car Travel Along with new discoveries in science, Americans were also discovering their country. With the booming economy, more Americans than ever before had cars—and paid vacations. Popular TV shows like Davy Crockett and The Lone Ranger made many families want to see the real “Wild West,” so they began taking long car trips for their vacations, often to Yellowstone and other western parks. Many families bought campers for this purpose. The Airstream trailer, with its streamlined, Space Age look, was one of the most popular and admired brands. Key Settings Daytona Beach, Florida Maryellen lives in a subdivision in Daytona Beach called The Palms, a classic post-war suburb with ranch houses that all look alike. It’s a safe and friendly neighborhood for Maryellen and her friends to play and ride bikes. A few blocks from Maryellen’s house is the beach, and Maryellen often walks there with her siblings and friends. Maryellen’s House Maryellen lives in a yellow one-story ranch house, with a driveway and carport (no garage), and palm trees and a rope-and-board swing in the yard that hangs off the branch of a hardwood tree. The house has only 3 bedrooms, so Maryellen shares a bedroom with her 3 sisters. This arrangement was her idea, and she calls it the All Girls Room. The Georgia Mountains Maryellen’s grandparents live in a modest house up in the mountains a few hours from Atlanta. At Christmas, Maryellen goes to stay with them. The little pond nearby is frozen over, and she gets to realize her dream of ice-skating on it. The Larkins also visit Grandmom and Grandpop at Thanksgiving in Maryellen’s time-travel story, The Sky’s the Limit: My Journey with Maryellen. Road Trips Recreational car trips became very popular in the 1950s, and when Dad brings home an Airstream Trailer, the Larkin family hits the road for the summer, driving north and west, staying at campgrounds, stopping at roadside attractions, and visiting Yellowstone, the Alamo, and other western parks. As they drive, Maryellen loves watching for the funny, rhyming Burma Shave signs along the road! (Taking Off, A Maryellen Classic, Volume 2 and The Sky’s the Limit: My Journey with Maryellen)

First, Maryellen, and now, some of the anniversary minis leaked! Like how they did with their 25th anniversary, they are releasing special minis for 2016, too! The ones that have leaked are Julie in the Mix-Print Maxi Dress, Rebecca in her Holiday Outfit, Addy in her Sunday Best, and Maryellen in an unknown outfit that we will probably find out in August. They will come in a dome like packaging, Picture time!

The full size Maryellen leaked last night! I love her and I want her for Christmas or a random time in the AG Store! Here she is! 1,2,3!

A filmmaking contest website, Tongal, has some information on Maryellen. Her intrests: Television (watching and acting out shows), science (the invention of the polio vaccine, building a flying machine for the science contest), drawing and sketching. Her personality: Inventive, one of a kind, carefree. Her positioning (whatever that is): A girl who learns to stand out and be her own person and a girl who lets her ambitions soar, and doesn’t let setbacks stop her. Bio: Nine year old Maryellen Larkin longs to stand out, but her great ideas don’t always work out the way she hoped. When she draws a cartoon of her teacher on the first day of fourth grade, she also draws unwanted attention —and realizes that sometimes standing out is worse than not being noticed at all! Her drawing talents help her make a new friend, but now she has to find a way to make her old friends overcome their prejudice. Later on, when some boys dismiss her ideas for the science contest just because she is a girl, Maryellen learns how important it is to be true to yourself . Maryellen’s stories are driven by her desire to make a difference. She must learn when to push the boundaries and when to stick with the tried and true— and it’s important to look beneath the surface to know what really matters. Marketing slogans: I follow my heart instead of the crowd. It’s my time to stand out from the crowd. Cartoonist, rocket scientist, TV-news feature, roller-skater, and mold breaker. And that’s only part of her story. My friends call me the One and Only. There’s no one quite like me in the whole wide world. So, what do you think about her? Go to the polls page to vote. Beth

So it turns out that I stumbled on a red herring, because GOTY 2016’s meet outfit leaked and the ego tag said… LEA CLARK! So Lea is Girl of the Year 2016’s name! You may be thinking, “But American Girl didn’t trademark Lea!” Turns out, Mattel hid it under Barbie this year so people could be stumped. At least we know that for next year! “Fustrated” Grace

She is going to probably be a Josefina mold, because her face looks more like Rebecca’s mini than Kit’s. As for molds, this is all SPECULATION, but this is probably going to be Lea’s mini! Yay! Grace

Turns out the rumors about another animal lover are debunked because we have details about GOTY 2016’s movie! Her codename (not her real name) is Gemma! It can be a code name for Gabriella or Harmony Ellington. In audition videos, the three girls auditioning for the part of Gemma look like this: Lillie Imm- brown hair, blue eyes Avery Hayes- brown hair, blue eyes, freckles Anna Smith- blonde hair, blue eyes It is probable that she will have blue eyes, but if Lillie or Avery get picked, they’d probably dye their hair another color because I have brown hair and blue eyes. And you can’t have the same features two years in a row! Here’s the plot: Gemma goes on an enterprise/excursion with her family and Zack who is currently meeting expectations in Africa (south). He has a side occupation which is to find infringement by associations that are disturbing common sources and nature. He keeps this side employment a mystery for reasons unknown and just tells Gemma. His principle employment is helping creatures. Zack has new sweetheart named “Paula” and is making Gemma feel like the unnecessary extra person wheel and envious in light of the fact that he’s not paying consideration on her any longer and she’s not by any means the only young lady in his life. Gemma is managing more seasoned kin disregard and all the progressions that happen when the couple begins to quit fooling around. Things go down slope much further when her sibling just vanishes with no tracks abandoned and all Gemma knows is about his side occupation. The inquiry is will she educate everybody concerning his side employment or will she keep it to her self? That’s all we have so far. Soon, I will post another game of Guess The Fake because now people will probably pretend to leak Gemma and create fake GOTYs to remind people that Gemma might not be real (and she is 50 percent!) UPDATE (JUNE 15, 2015) So those people who auditioned probably didn’t look at the description because American Girl is looking for girls with MIXED HERITAGE to play Gemma! Ooh, will that mean the first non-white GOTY since Kanani? Here are the character descriptions for Gemma and “Aki: Gemma Clark (Clark is probably going to be GOTY’s real last name because Blanche Palmer- Isabelle Palmer): A very pretty, bold, resourceful and dramatic 10-year-old girl with mixed heritage, who is still exhilarated by her first trip to Africa a few months ago—and now she’s returning on a mission to find her missing brother. She’s a writer with a sharp eye for details, which comes in handy on her search. She is not entirely fearless, but does not let her fears stop her either. Aki: A 10-year-old indigenous girl with light brown to dark brown skin, who helps Gemma in her quest. She is curious and playful with a bright smile yet also athletic and strong. She speaks her native tongue and self-taught English.

I found some new outfits that will probably be released with ethier July, Maryellen or Holiday. Our source was the Instagram account agupdatenews. Kaya will get a new dress This is an ice skating outfit for a BeForever (probably Maryellen) This is a BeForever outfit (probably for Maryellen) There is a Bitty Baby holiday outfit and an accessory set for Grace also, but I’m busy today and won’t post them until Tuesday though. Isabelle

Since there was barely anything new on Thursday, I’m assuming that wasn’t the real summer release. But I dug up some details about the real summer release. June 19 is the day it will happen, as revealed in a news story featuring American Girl. Here’s all the things that I know will come out (sources probability, Amazon and the Terms of Use for the Truly Me contest) I’ll update when more leaks come in. BeForever Grace Activity book called Baking with Grace The outfit from the 3rd book cover A sightseeing accessory set A hairstyling set A few T-shirts and accessories for girls Truly Me New school desk New science fair set Lunch set Recess outfit (plus matching one for girls) Sport bench New basketball outfit Dinner set Sweater outfit (plus matching one for girls) Extras collection (double braided headband, hairstyle tools, socks and leggings set, beanie) Are you excited? Chrissa