American Girls: Recent Episodes

American Girls

The series you loved, book by book. Join Allison Horrocks and Mary Mahoney as they explore the wild world of American Girl fandom. In each episode, Allison and Mary will dive into an American Girl book from their (and perhaps your) childhood. Using their knowledge as professional historians and finely tuned instincts as amateur pop culture critics, they’ll take you back to a very different time—the 1990s.

For our final episode, we took some twinspiration from the newest historical AGs: Isabel and Nicki Hoffman. When we meet Isabel, she is trying to perfect her Spice Girls choreography in time for a performance on New Year's Eve. Nicki, on the other hand, is learning how to make zines and skateboarding around Seattle. Both girls are struggling with sharing a bedroom, defining Girl Power, and the threat of a Y2K meltdown. We talk about twin tropes, our own pop culture memories from 1999, and the portrayal of Seattle in the book Finally, we wrap up by answering listener questions (Does Mary still miss Nan? What are our favorite house museums? Best part of doing the podcast?) and sign off one last time.

Thank you to all of our listeners! We so appreciate all of you, and the community we've made together. Thank you for being a friend!

Resources:

You can find episodes, resources, and a link to our merch store and patreon on our website: dollsofourlivespod.com

Order our book: Dolls of Our Lives: Why We Can't Quit American Girl

Order our audiobook: Dolls of Our Lives: Why We Can’t Quit American Girl (Digital Audio)

You can subscribe to Mary's newsletter, Landline, here: https://marymmahoney.substack.com/

Check out books we mention at our bookshop.org storefront.

We love to hear from you! Drop us a line dollsofourlivespod@gmail.com

Follow us on social media:

Instagram -@dollsofourlivespodcast

Twitter - @dollslivespod

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/DollsOfOurLivesPod/

Follow Allison on Twitter and Instagram @allisonhorrocks

Follow Mary @mimimahoney (Instagram) or @marymahoney123 (Twitter)

Need a source of calm in your day? Listeners will get a free audiobook when you start a new monthly Libro.fm membership for $14.99 a month. You'll get two audiobooks for the price of one in your first month as a member. Valid in the US and Canada.Subscribe to Libro FM! Choose from over 150,000 audiobooks and even support your local bookstore with your purchases as a member. To sign up, use code DOLLS or this link: https://tidd.ly/3EwqiF5

It's 1986, and Courtney Moore's summer break is off to a great start. After participating in Hands Across America, she's ready to hit the arcade, read her American Girl catalogue, and make new friends, including a boy named Isaac. But Courtney faces unexpected challenges when she hits the books that fall. When others learn that Isaac is HIV positive, he is forced to leave Courtney's school. For this episode, we brought in an expert to talk about Courtney's ensuing public health campaign and what someone her age would have known about the HIV crisis in the mid-1980s. Our special guest Myrna Moretti, a PhD Candidate at Northwestern University, also gave us great insight into how Courtney consumes technology, '80s arcade culture, and the real queer-led activist movement that fought for a cure for HIV/AIDS.

Special Note: As we shared in the introduction, we have decided to end the show after covering "Meet Isabel and Nicki" on our next episode. We are so grateful for five wonderful years with this amazing community of listeners! We will keep the Discord community active and hope it continues to thrive (we love being part of it ourselves!) and will not produce a Patreon episode in April.

We will be recording the final episode soon and would love to share your messages and answer a few questions. You can share messages and questions with us here: https://forms.gle/uzDk7A9DpScA5RvK8

We will also post on Instagram to collect messages and questions there.

Thank you again for enriching our lives, and this show, beyond measure.

Resources:

Here is a lecture by Dr. Cait McKinney referenced by our guest, Myrna: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHjXxV16So8&t=2006s

You can find episodes, resources, and a link to our merch store on our website: dollsofourlivespod.com

Order our book: Dolls of Our Lives: Why We Can't Quit American Girl

Order our audiobook: Dolls of Our Lives: Why We Can’t Quit American Girl (Digital Audio)

Check out books we mention at our bookshop.org storefront.

We love to hear from you! Drop us a line dollsofourlivespod@gmail.com

Follow us on social media:

Instagram -@dollsofourlivespodcast

Twitter - @dollslivespod

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/DollsOfOurLivesPod/

Follow Allison on Twitter and Instagram @allisonhorrocks

Follow Mary @mimimahoney (Instagram) or @marymahoney123 (Twitter)

You can subscribe to Mary's newsletter Landline here: https://marymmahoney.substack.com/

Need a source of calm in your day? Listeners will get a free audiobook when you start a new monthly Libro.fm membership for $14.99 a month. You'll get two audiobooks for the price of one in your first month as a member. Valid in the US and Canada.Subscribe to Libro FM! Choose from over 150,000 audiobooks and even support your local bookstore with your purchases as a member. To sign up, use code DOLLS or this link: https://tidd.ly/3EwqiF5

Join us as we travel back in time to our first episode! We’ll be back on April 1 with the second Courtney book (and a special guest!) Until then, enjoy younger versions of us when we were still learning how to podcast (but had timeless takes on Justin Timberlake).

Subscribe to Mary’s newsletter, Landline, here: https://marymmahoney.substack.com/

You can find episodes, resources, and a link to our merch store and patreon on our website: dollsofourlivespod.com

Support us on Patreon: patreon.com/dollsofourlivespod

Order our book: Dolls of Our Lives: Why We Can't Quit American Girl

Order our audiobook: Dolls of Our Lives: Why We Can’t Quit American Girl (Digital Audio)

Check out books we mention at our bookshop.org storefront.

We love to hear from you! Drop us a line dollsofourlivespod@gmail.com

Follow us on social media:

Instagram -@dollsofourlivespodcast

Twitter - @dollslivespod

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/DollsOfOurLivesPod/

Follow Allison on Twitter and Instagram @allisonhorrocks

Follow Mary @mimimahoney (Instagram) or @marymahoney123 (Twitter)

Need a source of calm in your day? Listeners will get a free audiobook when you start a new monthly Libro.fm membership for $14.99 a month. You'll get two audiobooks for the price of one in your first month as a member. Valid in the US and Canada.Subscribe to Libro FM! Choose from over 150,000 audiobooks and even support your local bookstore with your purchases as a member. To sign up, use code DOLLS or this link: https://tidd.ly/3EwqiF5

Do you think of yourself as part of history? What about the Care Bears and Ms. Pac-Man? When American Girl first revealed that there would be a new historical character set in 1986, we were in shock. Having recovered from that surprise, we were delighted to meet the young person behind the bop "Hey Courtney." Through Courtney Changes the Game, we meet Courtney Moore, a nine-year-old living in California who loves gaming, space travel, and recycling. We discuss Courtney's family dynamics, presidential history in the book, and the shock of the Challenger explosion in early 1986.

Resources:

You can find episodes, resources, and a link to our merch store and patreon on our website: dollsofourlivespod.com

Support us on Patreon: patreon.com/dollsofourlivespod

Order our book: Dolls of Our Lives: Why We Can't Quit American Girl

Order our audiobook: Dolls of Our Lives: Why We Can’t Quit American Girl (Digital Audio)

Check out books we mention at our bookshop.org storefront.

We love to hear from you! Drop us a line dollsofourlivespod@gmail.com

Follow us on social media:

Instagram -@dollsofourlivespodcast

Twitter - @dollslivespod

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/DollsOfOurLivesPod/

Follow Allison on Twitter and Instagram @allisonhorrocks

Follow Mary @mimimahoney (Instagram) or @marymahoney123 (Twitter)

Need a source of calm in your day? Listeners will get a free audiobook when you start a new monthly Libro.fm membership for $14.99 a month. You'll get two audiobooks for the price of one in your first month as a member. Valid in the US and Canada.Subscribe to Libro FM! Choose from over 150,000 audiobooks and even support your local bookstore with your purchases as a member. To sign up, use code DOLLS or this link: https://tidd.ly/3EwqiF5

It's time for another American Girl road trip! In the second Claudie book, Brit Bennett takes us from Claudie's neighborhood in Harlem to her grandmother's house in Shellman, Georgia. Along the way, Claudie learns that there are different "rules" about living in the South and the North. She also sees a new side of her mother, an investigative journalist inspired by Ida B. Wells-Barnett. When Claudie returns to Harlem, she takes one of her grandmother's stories with her and offers an uplifting finale at the boardinghouse benefit concert. We discuss both of Claudie’s worlds and a bit about what’s happening in ours.

Time Stamps:

Resources:

You can find episodes, resources, and a link to our merch store and patreon on our website: dollsofourlivespod.com

Support us on Patreon: patreon.com/dollsofourlivespod

Order our book: Dolls of Our Lives: Why We Can't Quit American Girl

Order our audiobook: Dolls of Our Lives: Why We Can’t Quit American Girl (Digital Audio)

Check out books we mention at our bookshop.org storefront.

We love to hear from you! Drop us a line dollsofourlivespod@gmail.com

Follow us on social media:

Instagram -@dollsofourlivespodcast

Twitter - @dollslivespod

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/DollsOfOurLivesPod/

Follow Allison on Twitter and Instagram @allisonhorrocks

Follow Mary @mimimahoney (Instagram) or @marymahoney123 (Twitter)

Subscribe to Landline, Mary's newsletter!

Need a source of calm in your day? Listeners will get a free audiobook when you start a new monthly Libro.fm membership for $14.99 a month. You'll get two audiobooks for the price of one in your first month as a member. Valid in the US and Canada.Subscribe to Libro FM! Choose from over 150,000 audiobooks and even support your local bookstore with your purchases as a member. To sign up, use code DOLLS or this link: https://tidd.ly/3EwqiF5

To round out our Julie coverage, we read something we think she would love: Matt Tavares’s Hoops. This graphic novel (based on a true story) follows an Indiana girls’ basketball team’s first season post-Title IX. We discuss the characters’ activism on and off the courts--and the ways that sexism persists in sports today. This episode also includes a recap of the Julie videos, her days as a baller, and of course, our overall take on the Julie series.

Resources:

You can find episodes, resources, and a link to our merch store and patreon on our website: dollsofourlivespod.com

Support us on Patreon: patreon.com/dollsofourlivespod

Order our book: Dolls of Our Lives: Why We Can't Quit American Girl

Order our audiobook: Dolls of Our Lives: Why We Can’t Quit American Girl (Digital Audio)

Check out books we mention at our bookshop.org storefront.

We love to hear from you! Drop us a line dollsofourlivespod@gmail.com

Follow us on social media:

Instagram -@dollsofourlivespodcast

Twitter - @dollslivespod

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/DollsOfOurLivesPod/

Follow Allison on Twitter and Instagram @allisonhorrocks

Follow Mary @mimimahoney (Instagram) or @marymahoney123 (Twitter)

Need a source of calm in your day? Listeners will get a free audiobook when you start a new monthly Libro.fm membership for $14.99 a month. You'll get two audiobooks for the price of one in your first month as a member. Valid in the US and Canada.Subscribe to Libro FM! Choose from over 150,000 audiobooks and even support your local bookstore with your purchases as a member. To sign up, use code DOLLS or this link: https://tidd.ly/3EwqiF5

On this episode, we chat with podcaster and pop culture critic Kate Kennedy. Kate is the author of One in a Millennial, a fresh new take on millennial culture (that also comes out this week). We talk about Kate’s early interest in American Girl and the process of writing her life story (thus far). Kate shares what it's been like to return to her childhood faves and what she’s learned along the way about girlhood and growing up. If you have ~ thoughts ~ On Friendship, Feelings, Fangirls, and Fitting In ~ you will want to get cozy on a 90s daybed and put this episode on a burned CD (via Limewire, somehow) to enjoy Kate's wisdom.

Follow Kate on Instagram:
@kateKennedy
@bethereinfive

Visit her website:
https://bethereinfive.com/about-kate-kennedy

Order One in a Millennial:
https://bookshop.org/a/95526/9781250285126

Resources:

You can find episodes, resources, and a link to our merch store and patreon on our website: dollsofourlivespod.com

Support us on Patreon: patreon.com/dollsofourlivespod

Order our book: Dolls of Our Lives: Why We Can't Quit American Girl

Order our audiobook: Dolls of Our Lives: Why We Can’t Quit American Girl (Digital Audio)

Check out books we mention at our bookshop.org storefront.

We love to hear from you! Drop us a line dollsofourlivespod@gmail.com

Follow us on social media:

Instagram -@dollsofourlivespodcast

Twitter - @dollslivespod

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/DollsOfOurLivesPod/

Follow Allison on Twitter and Instagram @allisonhorrocks

Follow Mary @mimimahoney (Instagram) or @marymahoney123 (Twitter)

Need a source of calm in your day? Listeners will get a free audiobook when you start a new monthly Libro.fm membership for $14.99 a month. You'll get two audiobooks for the price of one in your first month as a member. Valid in the US and Canada.Subscribe to Libro FM! Choose from over 150,000 audiobooks and even support your local bookstore with your purchases as a member. To sign up, use code DOLLS or this link: https://tidd.ly/3EwqiF5

Happy 2024! While we take a break this week, we’re sharing a patreon ep from November where we answered patron questions about our book! Our patreon is a fun space where we share an extra listener-inspired episode per month, and offer access to our active discord community!

Thanks to everyone who has bought, read, and shared our book! We love hearing from you and seeing your posts about it. Thanks for all of your support! We so appreciate this community!

Resources:

You can find episodes, resources, and a link to our merch store and patreon on our website: dollsofourlivespod.com

Support us on Patreon: patreon.com/dollsofourlivespod

Order our book: Dolls of Our Lives: Why We Can't Quit American Girl

Order our audiobook: Dolls of Our Lives: Why We Can’t Quit American Girl (Digital Audio)

Check out books we mention at our bookshop.org storefront.

We love to hear from you! Drop us a line dollsofourlivespod@gmail.com

Follow us on social media:

Instagram -@dollsofourlivespodcast

Twitter - @dollslivespod

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/DollsOfOurLivesPod/

Follow Allison on Twitter and Instagram @allisonhorrocks

Follow Mary @mimimahoney (Instagram) or @marymahoney123 (Twitter)

Need a source of calm in your day? Listeners will get a free audiobook when you start a new monthly Libro.fm membership for $14.99 a month. You'll get two audiobooks for the price of one in your first month as a member. Valid in the US and Canada.Subscribe to Libro FM! Choose from over 150,000 audiobooks and even support your local bookstore with your purchases as a member. To sign up, use code DOLLS or this link: https://tidd.ly/3EwqiF5

We've already been through a lot with Julie Albright--but when a book promises a disco dance, we are in for the ride (and a mystery). In this episode, we travel with Julie to Chinatown and learn how to solve a crime after dinnertime. While reeling from roommate news and the discovery of a puzzling note, Julie has enough on her plate when she decides to visit The Happy Panda, Ivy's family's restaurant. Following a great meal, the plot thickens when Julie and Ivy's beloved dolls go missing. Never one to ignore an injustice, Julie is inspired to launch an investigation. Both Julie and Ivy get more than they have bargained for, however, when they decide to also track down Ivy's grandmother's long lost friend. This book includes an extensive plotline about "paper daughters" and the process of detention at Angel Island in California. We discuss Julie's mystery solving skills, the story of Chinese immigration around San Francisco, and of course, the culminating event of the book, a Valentine's day disco dance.

Resources:

Check out the great resources from the Angel Island Immigration Station Foundation site here: https://www.aiisf.org/virtualgallery

You can find episodes, resources, and a link to our merch store and patreon on our website: dollsofourlivespod.com

Support us on Patreon: patreon.com/dollsofourlivespod

Order book: Dolls of Our Lives: Why We Can't Quit American Girl

Order our audiobook: Dolls of Our Lives: Why We Can’t Quit American Girl (Digital Audio)

Check out books we mention at our bookshop.org storefront.

We love to hear from you! Drop us a line dollsofourlivespod@gmail.com

Follow us on social media:

Instagram -@dollsofourlivespodcast

Twitter - @dollslivespod

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/DollsOfOurLivesPod/

Follow Allison on Twitter and Instagram @allisonhorrocks

Follow Mary @mimimahoney (Instagram) or @marymahoney123 (Twitter)

Need a source of calm in your day? Listeners will get a free audiobook when you start a new monthly Libro.fm membership for $14.99 a month. You'll get two audiobooks for the price of one in your first month as a member. Valid in the US and Canada.Subscribe to Libro FM! Choose from over 150,000 audiobooks and even support your local bookstore with your purchases as a member. To sign up, use code DOLLS or this link: https://tidd.ly/3EwqiF5

Julie Albright knows that few things are fair in fifth grade. Yet, even Julie is shocked to receive detention after passing a note and helping her new friend, Joy, in the classroom. On the heels of a useless afternoon in detention, Julie decides to run for office. While battling a fierce opponent promising time off and pizza parties, Julie also has to learn how to be a good friend and ally to Joy, who is mocked for being deaf. We discuss Julie's various activist streaks across all the books, the prevalent nostalgia for other days (mostly the 1950s) in this book, and representations of disability through the character of Joy.

Resources:

You can find episodes, resources, and a link to our merch store and patreon on our website: dollsofourlivespod.com

Support us on Patreon: patreon.com/dollsofourlivespod

Order our book: Dolls of Our Lives: Why We Can't Quit American Girl

Order our audiobook: Dolls of Our Lives: Why We Can’t Quit American Girl (Digital Audio)

Check out books we mention at our bookshop.org storefront.

We love to hear from you! Drop us a line dollsofourlivespod@gmail.com

Follow us on social media:

Instagram -@dollsofourlivespodcast

Twitter - @dollslivespod

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/DollsOfOurLivesPod/

Follow Allison on Twitter and Instagram @allisonhorrocks

Follow Mary @mimimahoney (Instagram) or @marymahoney123 (Twitter)

Need a source of calm in your day? Listeners will get a free audiobook when you start a new monthly Libro.fm membership for $14.99 a month. You'll get two audiobooks for the price of one in your first month as a member. Valid in the US and Canada.Subscribe to Libro FM! Choose from over 150,000 audiobooks and even support your local bookstore with your purchases as a member. To sign up, use code DOLLS or this link: https://tidd.ly/3EwqiF5

When your country is celebrating its 200th birthday, what kind of party do you throw? In the summer of 1976, Julie Albright wasted no time in getting herself involved in a complex bicentennial celebration. Along with her sister, Julie joins her cousin's family on a covered wagon trip to honor their country and Pony Express- riding- ancestor. On this "journey," Julie gets to meet a number of trinket-selling hucksters---and an elderly man who is descended from a signer of the Constitution. Julie also struggles with wanting to be a horse girl AND has some deep anxiety about being thrown off a horse. Last but maybe least, this book also includes a cameo by President Gerald Ford. We talked about which bicentennial events we would have wanted to attend and plans for the upcoming 250th.

Resources:

You can find episodes, resources, and a link to our merch store and patreon on our website: dollsofourlivespod.com

Support us on Patreon: patreon.com/dollsofourlivespod

Order our book: Dolls of Our Lives: Why We Can't Quit American Girl

Order our audiobook: Dolls of Our Lives: Why We Can’t Quit American Girl (Digital Audio)

Check out books we mention at our bookshop.org storefront.

We love to hear from you! Drop us a line dollsofourlivespod@gmail.com

Follow us on social media:

Instagram -@dollsofourlivespodcast

Twitter - @dollslivespod

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/DollsOfOurLivesPod/

Follow Allison on Twitter and Instagram @allisonhorrocks

Follow Mary @mimimahoney (Instagram) or @marymahoney123 (Twitter)

Need a source of calm in your day? Listeners will get a free audiobook when you start a new monthly Libro.fm membership for $14.99 a month. You'll get two audiobooks for the price of one in your first month as a member. Valid in the US and Canada.Subscribe to Libro FM! Choose from over 150,000 audiobooks and even support your local bookstore with your purchases as a member. To sign up, use code DOLLS or this link: https://tidd.ly/3EwqiF5

Mary Wiseman has played many roles in her life. For years, Mary was a first-person interpreter in the role of Martha Washington at Colonial Williamsburg and Mount Vernon. During her time in Williamsburg, Mary also played an important role in the creation of Felicity Merriman. We talked with Mary about her involvement in Pleasant Rowland's plans for her company, the "birth" of Felicity, and her views on the uses of history. Don't miss this insider's take on the creation of a revolutionary character.

Resources:

You can find episodes, resources, and a link to our merch store and patreon on our website: dollsofourlivespod.com

Support us on Patreon: patreon.com/dollsofourlivespod

You can order our book: Dolls of Our Lives: Why We Can't Quit American Girl

You can order our audiobook: Dolls of Our Lives: Why We Can’t Quit American Girl (Digital Audio)

Check out books we mention at our bookshop.org storefront.

We love to hear from you! Drop us a line dollsofourlivespod@gmail.com

Follow us on social media:

Instagram -@dollsofourlivespodcast

Twitter - @dollslivespod

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/DollsOfOurLivesPod/

Follow Allison on Twitter and Instagram @allisonhorrocks

Follow Mary @mimimahoney (Instagram) or @marymahoney123 (Twitter)

Need a source of calm in your day? Listeners will get a free audiobook when you start a new monthly Libro.fm membership for $14.99 a month. You'll get two audiobooks for the price of one in your first month as a member. Valid in the US and Canada.Subscribe to Libro FM! Choose from over 150,000 audiobooks and even support your local bookstore with your purchases as a member. To sign up, use code DOLLS or this link: https://tidd.ly/3EwqiF5

It’s book release day! To celebrate, we have a bonus episode featuring Kat Dennings. Kat sat down with us to chat about all things American Girl, starting with her early fandom. Tune in for an important millennial pop quiz, discussions of Kat’s AG-inspired fashion choices, and her current favorite things in pop culture.

Resources:

You can find episodes, resources, and a link to our merch store and patreon on our website: dollsofourlivespod.com

Support us on Patreon: patreon.com/dollsofourlivespod

Order our book: Dolls of Our Lives: Why We Can't Quit American Girl

Order our audiobook: Dolls of Our Lives: Why We Can’t Quit American Girl (Digital Audio)

Join us at book events (virtual and in-person in CT, MA, and RI). Find out more here.

Check out books we mention at our bookshop.org storefront.

We love to hear from you! Drop us a line dollsofourlivespod@gmail.com

Follow us on social media:

Instagram -@dollsofourlivespodcast

Twitter - @dollslivespod

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/DollsOfOurLivesPod/

Follow Allison on Twitter and Instagram @allisonhorrocks

Follow Mary @mimimahoney (Instagram) or @marymahoney123 (Twitter)

Need a source of calm in your day? Listeners will get a free audiobook when you start a new monthly Libro.fm membership for $14.99 a month. You'll get two audiobooks for the price of one in your first month as a member. Valid in the US and Canada.Subscribe to Libro FM! Choose from over 150,000 audiobooks and even support your local bookstore with your purchases as a member. To sign up, use code DOLLS or this link: https://tidd.ly/3EwqiF5

For years, @5Hensandacockatiel has been one of the bright lights on AGIG, the community of American Girl creators on Instagram. More recently, the artist behind the handle has gotten her name in American Girl catalogues, and her artwork featured in an AG store. On this episode, we chatted with Sydney Rose Paulson, a long-time AG fan and podcaster who works for/with the brand. Sydney talked about her journey loving American Girl, from childhood play to her current career. Sydney also shared how she manages her collection, how to take a great doll photograph (hint: action!), and her recent experience at a Taylor Swift concert (a story you will definitely want to hear).

Resources:

You can find episodes, resources, and a link to our merch store and patreon on our website: dollsofourlivespod.com

Support us on Patreon: patreon.com/dollsofourlivespod

Pre-order our book: Dolls of Our Lives: Why We Can't Quit American Girl

Pre-order our audiobook: Dolls of Our Lives: Why We Can’t Quit American Girl (Digital Audio)

Check out books we mention at our bookshop.org storefront.

We love to hear from you! Drop us a line dollsofourlivespod@gmail.com

Follow us on social media:

Instagram -@dollsofourlivespodcast

Twitter - @dollslivespod

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/DollsOfOurLivesPod/

Follow Allison on Twitter and Instagram @allisonhorrocks

Follow Mary @mimimahoney (Instagram) or @marymahoney123 (Twitter)

Need a source of calm in your day? Listeners will get a free audiobook when you start a new monthly Libro.fm membership for $14.99 a month. You'll get two audiobooks for the price of one in your first month as a member. Valid in the US and Canada.Subscribe to Libro FM! Choose from over 150,000 audiobooks and even support your local bookstore with your purchases as a member. To sign up, use code DOLLS or this link: https://tidd.ly/3EwqiF5

Julie Albright doesn’t want much for her tenth birthday. All she’s really asking for is $1,000 to save a pair of national treasures—what could go wrong? Book four finds Julie fighting for a new cause after a chance encounter with a hurt animal. This time, Julie wants to see eagles fly again. We discuss her latest campaign, Earth Day, and news on the 2024 Girl of the Year.

Resources:

You can find episodes, resources, and a link to our merch store and patreon on our website: dollsofourlivespod.com

Support us on Patreon: patreon.com/dollsofourlivespod

Join us at our virtual book launch with Margaret Lyons! https://www.eventbrite.com/e/allison-horrocks-and-mary-mahoney-dolls-of-our-lives-tickets-715394683757?aff=oddtdtcreator

Join us at in-person book events! https://dollsofourlivespod.com/join-us-at-book-events

Pre-order our book: Dolls of Our Lives: Why We Can't Quit American Girl

Pre-order our audiobook: Dolls of Our Lives: Why We Can’t Quit American Girl (Digital Audio)

Check out books we mention at our bookshop.org storefront.

We love to hear from you! Drop us a line dollsofourlivespod@gmail.com

Follow us on social media:

Instagram -@dollsofourlivespodcast

Twitter - @dollslivespod

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/DollsOfOurLivesPod/

Follow Allison on Twitter and Instagram @allisonhorrocks

Follow Mary @mimimahoney (Instagram) or @marymahoney123 (Twitter)

Need a source of calm in your day? Listeners will get a free audiobook when you start a new monthly Libro.fm membership for $14.99 a month. You'll get two audiobooks for the price of one in your first month as a member. Valid in the US and Canada.Subscribe to Libro FM! Choose from over 150,000 audiobooks and even support your local bookstore with your purchases as a member. To sign up, use code DOLLS or this link: https://tidd.ly/3EwqiF5

Surprise! It's the winter of 1975 and time for Julie's third story. After a family fight breaks out on Christmas, Julie starts dreaming of a happier new year. With the support of her friend Ivy and the Ling family, Julie gets excited about new traditions. We discuss 1970s Christmas celebrations, the Ford White House, and what in the world is going on with the Albright family's finances.

Episode Resources:

Ford White House Christmas
https://www.mlive.com/news/2017/12/gerald_and_betty_ford_christma.html

Ping Pong Diplomacy
https://diplomacy.state.gov/ping-pong-diplomacy-historic-1971-u-s-table-tennis-trip-to-china/#:~:text=Their%20trip%20was%20the%20start,people%20understanding%20and%20cultural%20exchange

Resources:

You can find episodes, resources, and a link to our merch store and patreon on our website: dollsofourlivespod.com

Support us on Patreon: patreon.com/dollsofourlivespod

Pre-order our book: Dolls of Our Lives: Why We Can't Quit American Girl

Pre-order our audiobook: Dolls of Our Lives: Why We Can’t Quit American Girl (Digital Audio)

Check out books we mention at our bookshop.org storefront.

We love to hear from you! Drop us a line dollsofourlivespod@gmail.com

Follow us on social media:

Instagram -@dollsofourlivespodcast

Twitter - @dollslivespod

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/DollsOfOurLivesPod/

Follow Allison on Twitter and Instagram @allisonhorrocks

Follow Mary @mimimahoney (Instagram) or @marymahoney123 (Twitter)

Need a source of calm in your day? Listeners will get a free audiobook when you start a new monthly Libro.fm membership for $14.99 a month. You'll get two audiobooks for the price of one in your first month as a member. Valid in the US and Canada.Subscribe to Libro FM! Choose from over 150,000 audiobooks and even support your local bookstore with your purchases as a member. To sign up, use code DOLLS or this link: https://tidd.ly/3EwqiF5

What do paranoid presidents and curious children have in common? Both find tape recording devices to be life-changing. In Julie’s second book, she learns a lesson about the power of surveillance and gets dubbed Little Miss Watergate. We follow along as she struggles to write a report on the best and worst things to ever happen in her life. We discuss what Julie does and does not know about current events, her parents’ relationship, and the Peek into the Past on schooling in the 1970s.

Resources:

You can find episodes, resources, and a link to our merch store and patreon on our website: dollsofourlivespod.com

Support us on Patreon: patreon.com/dollsofourlivespod

Pre-order our book: Dolls of Our Lives: Why We Can't Quit American Girl

Pre-order our audiobook: Dolls of Our Lives: Why We Can’t Quit American Girl (Digital Audio)

Check out books we mention at our bookshop.org storefront.

We love to hear from you! Drop us a line dollsofourlivespod@gmail.com

Follow us on social media:

Instagram -@dollsofourlivespodcast

Twitter - @dollslivespod

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/DollsOfOurLivesPod/

Follow Allison on Twitter and Instagram @allisonhorrocks

Follow Mary @mimimahoney (Instagram) or @marymahoney123 (Twitter)

Need a source of calm in your day? Listeners will get a free audiobook when you start a new monthly Libro.fm membership for $14.99 a month. You'll get two audiobooks for the price of one in your first month as a member. Valid in the US and Canada.Subscribe to Libro FM! Choose from over 150,000 audiobooks and even support your local bookstore with your purchases as a member. To sign up, use code DOLLS or this link: https://tidd.ly/3EwqiF5

Julie Albright is going through some CHANGES and we are along for the ride! If you missed the six book format, you’ll be thrilled to dive into Julie’s world with us. In Meet Julie, we are introduced to the Albright family, BFF Ivy, and a coach/villain who rejects Title IX. Throughout this book, Julie has to overcome a number of challenges, including a move, career day, and sexism in middle school sports. We invite you to grab your handbags, gladbags, and other groovy Julie gear to treat yourself with a trip back to the ‘70s.

Resources:

You can find episodes, resources, and a link to our merch store and patreon on our website: dollsofourlivespod.com

Support us on Patreon: patreon.com/dollsofourlivespod

Pre-order our book: Dolls of Our Lives: Why We Can't Quit American Girl

Check out books we mention at our bookshop.org storefront.

We love to hear from you! Drop us a line dollsofourlivespod@gmail.com

Follow us on social media:

Instagram -@dollsofourlivespodcast

Twitter - @dollslivespod

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/DollsOfOurLivesPod/

Follow Allison on Twitter and Instagram @allisonhorrocks

Follow Mary @mimimahoney (Instagram) or @marymahoney123 (Twitter)

Need a source of calm in your day? Listeners will get a free audiobook when you start a new monthly Libro.fm membership for $14.99 a month. You'll get two audiobooks for the price of one in your first month as a member. Valid in the US and Canada.Subscribe to Libro FM! Choose from over 150,000 audiobooks and even support your local bookstore with your purchases as a member. To sign up, use code DOLLS or this link: https://tidd.ly/3EwqiF5

Some journeys start with a dream, or just a favorite doll. Author and public historian Kayla Chenault grew up with American Girl. Kayla's fascination with the 1940s (via Molly) even led her to pursue volunteering and then working at a local historical society. In this episode, Kayla shares her perspective on Melody’s stories and depictions of her hometown, Detroit, Michigan. Tune in for a spooky story about one possibly haunted Molly, a local's perspective on Melody, and a deep dive into the riots of 1967.

To learn more about Kayla's work, follow her on Instagram: @kayla.c.author or visit her website: https://kc-writes.com/

To join us at BPL on Thursday, November 9th: https://bpl.bibliocommons.com/events/64d14e9a591918360006d3f8

Resources:

You can find episodes, resources, and a link to our merch store and patreon on our website: dollsofourlivespod.com

Support us on Patreon: patreon.com/dollsofourlivespod

Pre-order our book: Dolls of Our Lives: Why We Can't Quit American Girl

Check out books we mention at our bookshop.org storefront.

We love to hear from you! Drop us a line dollsofourlivespod@gmail.com

Follow us on social media:

Instagram -@dollsofourlivespodcast

Twitter - @dollslivespod

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/DollsOfOurLivesPod/

Follow Allison on Twitter and Instagram @allisonhorrocks

Follow Mary @mimimahoney (Instagram) or @marymahoney123 (Twitter)

Need a source of calm in your day? Listeners will get a free audiobook when you start a new monthly Libro.fm membership for $14.99 a month. You'll get two audiobooks for the price of one in your first month as a member. Valid in the US and Canada.Subscribe to Libro FM! Choose from over 150,000 audiobooks and even support your local bookstore with your purchases as a member. To sign up, use code DOLLS or this link: https://tidd.ly/3EwqiF5

People say that music has the power to take us anywhere. American Girl took that literally with the third Melody book, Music in My Heart. In this choose-your-own adventure novel, we follow a protagonist as she goes back in time and navigates Melody's world. This forces us to decide whether we'd rather make music with Melody's brother or learn about the Civil Rights movement alongside her sister. With more than a dozen options for read-throughs, this book has something for everyone, including a Rosa Parks cameo. We discuss this genre of book, the choices we made in our journey with Melody, and our viewings of the Barbie movie.

Resources we reference:

Leslie Jamison. “The Enduring Allure of Choose Your Own Adventure Books.” The New Yorker. The New Yorker, September 12, 2022. https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2022/09/19/the-enduring-allure-of-choose-your-own-adventure-books.

‌

‌Beyonce's Assistant Choose-Your-Own Adventure Game by Landon: https://twitter.com/CORNYASSBITCH/status/1142592498730061824?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1142592498730061824%7Ctwgr%5Eefe00af6e1d134b64b50971351d4c8d6ced087d9%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fjunkee.com%2Fbeyonce-assistant-choose-adventure-game%2F210734

Show Resources:

You can find episodes, resources, and a link to our merch store and patreon on our website: dollsofourlivespod.com

Support us on Patreon: patreon.com/dollsofourlivespod

Pre-order our book: Dolls of Our Lives: Why We Can't Quit American Girl

Check out books we mention at our bookshop.org storefront.

We love to hear from you! Drop us a line dollsofourlivespod@gmail.com

Follow us on social media:

Instagram -@dollsofourlivespodcast

Twitter - @dollslivespod

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/DollsOfOurLivesPod/

Follow Allison on Twitter and Instagram @allisonhorrocks

Follow Mary @mimimahoney (Instagram) or @marymahoney123 (Twitter)

Need a source of calm in your day? Listeners will get a free audiobook when you start a new monthly Libro.fm membership for $14.99 a month. You'll get two audiobooks for the price of one in your first month as a member. Valid in the US and Canada.Subscribe to Libro FM! Choose from over 150,000 audiobooks and even support your local bookstore with your purchases as a member. To sign up, use code DOLLS or this link: https://tidd.ly/3EwqiF5

Denise Lewis Patrick, you’ve done it again! In the second Melody book, our main girl takes on a number of new challenges. In addition to becoming a backup singer, Melody has decided to renovate a community park and participate in a boycott. We follow Melody and her family through the summer of 1964 and consider how her story sheds new light on a key moment in American history. We also learn that this backup vocalist has amazing main-character energy.

You can find episodes, resources, and a link to our merch store and patreon on our website: dollsofourlivespod.com

Support us on Patreon: patreon.com/dollsofourlivespod

Pre-order our book: Dolls of Our Lives: Why We Can't Quit American Girl

Check out books we mention at our bookshop.org storefront

We love to hear from you! Drop us a line dollsofourlivespod@gmail.com

Follow us on social media:

Instagram -@dollsofourlivespodcast

Twitter - @dollslivespod

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/DollsOfOurLivesPod/

Follow Allison on Twitter and Instagram @allisonhorrocks

Follow Mary @mimimahoney (Instagram) or @marymahoney123 (Twitter)

Need a source of calm in your day? Listeners will get a free audiobook when you start a new monthly Libro.fm membership for $14.99 a month. You'll get two audiobooks for the price of one in your first month as a member. Valid in the US and Canada. Subscribe to Libro FM! Choose from over 150,000 audiobooks and even support your local bookstore with your purchases as a member. To sign up, use code DOLLS or this link: https://tidd.ly/3EwqiF5

In this episode, we dive into Melody Ellison’s world. While growing up in a busy home in 1960s Detroit, Melody is getting singing lessons and an education in civil rights activism. In her first Beforever book, Melody must gather up the courage to sing a solo in the wake of a national tragedy. Meet this aptly named American Girl and learn about the side characters whose voices sing in concert to make “no ordinary sound.”

You can find episodes, resources, and a link to our merch store and patreon on our website: dollsofourlivespod.com

Support us on Patreon: patreon.com/dollsofourlivespod

Pre-order our book: Dolls of Our Lives: Why We Can't Quit American Girl

We love to hear from you! Drop us a line dollsofourlivespod@gmail.com

Follow us on social media:

Instagram -@dollsofourlivespodcast

Twitter - @dollslivespod

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/DollsOfOurLivesPod/

Follow Allison on Twitter and Instagram @allisonhorrocks

Follow Mary @mimimahoney (Instagram) or @marymahoney123 (Twitter)

Need a source of calm in your day? Listeners will get a free audiobook when you start a new monthly Libro.fm membership for $14.99 a month. You'll get two audiobooks for the price of one in your first month as a member. Valid in the US and Canada.Subscribe to Libro FM! Choose from over 150,000 audiobooks and even support your local bookstore with your purchases as a member. To sign up, use code DOLLS or this link: https://tidd.ly/3EwqiF5

We are SO excited to bring you a special episode with Aisha Harris, author and co-host of NPR’s Pop Culture Happy Hour. Drawing on her new book, Wannabe: Reckonings with the Pop Culture that Shapes Me, we talk American Girl and growing up with pop culture in the 90s. We love Aisha’s new book, and we think you will too!

Check out Aisha’s new book here: https://www.aishaharris.com/wannabe-book

Pre-order our book: Dolls of Our Lives: Why We Can't Quit American Girl

Resources:

You can find episodes, resources, and a link to our merch store and patreon on our website: dollsofourlivespod.com

Support us on Patreon: patreon.com/dollsofourlivespod

We love to hear from you! Drop us a line dollsofourlivespod@gmail.com

Follow us on social media:

Instagram -@dollsofourlivespodcast

Twitter - @dollslivespod

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/DollsOfOurLivesPod/

Follow Allison on Twitter and Instagram @allisonhorrocks

Follow Mary @mimimahoney (Instagram) or @marymahoney123 (Twitter)

Need a source of calm in your day? Listeners will get a free audiobook when you start a new monthly Libro.fm membership for $14.99 a month. You'll get two audiobooks for the price of one in your first month as a member. Valid in the US and Canada.Subscribe to Libro FM! Choose from over 150,000 audiobooks and even support your local bookstore with your purchases as a member. To sign up, use code DOLLS or this link: https://tidd.ly/3EwqiF5

Join us on an exploration of 40s nostalgia. Inspired in part by the topics most likely to be suggested for Father's Day gift books, we discuss why some stories and subjects seem to persist in mainstream popularity, while others get less play. We answer your questions about 40s nostalgia and share some of our favorite things from the decade (see Molly's Radio Playlist and more below!)

40s Resources:

What’s a Dad Book table?

Bartram: On a recent trip to Barnes & Noble, I was not surprised to see the usual tables of “Father’s Day” suggestions piled high with books about famous white men, making war and doing politics, largely authored by people who look remarkably like their subjects.

http://erinbartram.com/uncategorized/killing-the-dad-book-table/

On Gender & Sexuality in the 40s: * Molly’s World, Illinois: https://exhibits.gerberhart.org/exhibits/show/unboxingqueerhistory * Nanea’s World, Hawaii: https://guides.library.manoa.hawaii.edu/Pacificsexualidentity

Books we reference:

Tanya Roth. Her Cold War: Women in the US Military, 1945-1980(UNC Press, 2021)

Elizabeth D. Samet. Looking for the Good War

American Amnesia and the Violent Pursuit of Happiness. (Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, 2021)

Music:

Molly's Radio Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/30BVr4ZfuZnFUv7CTEiiDU?si=1829f8fa8b7640d0

Resources:

Pre-order our book: Dolls of Our Lives: Why We Can't Quit American Girl

You can find episodes, resources, and a link to our merch store and patreon on our website: dollsofourlivespod.com

Support us on Patreon: patreon.com/dollsofourlivespod

We love to hear from you! Drop us a line dollsofourlivespod@gmail.com

Follow us on social media:

Instagram -@dollsofourlivespodcast

Twitter - @dollslivespod

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/DollsOfOurLivesPod/

Follow Allison on Twitter and Instagram @allisonhorrocks

Follow Mary @mimimahoney (Instagram) or @marymahoney123 (Twitter)

Need a source of calm in your day? Listeners will get a free audiobook when you start a new monthly Libro.fm membership for $14.99 a month. You'll get two audiobooks for the price of one in your first month as a member. Valid in the US and Canada.Subscribe to Libro FM! Choose from over 150,000 audiobooks and even support your local bookstore with your purchases as a member. To sign up, use code DOLLS or this link: https://tidd.ly/3EwqiF5

Filing cabinet fans, here we go! For this Patreon episode, we are diving right into the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler. This 1967 classic features the Kincaid kids, who just need a break from home — and the allure of solving an art mystery.

Whether you really love hanging files, eccentric older people, or beds in museums, this book has a little bit of something for everyone (and a chauffeur). If you’ve never dreamed about sleeping in The Met, From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler still has an enduring appeal. We talk about the value of stories that center smart and funny young people, without a moralizing "parents just don’t get it" ending. So, will you accept this rose, we mean, invitation to the Met?

Joining our Patreon is a great way to support the show. You can join us here: patreon.com/dollsofourlivespod

You can find episodes, resources, and a link to our merch store and patreon on our website: dollsofourlivespod.com

Pre-order our book: Dolls of Our Lives: Why We Can't Quit American Girl

We love to hear from you! Drop us a line dollsofourlivespod@gmail.com

Follow us on social media:

Instagram -@dollsofourlivespodcast

Twitter - @dollslivespod

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/DollsOfOurLivesPod/

Follow Allison on Twitter and Instagram @allisonhorrocks

Follow Mary @mimimahoney (Instagram) or @marymahoney123 (Twitter)

Need a source of calm in your day? Listeners will get a free audiobook when you start a new monthly Libro.fm membership for $14.99 a month. You'll get two audiobooks for the price of one in your first month as a member. Valid in the US and Canada.Subscribe to Libro FM! Choose from over 150,000 audiobooks and even support your local bookstore with your purchases as a member. To sign up, use code DOLLS or this link: https://tidd.ly/3EwqiF5

Join us as we turn to our archives to bring you one of our favorite episodes:

In episode nine, we turn our gaze to the American Southwest & the youthful, plucky Josefina Montoya. Our analysis of Josefina’s books begins with two powerful questions—first, given the place and time, is this the story of a colonial girl? Second, just how many references to Tejana queen Selena will we make per episode? While representations of imperialism in early American history are hard to unpack, over the course of this show, we’ll reveal why Meet Josefina had us reeling for still other reasons. Maybe you didn’t see how this book set in an 1820s borderland community (what’s now New Mexico) was essentially ripped from the 1990s melodrama THE PIANO.

But once you hear our take on Tia Dolores, you’ll see that’s why we’re here—note: we are also here to remind you of 90s crossover stars gone too soon.

You can find episodes, resources, and a link to our merch store and patreon on our website: dollsofourlivespod.com

Support us on Patreon: patreon.com/dollsofourlivespod

Pre-order our book: Dolls of Our Lives: Why We Can't Quit American Girl

We love to hear from you! Drop us a line dollsofourlivespod@gmail.com

Follow us on social media:

Instagram -@dollsofourlivespodcast

Twitter - @dollslivespod

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/DollsOfOurLivesPod/

Follow Allison on Twitter and Instagram @allisonhorrocks

Follow Mary @mimimahoney (Instagram) or @marymahoney123 (Twitter)

Need a source of calm in your day? Listeners will get a free audiobook when you start a new monthly Libro.fm membership for $14.99 a month. You'll get two audiobooks for the price of one in your first month as a member. Valid in the US and Canada.Subscribe to Libro FM! Choose from over 150,000 audiobooks and even support your local bookstore with your purchases as a member. To sign up, use code DOLLS or this link: https://tidd.ly/3EwqiF5

Would you give up a ticket for a midnight (overnight) train to Georgia to make someone else’s dreams come true? In watching “Maryellen 1955, Extraordinary Christmas,” part of the “American Girl Story” series of short films, we learned that Maryellen certainly would do such a thing. She’d also do just about anything to make other children happy—especially if it meant a moment in the spotlight. If you’re wondering how two AG books could be made into a full-on feature, wonder no more. We discuss Maryellen’s dreams for a red door and a white Christmas as they play out in this motion picture. We also consider how this movie departs from the Tripp Maryellen canon. Tune in, and in the spirit of Maryellen, consider borrowing some pants and painting the town red.

Explore some March of Dimes ads from the 1950s/1960s:

1954: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5FuDD42T4nw&ab_channel=FTDepot

1965: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIVFIfqkUeY&ab_channel=KarlJacobsen

You can find episodes, resources, and a link to our merch store and patreon on our website: dollsofourlivespod.com

Support us on Patreon: patreon.com/dollsofourlivespod

Pre-order our book: Dolls of Our Lives: Why We Can't Quit American Girl

We love to hear from you! Drop us a line dollsofourlivespod@gmail.com

Follow us on social media:

Instagram -@dollsofourlivespodcast

Twitter - @dollslivespod

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/DollsOfOurLivesPod/

Follow Allison on Twitter and Instagram @allisonhorrocks

Follow Mary @mimimahoney (Instagram) or @marymahoney123 (Twitter)

Need a source of calm in your day? Listeners will get a free audiobook when you start a new monthly Libro.fm membership for $14.99 a month. You'll get two audiobooks for the price of one in your first month as a member. Valid in the US and Canada.Subscribe to Libro FM! Choose from over 150,000 audiobooks and even support your local bookstore with your purchases as a member. To sign up, use code DOLLS or this link: https://tidd.ly/3EwqiF5

Time for yet another tenth birthday and a great American road Tripp! In her second book, Maryellen celebrates her big day in style, throwing a movie star party that turns into a public health fundraiser. After doing her part to cure polio, Maryellen is free to enjoy her summer and look forward to her sister’s wedding. But Mr. Larkin (Dad) has other plans. Defying logic and possibly even gravity, Maryellen’s family sets out in a crowded airstream, visiting American landmarks and wreaking havoc in national parks. Upon their return, Maryellen finally has her STEM moment, leading the way in a rocket contest. We discuss this packed three plots-in one book, real controversies over polio vaccines, and the challenge of avoiding spoilers today. If you like to follow along, please note that we read the 2015 Beforever unabridged version of this book without illustrations.

Episode Notes:

Time for yet another tenth birthday and a great American road Tripp! In her second book, Maryellen celebrates her big day in style, throwing a movie star party that turns into a public health fundraiser. After doing her part to cure polio, Maryellen is free to enjoy her summer and look forward to her sister’s wedding. But Mr. Larkin (Dad) has other plans. Defying logic and possibly even gravity, Maryellen’s family sets out in a crowded airstream, visiting American landmarks and wreaking havoc in national parks. Upon their return, Maryellen finally has her STEM moment, leading the way in a rocket contest. We discuss this packed three plots-in one book, real controversies over polio vaccines, and the challenge of avoiding spoilers today. If you like to follow along, please note that we read the 2015 Beforever unabridged version of this book without illustrations.

Time Stamps:

0:00-7:00 Succession spoiler and Mary’s moving 7:30- 9:00 Love is Blind talk 9:00- 13:00 Taylor Swift breakup and Boy Genius record 12:57-15:36 - ad break 16:00- end - We discuss Mary Ellen, book 2.

Resources:

You can find episodes, resources, and a link to our merch store and patreon on our website: dollsofourlivespod.com

Support us on Patreon: patreon.com/dollsofourlivespod

Pre-order our book: Dolls of Our Lives: Why We Can't Quit American Girl

We love to hear from you! Drop us a line dollsofourlivespod@gmail.com

Follow us on social media:

Instagram -@dollsofourlivespodcast

Twitter - @dollslivespod

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/DollsOfOurLivesPod/

Follow Allison on Twitter and Instagram @allisonhorrocks

Follow Mary @mimimahoney (Instagram) or @marymahoney123 (Twitter)

Need a source of calm in your day? Listeners will get a free audiobook when you start a new monthly Libro.fm membership for $14.99 a month. You'll get two audiobooks for the price of one in your first month as a member. Valid in the US and Canada.Subscribe to Libro FM! Choose from over 150,000 audiobooks and even support your local bookstore with your purchases as a member. To sign up, use code DOLLS or this link: https://tidd.ly/3EwqiF5

Of all the questions put out into the world, some confound, others
inspire, and a few just beg for follow up. But only Val Tripp would be
bold enough to ask (through Maryellen Larkin): "how hard could it be
to cut bangs?" Maryellen knows that nothing is fair in fourth grade,
including the fallout from a quick and hasty morning haircut. We cover
Maryellen's debut book, The One and Only, and her rapid-fire meet,
lesson, and surprise plots. Though Maryellen proves to be a good
student and critic of the Cold War, we question what has been learned
about covering hard topics in the 30+ years of developing AG books.
This episode goes deep into Maryellen's moment (the year 1954) and
includes a discussion of current trends in reality television.

You can find episodes, resources, and a link to our merch store and patreon on our website: dollsofourlivespod.com

Support us on Patreon: patreon.com/dollsofourlivespod

Pre-order our book: Dolls of Our Lives: Why We Can't Quit American Girl

We love to hear from you! Drop us a line dollsofourlivespod@gmail.com

Follow us on social media:

Instagram -@dollsofourlivespodcast

Twitter - @dollslivespod

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/DollsOfOurLivesPod/

Follow Allison on Twitter and Instagram @allisonhorrocks

Follow Mary @mimimahoney (Instagram) or @marymahoney123 (Twitter)

Need a source of calm in your day? Listeners will get a free audiobook when you start a new monthly Libro.fm membership for $14.99 a month. You'll get two audiobooks for the price of one in your first month as a member. Valid in the US and Canada.Subscribe to Libro FM! Choose from over 150,000 audiobooks and even support your local bookstore with your purchases as a member. To sign up, use code DOLLS or this link: https://tidd.ly/3EwqiF5

By the spring of 1942, so much has changed for Nanea Mitchell and her family. In the second book of her series, we find Nanea adapting to life under martial law, returning to school, and missing her dear friend Donna. When Nanea becomes aware that some dogs are getting involved directly in the war effort, she becomes concerned about her own beloved pet, the aptly named Mele. Never one to just panic, Nanea finds a way to add her dog to her hula performance. We talk about the current wave of nostalgia for the 1990s and nostalgic takes on World War II. We also consider Nanea’s sense of sacrifice and how these books speak to our most recent past (the late 2010s). Additional topics include pet therapy dogs, Justin Bieber, and the TV show Insecure.

Resources:

You can find episodes, resources, and a link to our merch store and patreon on our website: dollsofourlivespod.com

Support us on Patreon: patreon.com/dollsofourlivespod

We love to hear from you! Drop us a line dollsofourlivespod@gmail.com

Pre-order our book: Dolls of Our Lives: Why We Can't Quit American Girl

Follow us on social media:

Instagram -@dollsofourlivespodcast

Twitter - @dollslivespod

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/DollsOfOurLivesPod/

Follow Allison on Twitter and Instagram @allisonhorrocks

Follow Mary @mimimahoney (Instagram) or @marymahoney123 (Twitter)

Need a source of calm in your day? Listeners will get a free audiobook when you start a new monthly Libro.fm membership for $14.99 a month. You'll get two audiobooks for the price of one in your first month as a member. Valid in the US and Canada.Subscribe to Libro FM! Choose from over 150,000 audiobooks and even support your local bookstore with your purchases as a member. To sign up, use code DOLLS or this link: https://tidd.ly/3EwqiF5

Though she is only nine, Nanea just can't wait to grow up. Living with her family in Honolulu, Nanea dreams of being a teacher and sharing "the spirit of aloha" with others. Then, disaster strikes on December 7, 1941. Nanea's world gets turned upside down with the attack on Pearl Harbor. We discuss how Nanea's story can be compared to Molly's, whose books are also set in the early 1940s, the final years of World War II. Going deeper, we also explore what these books teach us about living through war---and what they don't teach about United States imperialism.

Resources:

You can find episodes, resources, and a link to our merch store and patreon on our website: dollsofourlivespod.com

Support us on Patreon: patreon.com/dollsofourlivespod

We love to hear from you! Drop us a line dollsofourlivespod@gmail.com

Follow us on social media:

Instagram -@dollsofourlivespodcast

Twitter - @dollslivespod

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/DollsOfOurLivesPod/

Follow Allison on Twitter and Instagram @allisonhorrocks

Follow Mary @mimimahoney (Instagram) or @marymahoney123 (Twitter)

Need a source of calm in your day? Listeners will get a free audiobook when you start a new monthly Libro.fm membership for $14.99 a month. You'll get two audiobooks for the price of one in your first month as a member. Valid in the US and Canada.Subscribe to Libro FM! Choose from over 150,000 audiobooks and even support your local bookstore with your purchases as a member. To sign up, use code DOLLS or this link: https://tidd.ly/3EwqiF5

Once upon a time, a reader turned writer named Brit put an idea out into the universe. She told American Girl that she should write a book in the same vein as the stories she’d loved as a child. Cut to 2022, and Brit Bennett is the author of Meet Claudie, a new historical AG book. In this episode, we discuss Claudie’s meet book, which is set in Harlem in 1922. We consider Bennett’s journey from fan to creator and the stunning world she’s made around Claudie.

Resources:

You can find episodes, resources, and a link to our merch store and patreon on our website: dollsofourlivespod.com

Support us on Patreon: patreon.com/dollsofourlivespod

We love to hear from you! Drop us a line dollsofourlivespod@gmail.com

Follow us on social media:

Instagram -@dollsofourlivespodcast

Twitter - @dollslivespod

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/DollsOfOurLivesPod/

Follow Allison on Twitter and Instagram @allisonhorrocks

Follow Mary @mimimahoney (Instagram) or @marymahoney123 (Twitter)

Need a source of calm in your day? Listeners will get a free audiobook when you start a new monthly Libro.fm membership for $14.99 a month. You'll get two audiobooks for the price of one in your first month as a member. Valid in the US and Canada.Subscribe to Libro FM! Choose from over 150,000 audiobooks and even support your local bookstore with your purchases as a member. To sign up, use code DOLLS or this link: https://tidd.ly/3EwqiF5

Sergeant Jill Evans is a small-town cop in Wales with an impressive record in her job, and a less than impressive record in her love life. After three engagements, two divorces and one affair, she’s beginning to worry that love is only true in fairy tales. That is until she meets: Dean. He’s a wealthy beauty entrepreneur with his own range of toiletries.

Girl meets boy. Boy meets girl. They kiss and fall in love. Roll credits.
But that would be boring, wouldn’t it? Instead, this is a love story like no other. It’s all going so well for Jill and Dean, until Halloween night, when Dean disappears. And Sgt. Jill is left to pick up the pieces.

From Wondery and Novel, comes a new series. Hosted by Kerry Godliman.
Follow Stolen Hearts on Amazon Music of wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen early and ad-free by subscribing to Wondery+ in Apple Podcasts or the Wondery App.

Listen to Stolen Hearts: Wondery.fm/SH_DOOL

This just in: public historian Lauren Kennedy joins Dolls of Our Lives for a special supplement. Lauren works as Digital Projects Coordinator for Ohio Memory. In addition to being super knowledgeable about material culture and American Girl fandom, Lauren has the scoop on the ins and outs of Ohio's digital newspaper collections. We talked to Lauren about intrepid journalist Kit Kittredge and her homemade paper Hard Times (not yet on microfilm). She gave us an insider's perspective on digitization work and what was popular in Ohio's print media during the Great Depression.

You can find episodes, resources, and a link to our merch store and patreon on our website: dollsofourlivespod.com

Support us on Patreon: patreon.com/dollsofourlivespod

We love to hear from you! Drop us a line dollsofourlivespod@gmail.com

Follow us on social media:

Instagram -@dollsofourlivespodcast

Twitter - @dollslivespod

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/DollsOfOurLivesPod/

Follow Allison on Twitter and Instagram @allisonhorrocks

Follow Mary @mimimahoney (Instagram) or @marymahoney123 (Twitter)

Need a source of calm in your day? Listeners will get a free audiobook when you start a new monthly Libro.fm membership for $14.99 a month. You'll get two audiobooks for the price of one in your first month as a member. Valid in the US and Canada.Subscribe to Libro FM! Choose from over 150,000 audiobooks and even support your local bookstore with your purchases as a member. To sign up, use code DOLLS or this link: https://tidd.ly/3EwqiF5

In 1951, Sydney Taylor introduced All-of-a-Kind Family to the world. Her novel about a Jewish family living on the Lower East Side in the early 20th century features five American girls: Ella, Henny, Sarah, Charlotte, and Gertie. These tight-knit sisters love to read, eat candy, and occasionally, dust for their mother. We talk about our (first) read of Taylor's book, which holds up all these years later as an absolute delight. We also discuss the biography From Sarah to Sydney (2021), by the late Jane Cummins and Alexandra Dunietz. How much of Sarah Brenner’s life was put into the all-of-kind-family? How did Sarah become Sydney Taylor? Join us in separating fact and fiction. (Episode originally released May 27, 2022)

Want to join us on patreon? For $3/month, you can get a bonus episode, join our discord community, and more! Join us here: patreon.com/dollsofourlivespod

You can find episodes, resources, and a link to our merch store and patreon on our website: dollsofourlivespod.com
We love to hear from you! Drop us a line dollsofourlivespod@gmail.com

Follow us on social media:

Instagram -@dollsofourlivespodcast

Twitter - @dollslivespod

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/DollsOfOurLivesPod/

Follow Allison on Twitter and Instagram @allisonhorrocks

Follow Mary @mimimahoney (Instagram) or @marymahoney123 (Twitter)

Need a source of calm in your day? Listeners will get a free audiobook when you start a new monthly Libro.fm membership for $14.99 a month. You'll get two audiobooks for the price of one in your first month as a member. Valid in the US and Canada.Subscribe to Libro FM! Choose from over 150,000 audiobooks and even support your local bookstore with your purchases as a member. To sign up, use code DOLLS or this link: https://tidd.ly/3EwqiF5

We’re taking a break this month, and are bringing you our recent appearance on the American Girl Women podcast. Here is a description from their feed:

Laura and Lindsey are joined by dream guests and fellow American Girl kindred spirits Allison Horrocks and Mary Mahoney of the Dolls of Our Lives Podcast. The group chats about how they came to love AG and why it has stayed with them after all these years.

Learn more about American Girl Women here:

@americangirlwomen on Instagram and “American Girl Women” wherever you get your podcasts.

Resources:

You can find episodes, resources, and a link to our merch store and patreon on our website: dollsofourlivespod.com

Support us on Patreon: patreon.com/dollsofourlivespod

We love to hear from you! Drop us a line dollsofourlivespod@gmail.com

Follow us on social media:

Instagram -@dollsofourlivespodcast

Twitter - @dollslivespod

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/DollsOfOurLivesPod/

Follow Allison on Twitter and Instagram @allisonhorrocks

Follow Mary @mimimahoney (Instagram) or @marymahoney123 (Twitter)

Need a source of calm in your day? Listeners will get a free audiobook when you start a new monthly Libro.fm membership for $14.99 a month. You'll get two audiobooks for the price of one in your first month as a member. Valid in the US and Canada.Subscribe to Libro FM! Choose from over 150,000 audiobooks and even support your local bookstore with your purchases as a member. To sign up, use code DOLLS or this link: https://tidd.ly/3EwqiF5

Some American Girls wear capes and some take part in capers. In Kit Kittredge: An American Girl, we meet a rising star who could do both. We talk about the fantastic cast of the Kit movie, how the film differs from the books, and what we can learn now from its portrayal of the Depression. If you’re curious about the art of the steal and intense dinner-time conversations on the New Deal, don’t miss our coverage of the endearing and mysterious Kit movie.

Time stamps

00:00-10:00 - We discuss the recent controversy in the AG community about "A Smart Girl's Guide: Body Image”
10:30-12:00 - We talk the Mole, Love Island UK,
12:00- end - We talk Kit Kittredge: An American Girl

Resources:

You can find episodes, resources, and a link to our merch store and patreon on our website: dollsofourlivespod.com

Support us on Patreon: patreon.com/dollsofourlivespod

We love to hear from you! Drop us a line dollsofourlivespod@gmail.com

Follow us on social media:

Instagram -@dollsofourlivespodcast

Twitter - @dollslivespod

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/DollsOfOurLivesPod/

Follow Allison on Twitter and Instagram @allisonhorrocks

Follow Mary @mimimahoney (Instagram) or @marymahoney123 (Twitter)

Need a source of calm in your day? Listeners will get a free audiobook when you start a new monthly Libro.fm membership for $14.99 a month. You'll get two audiobooks for the price of one in your first month as a member. Valid in the US and Canada.Subscribe to Libro FM! Choose from over 150,000 audiobooks and even support your local bookstore with your purchases as a member. To sign up, use code DOLLS or this link: https://tidd.ly/3EwqiF5

In the final book of the Kit series, our hero is ready to become an agent for change. But first, she’ll have to deal with a cranky relative…again. When conservative Uncle Hendrick gets injured, he makes it everyone’s problem. The upside to his unwanted residency at the Kittredge home? Kit learns how to engage with anti-New Deal rhetoric while typing letters to the editor. We talk about this six-book Tripp through the Depression, real letters written by kids in this era, and what we imagine for Kits future.

Time Stamps:

00:00-11:20 We talk Hallmark Movies, representation in romance novels, and Sandra Bullock's The Lost City
13:00 - We talk Changes for Kit

Transcript: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1025gH1SYZXOz9qi6AmYd5ZEwl_LXMGqN/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=110973921299858291020&rtpof=true&sd=true

Resources:

You can find episodes, resources, and a link to our merch store and patreon on our website: dollsofourlivespod.com

Support us on Patreon: patreon.com/dollsofourlivespod

We love to hear from you! Drop us a line dollsofourlivespod@gmail.com

Follow us on social media:

Instagram -@dollsofourlivespodcast

Twitter - @dollslivespod

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/DollsOfOurLivesPod/

Follow Allison on Twitter and Instagram @allisonhorrocks

Follow Mary @mimimahoney (Instagram) or @marymahoney123 (Twitter)

Need a source of calm in your day? Listeners will get a free audiobook when you start a new monthly Libro.fm membership for $14.99 a month. You'll get two audiobooks for the price of one in your first month as a member. Valid in the US and Canada.Subscribe to Libro FM! Choose from over 150,000 audiobooks and even support your local bookstore with your purchases as a member. To sign up, use code DOLLS or this link: https://tidd.ly/3EwqiF5

As the old saying goes: where there's a Will, there's a way...to end up in jail? In book five of the Kit series, our hero wants nothing more than to hit the road. After meeting Will, a self-described hobo traveling the country, Kit longs for adventure and a break from chores. Kit gets more than she bargained for, however, when she hops a train and only gets as far as the local jail. We discuss Kit's anti-carceral state activism, the hobo code of conduct, and the durability of Saves the Day tropes. Fans of Love is Blind will want to tune in for our review of season three of the series; fans of Kit's Aunt Millie should also be sure to give this one a listen, just because she said so.

Time Stamps:

2:00-5:00 Bruce Springsteen and “tramps like us?”

5:15- 12: 00 - Love is Blind recap and discussion

14:44- end - We talk “Kit Saves the Day”

Resources:

See the symbols left on Jimmy Carter’s childhood home’s mailbox here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hobo

You can find episodes, resources, and a link to our merch store and patreon on our website: dollsofourlivespod.com

Support us on Patreon: patreon.com/dollsofourlivespod

We love to hear from you! Drop us a line dollsofourlivespod@gmail.com

Follow us on social media:

Instagram -@dollsofourlivespodcast

Twitter - @dollslivespod

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/DollsOfOurLivesPod/

Follow Allison on Twitter and Instagram @allisonhorrocks

Follow Mary @mimimahoney (Instagram) or @marymahoney123 (Twitter)

Need a source of calm in your day? Listeners will get a free audiobook when you start a new monthly Libro.fm membership for $14.99 a month. You'll get two audiobooks for the price of one in your first month as a member. Valid in the US and Canada.Subscribe to Libro FM! Choose from over 150,000 audiobooks and even support your local bookstore with your purchases as a member. To sign up, use code DOLLS or this link: https://tidd.ly/3EwqiF5

How do you throw a party on a tight budget? In book four, we learn that Kit has set very low expectations for her tenth birthday. Then, everything changes when a mysterious stranger comes into town. Enter Aunt Millie, who comes to the big city from Mountain Hollow. Millie has plenty of life lessons and home hacks, but her new ideas are not always appreciated by Kit or her mother. We explore how Kit continues to adapt to her new life, the adoption of Grace the dog, and portrayals of family life during the Depression.

Time Stamps:

0-5:00 - Would FDR/Eleanor have a podcast today?

5:00- 10:00 FDR Memorial, Kit, and mass communication (radio, twitter, etc)

10:00-12:00 which OGAG’s would stay on Elon’s twitter?

12:00-15:35 Pop culture we’re loving: Weird Al Biopic, Enola Holmes 2, See How They Run, Married at first sight, love is blind, Kate Beaton’s Ducks

15:35-end We talk Happy Birthday, Kit

Resources:

You can find episodes, resources, and a link to our merch store and patreon on our website: dollsofourlivespod.com

Support us on Patreon: patreon.com/dollsofourlivespod

We love to hear from you! Drop us a line dollsofourlivespod@gmail.com

Follow us on social media:

Instagram -@dollsofourlivespodcast

Twitter - @dollslivespod

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/DollsOfOurLivesPod/

Follow Allison on Twitter and Instagram @allisonhorrocks

Follow Mary @mimimahoney (Instagram) or @marymahoney123 (Twitter)

Need a source of calm in your day? Listeners will get a free audiobook when you start a new monthly Libro.fm membership for $14.99 a month. You'll get two audiobooks for the price of one in your first month as a member. Valid in the US and Canada.Subscribe to Libro FM! Choose from over 150,000 audiobooks and even support your local bookstore with your purchases as a member. To sign up, use code DOLLS or this link: https://tidd.ly/3EwqiF5

It's Christmas time and time for a...quarrel? By December 1934, all was not well in the Kittredge household. Kit and Ruthie have been fighting, the mortgage hasn't been paid, and Uncle Hendrick was acting out more than usual. Still, Kit does her best to keep spirits bright, making the most of visits to her cranky uncle and keeping the change along the way. Throughout book three, the rickrack life gets to Kit, and we talk about the broader implications of the Depression for children and families. Join us for a fireside chat about Kit's evolution thus far and (of course) the release of Midnights.

Join us as we celebrate our 100th episode!!

Time Stamps:

0:00-3:00 - Fala

3:00 - 7:30 Taylor Swift’s Midnights

7:30 - 11:00 - Love is Blind

11:00 - end - recap and discussion of book

Resources:

You can find episodes, resources, and a link to our merch store and patreon on our website: dollsofourlivespod.com

Support us on Patreon: patreon.com/dollsofourlivespod

We love to hear from you! Drop us a line dollsofourlivespod@gmail.com

Follow us on social media:

Instagram -@dollsofourlivespodcast

Twitter - @dollslivespod

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/DollsOfOurLivesPod/

Follow Allison on Twitter and Instagram @allisonhorrocks

Follow Mary @mimimahoney (Instagram) or @marymahoney123 (Twitter)

Need a source of calm in your day? Listeners will get a free audiobook when you start a new monthly Libro.fm membership for $14.99 a month. You'll get two audiobooks for the price of one in your first month as a member. Valid in the US and Canada.Subscribe to Libro FM! Choose from over 150,000 audiobooks and even support your local bookstore with your purchases as a member. To sign up, use code DOLLS or this link: https://tidd.ly/3EwqiF5

Have you ever wondered why you even tried? In book two, Kit takes on new chores at home and fights about the first Thanksgiving at school. She also somehow finds time to hatch an interior design plan with Ruthie. Despite this hustle, hard times start to really hit home. During Kit’s forced Tripp to a soup kitchen, the truth about dad’s business lunches comes out. We discuss underlying assumptions about poverty in the books and reflect on the pop culture scene of 2000.

You can find episodes, resources, and a link to our merch store and patreon on our website: dollsofourlivespod.com

Support us on Patreon: patreon.com/dollsofourlivespod

We love to hear from you! Drop us a line dollsofourlivespod@gmail.com

Follow us on social media:

Instagram -@dollsofourlivespodcast

Twitter - @dollslivespod

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/DollsOfOurLivesPod/

Follow Allison on Twitter and Instagram @allisonhorrocks

Follow Mary @mimimahoney (Instagram) or

@marymahoney123 (Twitter)

Need a source of calm in your day? Listeners will get a free audiobook when you start a new monthly Libro.fm membership for $14.99 a month. You'll get two audiobooks for the price of one in your first month as a member. Valid in the US and Canada.Subscribe to Libro FM! Choose from over 150,000 audiobooks and even support your local bookstore with your purchases as a member.

To sign up, use code DOLLS or this link: https://tidd.ly/3EwqiF5

You know her, you love her, you may even be a bit jealous of her stunning haircut … at last, it’s time we all meet Kit Kittredge. In the summer of 1932, Kit is a comfortably affluent and (in AG terms) spunky girl living in Ohio. We quickly learn that Kit is fond of baseball, her typewriter, BFF Ruthie, and a good headline. She does not appreciate the intrusion of strangers or the general economic collapse happening in her lifetime. We talk about Valerie Tripp’s triumphant return, Kit’s class consciousness, and Maryellen’s recent PR issues.

Time Stamps:

00:00-12:30 - Mary-Ellen AG tiktok reintroduction and Mariah Carey on 9/11

Resources:

Visit our merch store or support us on Patreon: https://linktr.ee/agirlspod.

We love to hear from you! Drop us a line AmericanGirlsPod@gmail.com or follow us:

Facebook - fb.com/AmericanGirlsPodcast Instagram -@americangirlspodcast

@mimimahoney @allisonhorrocks Twitter - @agirlspod

@marymahoney123 @allisonhorrocks

Need a source of calm in your day? Subscribe to Libro FM! Choose from over 150,000 audiobooks and even support your local bookstore with your purchases as a member. To sign up, use code AGReads or this link: libro.fm/redeem/AGReads

You can also support us by shopping with this link: https://tidd.ly/3fXPx5A

Grace McGookey and Danielle Wetmore are museum professionals with very different relationships to American Girl. One was a huge fan, and one watched the rise of AG from afar. Years later, while working together at the Tenement Museum, they became colleagues and friends. They also got to be quite familiar with one Rebecca Rubin. During this episode, Grace and Danielle answer some of your most pressing questions about Rebecca’s world. Listen for their tremendous knowledge about life in New York’s historic tenements.

Want support around your own work life? Send us your questions for a care and keeping of you episode on navigating work today.

Visit our merch store or support us on Patreon: https://linktr.ee/agirlspod.

We love to hear from you! Drop us a line AmericanGirlsPod@gmail.com or follow us:

Facebook - fb.com/AmericanGirlsPodcast Instagram -@americangirlspodcast

@mimimahoney @allisonhorrocks Twitter - @agirlspod

@marymahoney123 @allisonhorrocks

Need a source of calm in your day? Subscribe to Libro FM! Choose from over 150,000 audiobooks and even support your local bookstore with your purchases as a member. To sign up, use code AGReads or this link: libro.fm/redeem/AGReads

You can also support us by shopping with this link: https://tidd.ly/3fXPx5A

For this Rebecca Rubin bonus, we chatted with Leah Sauter. Leah works as a historian, educator, and translator extraordinaire. In addition to generously sharing her own experience with Rebecca, Leah shed light on the significance of having Jewish American Girl as part of the historical collection. If you've wondered about Rebecca's puzzling bagel choices or what Grandpa Shereshevsky was reading in the newspaper, this episode is for you. This show also provides further context on events happening leading up to Rebecca's timeline, such as a real housewives' meat boycott/riot that occurred in New York in 1902.

Want to hear more from Leah? Revisit this earlier episode featuring Leah: "Molly's World and Historical Memory."

Resources:

Visit our merch store or support us on Patreon: https://linktr.ee/agirlspod.

We love to hear from you! Drop us a line AmericanGirlsPod@gmail.com or follow us:

Facebook - fb.com/AmericanGirlsPodcast Instagram -@americangirlspodcast

@mimimahoney @allisonhorrocks Twitter - @agirlspod

@marymahoney123 @allisonhorrocks

Need a source of calm in your day? Subscribe to Libro FM! Choose from over 150,000 audiobooks and even support your local bookstore with your purchases as a member. To sign up, use code AGReads or this link: libro.fm/redeem/AGReads

You can also support us by shopping with this link: https://tidd.ly/3fXPx5A

Which American Girl would have the best Real Housewives tagline? Whose stories would most benefit from a rewrite? Is it possible to map 18" dolls onto seltzer flavors? During this episode, you'll hear our answers to these urgent questions and Meet Analee, a new member of our team. Think of this summer mailbag episode as a supercharged Ask Analee, Allison, and Mary Anything (AAAMA).

Visit our merch store or support us on Patreon: https://linktr.ee/agirlspod.

We love to hear from you! Drop us a line AmericanGirlsPod@gmail.com or follow us:

Facebook - fb.com/AmericanGirlsPodcast

Instagram -@americangirlspodcast

@mimimahoney @allisonhorrocks

Twitter - @agirlspod

@marymahoney123 @allisonhorrocks

Need a source of calm in your day? Subscribe to Libro FM! Choose from over 150,000 audiobooks and even support your local bookstore with your purchases as a member. To sign up, use code AGReads or this link: libro.fm/redeem/AGReads

You can also support us by shopping with this link: https://tidd.ly/3fXPx5A

A lot of ten-year-old kids wouldn't try to make a movie and participate in a labor strike. But Rebecca isn’t like other ten years olds, and she does both of those things, and more, in her final book. Radicalized by her visit to see family employed at a local factory, Rebecca speaks out about labor conditions. Despite her first directorial debut being a bit of a flop, she also gets the courage to come clean about her desire to be an actor. We talk about these plot points, make plenty of Samantha comparisons, and get into the overall arc of the Rebecca books.

Visit our merch store or support us on Patreon: https://linktr.ee/agirlspod.

We love to hear from you! Drop us a line AmericanGirlsPod@gmail.com or follow us:

Facebook - fb.com/AmericanGirlsPodcast

Instagram -@americangirlspodcast

@mimimahoney @allisonhorrocks

Twitter - @agirlspod

@marymahoney123 @allisonhorrocks

Need a source of calm in your day? Subscribe to Libro FM! Choose from over 150,000 audiobooks and even support your local bookstore with your purchases as a member. To sign up, use code AGReads or this link: libro.fm/redeem/AGReads

You can also support us by shopping with this link: https://tidd.ly/3fXPx5A

What Happens at Coney Island: Rebecca to the Rescue

There comes a time in every American Girl's life when she is asked (totally unreasonably) to save the day. In Rebecca to the Rescue, our hero steps up, literally, and climbs a huge ladder at Coney island. Over the course of book five, Rebecca also questions societal gender roles, puts on an impromptu side performance, and saves her cousin who is terrified of heights. We talk about iconic Coney Island pop culture moments and whether theme parks are exceptional.

Join our summer-long wikipedia edit-a-thon! Here is a resource guide with tutorials and a link to our event dashboard. New editors welcome! https://mimimahoney.notion.site/Wikipedia-Edit-a-thon-Resource-Guide-5b0d67748dd44e4aa41e88b4eab32c48

Time Stamps:

00:00:00-00:12:07 - We talk about our experiences with amusement parks and associated fears

00:12:07-01:04:00 - We talk about the latest Rebecca book!

Resources:

Check out the Coney Island Oral History Archive: https://www.coneyislandhistory.org/oral-history-archive

Visit our merch store or support us on Patreon: https://linktr.ee/agirlspod.

We love to hear from you! Drop us a line AmericanGirlsPod@gmail.com or follow us:

Facebook - fb.com/AmericanGirlsPodcast Instagram -@americangirlspodcast

@mimimahoney @allisonhorrocks Twitter - @agirlspod

@marymahoney123 @allisonhorrocks

Need a source of calm in your day? Subscribe to Libro FM! Choose from over 150,000 audiobooks and even support your local bookstore with your purchases as a member. To sign up, use code AGReads or this link: libro.fm/redeem/AGReads

You can also support us by shopping with this link: https://tidd.ly/3fXPx5A

Lights, camera, and...action! Kid star Rebecca Rubin is ready to take center stage. Hot on the heels of her tenth birthday, Rebecca spends the day with her cool cousin Max at a movie studio. When the opportunity presents itself to take on a (non-speaking) role, Rebecca rises to the occasion, of course. During this episode, we talk about Rebecca's birthday celebration, her family's Passover traditions, and the world of cinema in her lifetime. We also offer our summer reading recommendations (so far).

Check out Theda Bara as Cleopatra: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theda_Bara#/media/File:ThedaBara-Cleopatra.jpg

Time Stamps:

00:01:00-00:04:00 - We talk about Rebecca’s birthday and her celeb birthday twins (and ours).

00:04:00-00:08:00 - We talk about what we’ve been reading

00:09:00-01:05:00 - We talk about book four in the Rebecca series

01:05-:00 - 01:07:00 - The People Vs. Ryan Phillippe

Resources:

Add your content to our community zine project! More info here: https://twitter.com/AGirlsPod/status/1542997912434737152?s=20&t=5F4M-iqkLloszhpvIJxihA

Join our summer-long wikipedia editing project! No experience necessary! Use our resource guide to help edit pages on women and non-binary subjects. Our resource guide includes screencasts showing how to join our event dashboard and start editing: https://mimimahoney.notion.site/Wikipedia-Edit-a-thon-Resource-Guide-5b0d67748dd44e4aa41e88b4eab32c48

Visit our merch store or support us on Patreon: https://linktr.ee/agirlspod.

We love to hear from you! Drop us a line AmericanGirlsPod@gmail.com or follow us:

Facebook - fb.com/AmericanGirlsPodcast Instagram -@americangirlspodcast

@mimimahoney @allisonhorrocks Twitter - @agirlspod

@marymahoney123 @allisonhorrocks

Sponsorship Info:

Want to try HelloFresh? Go to HelloFresh dot com slash americangirls16 and use code americangirls16 for up to 16 free meals AND 3 free gifts!

Need a source of calm in your day? Subscribe to Libro FM! Choose from over 150,000 audiobooks and even support your local bookstore with your purchases as a member. To sign up, use code AGReads or this link: libro.fm/redeem/AGReads

You can also support us by shopping with this link: https://tidd.ly/3fXPx5A

For the third Rebecca book, author Jacqueline Dembar Greene drew on her childhood experiences to explore what makes a day on the calendar a “national holiday.” When Rebecca is pressured to make a Christmas decoration at school, she feels conflicted. Not only does her family not celebrate Christmas, she is getting ready for Hanukkah and thinking about her place in the festivities. So, on top of her homework and friendships, Rebecca finds herself involved in some secret gift plans…and a complex pigeon situation. We chat about Dembar Greene’s heartfelt Hanukkah story, recent music news, and an excellent remix by a listener.

Read more about "The Americanization of Hanukkah" here: https://www.brandeis.edu/now/2014/december/americanization-of-hanukkah.html

Learn more about the ”pigeon lady” in Central Park in November, 1981: https://www.upi.com/Archives/1981/11/28/The-pigeon-lady-of-Central-Park/3161375771600/

Time Stamps:

00:00-11:50 - We talk pop culture (90 Day Fiance, Mariah Carey Songwriter Hall of Fame induction, Windsor, CT House Tours)

11:50-1:05:15 We Talk Rebecca, Book 3

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We don’t mean to boast or brag, but the second Rebecca book is filled with lots of heartwarming moments and a few fun surprises. When cousin Ana finally gets to New York, she has a lot to learn from Rebecca. What’s the deal with the classroom dunce cap? Why are so many American laws unjust? How does anyone pull off a solid performance of “You're a Grand Old Flag?” This book boldly tackles these topics while also bringing new meaning to the term full house. We talk about surveillance and health at Ellis Island, Rebecca’s friendships, and how adversarial shopping might make you feel like an American.

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In 2009, a new girl hit the pop culture scene, joining the likes of Lady Gaga, Beyoncé, and Kesha. Her name? Rebecca Rubin. Her height? 18”. Looking for her backstory? Cruise on over to the Wikipedia page for the Lower East Side. Actually, her books are a far better source (take it from us). In reading Meet Rebecca, we learn that this girl really only wants a few things: to be taken seriously, an acting career, and aid for her family looking to immigrate to the USA. We discuss Rebecca’s introductory plot lines, the awesome side characters, and some of the inspiration behind the book.

Time Stamps:

00:00-14:30 - We talk Owl City, pop culture moments from 2009, Unexpected, Taylor Swift's honorary degree, the Lower East Side wikipedia page

14:30-01:01:07 - Meet Rebecca discussion

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Did you ever dream of working for American Girl magazine? Meet Aubre Andrus, a writer who turned that dream into a reality! Aubre is an award-winning author who gave us an insider's view on the tragically discontinued American Girl magazine. What happened to all those letters people wrote to AG? How do you plan the best bowling birthday party ever? During our chat with Aubre, we get answers to these questions and more. If you've ever wondered about the people behind the pages--or whether American Girl's advice still holds up, don't miss this one. See what Aubre is up to now! Visit her website to learn about her Look Up Series and follow her on social media. Website: https://aubreandrus.com/ Instagram and Twitter: @AubreAndrus

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The time has come to close out our coverage of Marie-Grace and Cécile. For this occasion, we dreamed up a special Care and Keeping of You episode that would start with the yellow fever epidemic of their day…straight through to the COVID-19 pandemic of ours. Since we couldn’t book Dr. Tad via his chalkboard, we had to look elsewhere. Enter Victoria Rodriguez, a Felicity/Kit fan and Certified Clinical Trauma Professional from Louisiana. Victoria is an expert on anxiety who studies intergenerational medical trauma. During this discussion, Victoria provides a professional opinion on some of the more complicated plot points in these books—such as Armand’s recovery and the discovery of baby Phillip. Victoria also shares her recent pop culture obsessions, from Jane Austen/Bridgerton to Gilded Age dramas and video games. Join us for one more trip back to 1853, and learn how ghosts got Victoria out of math class.

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It is still 1853. Marie-Grace and Cécile have spent the better part of a year weathering an epidemic and taking care of younger kids at local orphanages. Will the sun ever come out for these two? Just before we are about to say goodbye, we experience a fun-filled and successful fundraiser planned for the orphans of New Orleans. By using her (poetic) voice, Cécile demonstrates that sometimes the greatest gift you can give is a bit of yourself (or a check). We talk about Cécile's journey in the context of respectability politics, and what her future might hold. We also offer a final assessment of the split narrative approach used for Marie-Grace and Cécile.

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It's late summer, 1853, in New Orleans. Marie-Grace and Cécile are

still in the thick of the Yellow Fever epidemic. Madame Océane is

fighting for her life. Thankfully, Marie-Grace is prepared to take on

wedding planning, performance art, nursing, and orphan caretaking.

Amidst all this, Marie-Grace's father has established a fool-proof

communication system using a single slate outside his door. What could

go wrong? Well, to quote Kris Jenner, "just a lot." Soon enough,

Marie-Grace fears that she will have to leave her beloved city along

with her family and friends. Thankfully, Dr. Tad/Dr. Dad continues his

neglect and Marie-Grace gets to stay. We consider the compressed

timeline of this series and recent feminist takes on scammers.

Time stamps:

2:16- 3:50 We discuss Investigation Discovery+ shows 3:52 - 9:30 Bridgerton, Inventing Anna 9:30-11:00 - March Madness 11:12 - end - Marie Grace Makes a Difference

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Taylor Swift knew you were trouble when you walked in. Cecile knew trouble was brewing when people started wearing mourning clothes and going out less. During the fourth book in the Marie Grace / Cécile series, we find the girls living through a horrific yellow fever epidemic. We discuss what was happening in the summer of 1853 for the people of New Orleans--and how the fictional Rey family fares through it all. This episode also includes a discussion of 90s Con and what in the world was happening in 2011 (when this book came out).

00:00-17:57 - 90s Con recap 17:57-01:08:05 - We talk Troubles for Cecile

Is Marie-Grace okay? Imagine a book that includes a surprise, orphans, the early stages of a yellow fever epidemic, and hints at a wedding that may or may not take place. Were we emotionally prepared for this book? No. Does our French pronunciation need work? Yes. Should you join us on the journey? Absolutely

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At long last, we get to Meet Cécile! Ms. Cécile Rey comes from an elite Black family in New Orleans. She spends her time memorizing sonnets, getting singing lessons, and shopping. Cécile also loves her family, including her brother Armond (who is in Paris), her grandpère (who buys her pralines), and her Parrot (who keeps her humble). When Cécile meets Marie Grace, who has only recently moved to Louisiana from Massachusetts, it is not exactly an instant match. But soon enough, a friendship starts to blossom and some masks come off, so to speak. We discuss Cécile and Marie Grace's relationship, the dynamics within Cécile's family, and the segregation of social life in New Orleans during the 1850s.

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It’s time to meet not one, but two (new to us) American Girls! With this episode, we are launching into the Cécile & Marie Grace books. We start by meeting Marie Grace early in the year 1853. She is a bright and reserved girl who recently moved from Massachusetts down to New Orleans. Although Marie Grace is struggling to adapt to life with Dr. Dad, on the bright side, she has a cool uncle and a great singing voice. Marie Grace shows us that it can be hard to make friends in the Big Easy, but she is not lonely for long. We explore the culture of New Orleans in Marie Grace’s time (1853) and the “trading places” party moment that wraps up the book. Visit our merch store or support us on Patreon: https://linktr.ee/agirlspod. We love to hear from you! Drop us a line AmericanGirlsPod@gmail.com or follow us: Facebook - fb.com/AmericanGirlsPodcast

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Before she was a bestselling author, she was an interpreter at a living history museum. Before she was an interpreter, she was a reader. For this episode, we were thrilled to interview Kathleen Ernst, the author of the Caroline series and many more American Girl books. As a child, Ernst loved Little House On the Prairie, which led her to a career in public history. She even served as a consultant for American Girl before she had the opportunity to write mysteries for the brand. From that gig, Kathleen was offered the chance to create her own War of 1812 character. During this interview, we talk about Kathleen's writing process, the creation of specific characters in the Caroline books, and her experiences meeting American Girl fans. Tune in to find out how Inkpot and Garland came to be, and stay for Kathleen's fascinating and earnest life story.

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There may be a global supply chain crisis, but our listener mailbag service is working just fine. For this show, we took your pressing questions on American Girl dolls past and present. We also shared our top book recommendations for the year and dealt with important topics such as each American girl doll's coffee order. Last but not least, we also get into Pleasant Rowland's recent projects in Aurora, New York.

Prepare to get crafty and cozy! For this episode, we spoke with Lily Tice, a toy expert and artist who works online as @LibrarianKiddo. As a child, Lily wrote to American Girl with her ideas for new characters. As an adult, Lily brings those ideas to life and continues to make childhood magic for others. Lily chatted with us about the history of paper dolls, the American Girl magazine, and how she creates custom characters. Before listening, be sure to visit our website to find a printable file custom-made by Lily for this episode. You'll be able to make your own Caroline paper dolls and perhaps even start your own paper doll chain with friends and loved ones. Before you can say "Caroline Craft Fair," you just may find yourself agreeing that there's nothing one-dimensional about paper dolls.

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We may be done with the first six Caroline books, but we are not at all done covering Caroline. For this episode, curator and maritime historian Emily Powell Bera joined us for a discussion of a History Mystery. Emily is a recovering Samantha and lifelong collector of fascinating objects. We talk about Traitor in the Shipyard: A Caroline Mystery along with other War of 1812 topics, and of course, our favorite maritime mottos.

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At the end of the sixth Caroline book, we simply must ask again: are you not impressed? While the final Caroline story does involve a lot of "smooth sailing" talk and a skiff, this is mostly a story of tiffs, set away from the shipyard. When a letter arrives from Uncle Aaron asking for Caroline's help, she feels compelled to assist at his farm. Though comfortable with a pitchfork, Caroline has to ask herself if she really has what it takes to raise a calf and protect the farm from an intruder. We talk about Caroline's last-minute scene change, her Fourth of July bash, and what really changes from her first to last story.

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In the fifth Caroline book, we learn that her fight song—her prove she’s alright song— is the Star-Spangled Banner. There’s no fire burning in her bones, but in this "saves the day" story, there is a lingering threat that Mama will torch the entire shipyard. Throughout Caroline’s Battle, three generations of women show that they are willing to step up and fight the British at almost any cost. As quick as you can say “ash on the breeze,” a scary confrontation with the enemy seems to fizzle out. We discuss Mama’s bookkeeping, Papa’s fragility, grandma’s weaponry, Francis Scott Key, and of course, other War of 1812 power ballads.

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If you teach a man to fish, he'll eat for a day. If Caroline Abbott is teaching you to fish, you may find yourself trying to block a British warship during what was supposed to be a leisurely boat ride. It's book four, so we know all too well that Caroline frequently finds herself and others in crisis (hello, her carpet-cannonball moment). Caroline Takes a Chance suggests a singular heroic arc, but don't be fooled. It's the spring of 1813, and Caroline is delivering mail, working on supply chain issues, and performing a wilderness rescue. Join us for coverage of these moments PLUS a brief chat on the BabySitter's Club reboot, Neil Diamond, and a quick Caroline maritime ranking.

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Our belated War of 1812 bicentennial bash continues with coverage of Caroline's third book. After setting up her father for a prison break, Caroline finds herself a bit bored in the winter months of 1812-1813. The good news is she has built-in friends living at her family's house. The bad news? They don't want to do anything she wants to do. Join us as we discuss Caroline's iconic winter fashion, sled chairs, skating heroes, and what happens to girls who find themselves on thin ice.

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Try America’s #1 Meal Kit aka Hello Fresh. Go to HelloFresh dot com slash americangirls12 (www.hellofresh.com/americangirls12 ) and use code americangirls12 for 12 free meals, including free shipping!”

Talk about a sampler! In "Caroline's Secret Message," we are treated

to a birthday dinner, embroidery intrigue, a rescue plot, and

grandma's tips for winter prep. Did we mention Caroline makes a new

friend named Rhonda in this book, too? Perhaps we will never

understand how Caroline used a raccoon story and her sampler to give

her father an escape plan from prison, but we can appreciate a good

thriller/birthday book/friendship story when we see it. The War of

1812 may be "the war no one wanted," but these deftly woven plots will

keep us coming back for more. Special note: if you're looking for an

excuse to brush up on stitching skills, OR if you feel like being

creative and crafty in any other way, stay tuned! We'd love to have

you aboard for the first-ever Caroline Abbott Craft Fair.

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Where were you when the War of 1812 broke out? Our new friend Caroline Abbott, who debuted just in time for the 1812 bicentennial, was coasting along and "doing what she loves most" on her family's boat. During this episode, we truly meet Caroline for the very first time and are quickly confronted with an unwanted British invasion. We dive straight into her world of maritime mischief and consider the query of whether a woman's place is in the shipyard. Tune in to meet the eclectic cast of characters in Caroline's world...but hurry, because this ship is about to set sail.

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In this second Samantha spinoff, we speak with Dr. Allison Lange, ahistorian of women's suffrage and visual culture. She talks about AuntCornelia's speech style, the Susan B. Anthony Barbie, and Blacksuffragists you ought to know (plus much more). This episode also hasa rich visual accompaniment: the long-awaited, never-asked-forfirst-of-its-kind Gard Zine! You won't want to miss this homemademagazine (zine) filled with amazing Gard content. From a listicleabout the Henry Ford Museum to local versions of great Gard, ourlisteners really outdid themselves. You'll never think of Uncle Gard,Car Culture, or the Saturn brand the same again. Special thanks to ourdear friend Eric, who has now lent his ears and his voice in supportof the show. Opening fan fiction piece submitted by listener Danni Z.and shared with permission.

Read and enjoy the Uncle Gard Zine: http://bit.ly/UncleGardZine

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On this episode, enjoy a gem from our patreon vault. This episode tackles Dear America: Voyage on the Great Titanic. We talk about the iceberg-level cultural fascination with the ship, the Titanic Historical Society, and survivors' videos on Youtube. Please note this episode was first recorded and released in April 2020

The Titanic documentary we discuss can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0HchZvjV_4o

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We are taking a summer break, so enjoy a patreon episode from our archives! For our twelfth Patreon episode, we chose the memoir of a modern diva and one of the most accomplished recording artists of all time. Join us as we consider The Meaning of Mariah Carey (2020) - an autobiography and fascinating portrait of race and fame in modern America. Why did Mariah have to sneak out to Burger King? What’s the deal with Carson Daly? Is Mariah the Queen of Christmas? We consider these pressing questions and more.

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On this episode, we're joined by Colette Denali Montoya-Sloan, a member of the Pueblo of Isleta and a descendant of the Pueblo of San Felipe. A librarian interested in oral history and issues of Indigenous identity, Colette shared a wealth of experiences with us in this fun conversation! We heard about her earliest memories of American Girl, her first introduction to Kaya, and what she makes of Kaya's story now as an adult collector exploring questions of identity and narrative in her excellent Inky Marina blog (https://blog.inkymarina.com/) and Instagram account (@inkymarina). This episode will leave you with lots of great reading recs, resources, and questions, including what music should be played at Borders?

Visit our merch store! (Link: https://www.teepublic.com/stores/american-girls-podcast?ref_id=14940 ) Join our patreon! (https://www.patreon.com/americangirlspodcast) Follow the show on Instagram (@americangirlspodcast) and Twitter (@agirlspod) Email us at AmericanGirlsPod@gmail.com You can follow Allison on Instagram (@allisonhorrocks) and Twitter (@allisonhorrocks) You can follow Mary on Instagram (@mimimahoney) and Twitter (@MaryMahoney123) Check out our sponsors! Need a source of calm in your day? Subscribe to Libro FM! Choose from over 150,000 audiobooks and even support your local bookstore with your purchases as a member. To sign up, use code AGReads or this link: libro.fm/redeem/AGReads

Kaya has seen fire, she’s seen Speaking Rain, and finally, she sees Steps High again. While the final Kaya book brings change and some closure, that's not all--and really, what would a Kaya book be without some chaos? Forget being born in a cross-fire hurricane. In the final chapters, our hero endures yet another disaster, and goes through a wildfire, for her horse Steps High. Kaya once again rises to the occasion, saving her horse and learning some more lessons from her grandmother along the way. We discuss the overall trajectory of this series and the extra-long Peek into the Past on Nez Perce history. This episode also includes recent Free Britney updates.

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Nan, Clara, Jill… we’ve met our fair share of American Girl sisters by this point. In this episode, we cover Kaya Shows the Way, which is billed as “A Sister Story.” While Kaya and her family are fishing for salmon, her sisters start to take two different paths. As Kaya takes notes on how Brown Deer is courting and preparing for marriage, Speaking Rain returns with an announcement about a vow of her own. We discuss these family dynamics, Kaya’s continued water safety issues, and what it means to go chasing waterfalls during salmon season.

In the fourth Kaya book, we are not treated to an ahistorical birthday party. Instead, a new canine friend enters the American Girl universe and brings some much-needed joy to Kaya. While struggling to deal with the loss of Swan Circling and her sister’s ongoing captivity, Kaya meets Lone Dog, an animal who changes her life, and possibly ours. As we quickly learn, Kaya's dilemma is less “who let the dogs out?” and more “can this dog come in?” In this story, Kaya also has to grapple with scary visions for the future and of course, self-doubt. Come for the discussion of animal life in Nez Perce culture--and stay for the aftermath of our alarming realization that this book is older than Olivia Rodrigo.

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Just one year after Mr. Enrique Iglesias asked: "would you dance if I asked you to dance?" Janet Shaw penned a heroic tale for the ages. In "Kaya's Hero" (2002) we meet Swan Circling, a brave woman Kaya deeply admires. When a baby falls ill, Swan Circling heroically steps in. This is a spoiler-free zone, but listeners should be prepared (unfortunately) for more tragedy in the Kaya journey. During our discussion, we talk namesakes, personal heroes, and the importance of mentorship. We also learn that sometimes, "a hero lies in you"-- yes that means you, Kaya.

Examine the earliest documented Nez Perce saddle from the Spalding-Allen Collection: https://plateauportal.libraries.wsu.edu/digital-heritage/nez-perce-womans-saddle

Native American History: A Tale of Medicine: http://www.thedifferentialdx.com/native-american-history-a-tale-of-medicine/

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Try Warby Parker! Get free at-home try on with 5 frames. Glasses start at $95. Visit Warby Parker using our link: www.warbyparker.com/americangirlspod Check out Apostrophe! Save fifteen dollars off your first visit with a board-certified dermatologist at Apostrophe dot com slash AMERICANGIRLSPOD when you use our code: AMERICANGIRLSPOD. This code is only available to our listeners. www.apostrophe.com/americangirlspod

In the second Kaya book, the American Girl team breaks format, and also places our protagonist in great danger. Instead of learning just one big lesson, Kaya learns many. After Kaya and her sister are kidnapped, Kaya has to use her smarts to plot an escape. Our coverage discusses Kaya’s enslavement and what this book teaches us about 18c life for Kaya’s people. We also shed light on the team behind these books and discuss alternative narratives by indigenous authors. Finally, we consider the relevance of Rutherford Falls and Rebecca Black’s ten-year anniversary remix of Friday. An important word about content for our listeners: this book features upsetting themes including kidnapping, slavery, animal abuse, and threats of violence. We discuss these themes in the context of the book and history.

Visit our merch store! (Link: https://www.teepublic.com/stores/american-girls-podcast?ref_id=14940 ) Join our patreon! (https://www.patreon.com/americangirlspodcast) Follow the show on Instagram (@americangirlspodcast) and Twitter (@agirlspod) Email us at AmericanGirlsPod@gmail.com You can follow Allison on Instagram (@allisonhorrocks) and Twitter (@allisonhorrocks) You can follow Mary on Instagram (@mimimahoney) and Twitter (@MaryMahoney123) Check out our sponsors! Need a source of calm in your day? Subscribe to Libro FM! Choose from over 150,000 audiobooks and even support your local bookstore with your purchases as a member. To sign up, use code AGReads or this link: libro.fm/redeem/AGReads

Visit www.Magicspoon.com/americangirlspod and use promo code “americangirlspod” at checkout to get $5 off your order. Try America’s #1 Meal Kit aka Hello Fresh. Go to HelloFresh dot com slash americangirls12 (www.hellofresh.com/americangirls12 ) and use code americangirls12 for 12 free meals, including free shipping!”

This episode finds us deep in two distant and distinct time periods: the 18th century and the year 2002. Set in 1764, Meet Kaya (2002) features a strong girl from the Nimiipuu people (also known as the Nez Perce tribe). Kaya enjoys riding her horse and being with her family. Though Kaya's stories don't follow the same arc as other American Girls, trust us that this book has a bit of everything, including lessons on "boasting," weaving, how to shed undesirable nicknames, and racing ambitions. Moving at a classic Janet Shaw warp speed, Kaya and her horse Steps High ALSO step up and save the day, well before book six. Join us as we go back in time (again) and for the first time, go beyond the OGAG six whose stories we knew well. Together, we try to

learn what Beforever means as we puzzle over the year that gave us both the Justin/Britney breakup and this character billed as the "first American Girl."

Visit our merch store! (Link: https://www.teepublic.com/stores/american-girls-podcast?ref_id=14940 ) Join our patreon! (https://www.patreon.com/americangirlspodcast) Follow the show on Instagram (@americangirlspodcast) and Twitter (@agirlspod) Email us at AmericanGirlsPod@gmail.com You can follow Allison on Instagram (@allisonhorrocks) and Twitter (@allisonhorrocks) You can follow Mary on Instagram (@mimimahoney) and Twitter (@MaryMahoney123)

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Earhart. Bones. Thermopolis. Bedelia. In the great tradition of people named Amelia, one diarist from the mid-1990s stands alone. With her handy composition notebook, Amelia could keep track of the latest gossip, her family’s major move, and her growing interest in drawing noses. For this episode, we re-read Amelia's Notebook (1995) by Amelia (she's like Cher) and the one and only Marissa Moss. In addition to a careful study of each beautifully illustrated notebook page, we also plunged back into some of the vintage Amelia material published in the American Girl magazine. Of course, this episode also covers springtime treats, the early 2000s American Girl website, and an Amelia quiz. Grab an AOL disc, some colored pencils, and get ready for a dive in to a series of notebooks you have not thought about in 20 years but won’t soon forget.

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What is it like to serenade World War II veterans and perform patriotic tunes for tourists? J.Mix, a dialectic creative artist from New Orleans, answered that question and many more for us in this episode. J.Mix developed a deep knowledge of WWII during her time as a singer and dancer with the Victory Belles. This is a 1940s inspired/Miss Victory style vocal act that pays tribute to servicemembers. While she was with the Belles, J. Mix was an employee of the National WWII Museum, a multi-million dollar business in Louisiana. Now, J. Mix is a leader in the movement to dismantle the museum. Together with other community activists, J. Mix works to raise awareness of discrimination within the museum, to push for greater accountability among stakeholders, and to create a more just representation of all people who sacrificed during the war. She also finds time to joyfully rollerskate and make her own podcast, The Self Aware Millennial.

Follow and support her work @JMixPlainsItAll, @DismantleWWIIM, and @TheSelfAwareMillennial. Learn more about the Open Letter to the World War II Museum here: #DismantleNWWIIM - Open Letter (google.com).

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What would Molly McIntire have known about the Holocaust? For this episode, we talked with Leah Sauter, a teacher and translator whose speciality is Holocaust history. Drawing upon her extensive work with survivor testimony and newspapers, Leah provided us with insight into anti-semitism in the United States and censorship in mainstream US media in the 1940s. Though Molly's books include just a few sentences on the Jewish experience during World War II, as Leah discusses in this episode, there are plenty of other sources that center Jewish resistance and a fuller picture of the war. Leah also shares advice on which movies and books on the Holocaust to avoid. If you've been wondering what was left out (or wrong) in the Peek into the Past sections of Molly's canon books and supplementals, this one is a must-listen. You may find Leah at @peculiarleah on Instagram; she is also an active flaired user on r/askhistorians.

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Join us for a special episode as we celebrate our second birthday! If we held a party (we did), invited everyone we knew (did that too), you would see the biggest gift would be from us, and the card attached would say: free Britney! Join us as we talk about the Britney Spears documentary and share some wartime cake recipes. Thank you for being a friend! (and for listening)

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Need a source of calm in your day? Subscribe to Libro FM! Choose from over 150,000 audiobooks and even support your local bookstore with your purchases as a member. To sign up, use code AGReads or this link: libro.fm/redeem/AGReads

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When Molly McIntire is told that everyone must do their part during a war, she takes that command seriously. While rocking a middle part and dancing in her town's tap dance revue, Molly ascends to the big screen in "Molly: An American Girl on the Home Front" (2006). Though many esteemed filmmakers have tried to capture war on film, few have been so bold as to include a soda jerk uttering the line: “Sorry girls there’s no ice cream today." Tune in to hear us talk about the iconic teen queen Molly Ringwald, who plays Molly's mother, and the fantastic cast of child actors. Once again, this American Girl film proves that there's no small parts (there is, however, little brother erasure).

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In book six, Molly strives for her dream dance role of Miss Victory while acting miss-understood. Along the way, she ponders some big questions, such as whether curls will change her life and what it will mean to have her father home from the war. During this episode, we consider if any of us truly go home again...and probe what happened to a real life Miss Victory from the 1940s. This hair-raising journey pushes the reader to consider the power of a perm and the perils of endless war (mostly the former). As hosts and avowed Mollys, Mary and Allison take this opportunity to talk about Molly as a friend, performer, and hair transformer.

Essential Barbara Ann reads:

Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich), 02 Dec. 1942. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress.
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich), 06 Dec. 1942. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress. FASHION SHOW!

Teen Hair Tricks!

The Onslow County news and views. (Jacksonville, N.C.), 25 May 1945. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress.

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Need a source of calm in your day? Subscribe to Libro FM! Choose from over 150,000 audiobooks and even support your local bookstore with your purchases as a member. To sign up, use code AGReads or this link: libro.fm/redeem/AGReads

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One, two, three, four.. how will Molly handle her camp’s color war? Book five of the Molly series features another fictional island, frenemies, and a truly bizarre wartime Tripp to a woodsy summer camp. Proving that there’s no such thing as “too soon” at Camp Gowonagin, Molly and her friends recreate the D-Day beach landings to win a game. Molly wins, but much like the USA declaring victories around the world, at what cost? While Molly has to learn about swimming and friendly rivalry, we put this story in the broader context of life and death in camps during the 1940s.

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It’s April 1944 in Illinois. Molly McIntire is gearing up for the big 1-0 when a new arrival comes to town. In book four, Molly gets new roommate— a refugee from London named Emily. Sure, there’s a war on, but that won’t stop Molly from turning life’s lemons into an unwanted lemon cake. Tune in to hear our coverage of Molly’s birthday week and a discussion of twilight birth that no one asked for. Trust us, this Molly mood is a Taurus-de-force.

"Shirley Takes the Cake" Evening Star. April 19, 1936: https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83045462/1936-04-19/ed-1/seq-90/#date1=1936&index=2&rows=20&words=birthday+cake&searchType=basic&sequence=0&state=&date2=1945&proxtext=%22birthday+cake%22+&y=0&x=0&dateFilterType=yearRange&page=1

Birthday Party Descriptions. The Lexington Advertiser. December 22, 1938: https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84024271/1938-12-22/ed-1/seq-11/#date1=1936&index=12&rows=20&words=birthday+cake&searchType=basic&sequence=0&state=&date2=1945&proxtext=%22birthday+cake%22+&y=0&x=0&dateFilterType=yearRange&page=1

Crisco Cake Recipe. Detroit Evening Times. August 19, 1945: https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn88063294/1945-08-19/ed-1/seq-52/#date1=1936&sort=relevance&rows=20&words=Birthday+BIRTHDAY+CAKE+Cake&searchType=basic&sequence=0&index=2&state=&date2=1945&proxtext=%22birthday+cake%22+&y=0&x=0&dateFilterType=yearRange&page=2

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Want to start your own podcast? You’ll need audio hosting to push out your episodes to your audience. We host our show on Podbean and can offer our listeners one month of free hosting. Use: https://www.podbean.com/americangirlspod to try the unlimited hosting plan and https://www.podbean.com/pro/americangirlspod to create a show for your business!

For this holiday episode, we hear from YOU! We asked for some of your favorite holiday AG memories and like Molly’s mailman, you more than delivered. We also answer questions from listeners on friendship, dream AG books, and the future of the show.

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Email us at AmericanGirlsPod@gmail.com

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The holidays are coming! Consider buying a Libro FM membership for yourself or a loved one. Choose from over 150,000 audiobooks and even support your local bookstore with your purchases as a member. Our listeners can take advantage of a special offer: 2 audiobooks for the price of 1 in your first month. To sign up, use code AGReads or this link: libro.fm/redeem/AGReads

Want to start your own podcast? You’ll need audio hosting to push out your episodes to your audience. We host our show on Podbean and can offer our listeners one month of free hosting. Use: https://www.podbean.com/americangirlspod to try the unlimited hosting plan and https://www.podbean.com/pro/americangirlspod to create a show for your business!

It’s Christmas time again, and all Molly McIntire wants is ... everything. Molly’s Surprise has some classic AG elements (hello, a doll gift) and a few distinctive surprises (including a heartwarming radio messages). Along with Molly’s love language (gifts) we talk about the history of the USO, how the holidays were advertised in local papers during the war, and Mrs. M’s ability to leave work at work. Grab your red striped pajamas, part your hair, and warm your circular glasses with a cocoa: it’s holiday time at the McIntires.

Sources we reference in this episode:

“The Daily Monitor Leader. [Volume] (Mount Clemens, Mich.) 1942-19??, December 24, 1943, Image 18.” 2020. Loc.Gov, no. 1943/12/24: 18. https://doi.org/info:lccn/sn96077289.

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“The Chronicle-Star Combined with the Moss Point Advertiser. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1941-1949, December 22, 1944, SECTION TWO, Image 10.” 2020. Loc.Gov, no. 1944/12/22. https://doi.org/info:lccn/sn87065528.

“Celebrating Christmas in World War 2 – Keep Calm and Carry On.” 2015. 5-Minute History. December 16, 2015. https://fiveminutehistory.com/celebrating-christmas-in-world-war-2-keep-calm-and-carry-on/.

‌

‌Christmas Fact Sheet - World War II Museum: https://www.nationalww2museum.org/sites/default/files/2017-07/christmas-on-the-home-front.pdf

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The holidays are coming! Consider buying a Libro FM membership for yourself or a loved one. Choose from over 150,000 audiobooks and even support your local bookstore with your purchases as a member. Our listeners can take advantage of a special offer: 2 audiobooks for the price of 1 in your first month. To sign up, use code AGReads or this link: libro.fm/redeem/AGReads

Special note: our next episode will be a mailbag! Please send us your thoughts, questions, and stories you’d consent to sharing on the show. You can reach us via email, phone (we don’t answer), or radio message a la Dr. M.

In the second Molly book, we learn 7x8 and who we can appreciate. Molly’s plucky scheming streak continues when she refuses to take part in a group knitting project. Eventually, she surrenders and learns a lesson about allies and how to befriend an Alison. In our coverage, we continue to grapple with the great existential question of what it means to be a Molly, and much more. Tune in for our discussion of education in the 1940s, nationalism, and lessons not learned on this season of Bachelorette.

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Molly wore a blueberry beret, and we think we love her. In this episode, we take a look at the first Molly book & the story that launched our love of American Girl. A surprising amount of this book hinges on a vegetable and a hula outfit. We tackle these plots and zoom out a bit to talk about wartime sacrifice and colonial costumes. We also talk about the Clare of it all and what is perhaps the most shocking season of Bachelorette to date.

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Would Molly McIntire bring a boomer ethic into her workplace? Is there a world in which Samantha Parkington experiences burnout? In this very special episode, we talked with Anne Helen Petersen, journalist and author of Can't Even: How Millennials Became the Burnout Generation. In the spirit of the classic Care and Keeping of You Books, we chatted with Anne about self-care and social change. You won't want to miss Anne's Samantha story, her Kirsten insights, and her take on coping with the pandemic.

Read and enjoy the Uncle Gard Zine ( http://bit.ly/UncleGardZine)

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In this second Samantha spinoff, we speak with Dr. Allison Lange, a historian of women's suffrage and visual culture. She talks about Aunt Cornelia's speech style, the Susan B. Anthony Barbie, and Black suffragists you ought to know (plus much more). This episode also has a rich visual accompaniment: the long-awaited, never-asked-for first-of-its-kind Gard Zine! You won't want to miss this homemade magazine (zine) filled with amazing Gard content. From a listicle about the Henry Ford Museum to local versions of great Gard, our listeners really outdid themselves. You'll never think of Uncle Gard, Car Culture, or the Saturn brand the same again. Special thanks to our dear friend Eric, who has now lent his ears and his voice in support of the show. Opening fan fiction piece submitted by listener Danni Z. and shared with permission.

Read and enjoy the Uncle Gard Zine: http://bit.ly/UncleGardZine

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In this Samantha spinoff, we were so pleased to be joined by Rebecca Brenner Graham, a D.C. based historian. An expert on the postal service, Rebecca studies the Sunday mail service (which was a thing until just over 100 years ago!) as a way to understand religion-state relations in the 1800s. Rebecca will take you to Such Great Heights and give you a whole other understanding of mail as a function of democracy and friendship culture. This episode also includes our take on Courtney Moore, a Pacman-loving American Girl from 1986 released this month.

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Sparks fly... it's like electricity (recently got implemented in wealthy homes). What has amazing casting, references to the 1904 Worlds Fair, and not one but two turn -of- the -century mansions? You guessed it: the Samantha movie. In this episode, we recap a made-for-tv WB masterpiece for the ages. Samantha: An American Girl Holiday was the first AG film and they went all out. Join us as we savor this Samantha centennial (2004) product, talking about everything from the cast (Mia Farrow??) to disturbing and colorful child labor scenes.

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In the final book of the Samantha canon, we find just about everyone living la vida in loco parentis. Robbed of a GrandMary/Admiral wedding, we open with Samantha living with her aunt and uncle in New York City. When Samantha learns that Nellie has also come to the Big Apple, she's determined to have a reunion. Instead, she gets three new sisters. Upon learning that Jenny, Nellie, and Bridget are in an Annie-type orphanage, Samantha assists with a breakaway worthy of Kelly Clarkson. From child labor laws and class consciousness to chosen family, book six covers a lot of changes. We take you along for the ride, from Nellie's hard knock life to Samantha's Gramercy Perk brownstone.

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If you thought a camp element was missing from the Samantha books, you're in luck! Samantha's fifth story is set in the family's piney Adirondacks retreat. When Samantha finds a sketchbook with forgotten family memories, she books a sketchy trip out to an island with the twins. This leads to an evening that is Wet And Perilous -- but of course our hero saves the day. Come along and row, row, row your boat as we all scream and Samantha reignites family nightmares. This episode also includes a discussion of our second-favorite apprentice shortcut California lawyer: Perry Mason (Kim K. being one).

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Gather round and grab your flower crown: it's birthday time. In book four, Samantha makes new friends, destroys a pram, and catches a suffrage speech given by Cornelia. She also meets Annie-like twins who leave Eddie (and by extension Sam's birthday ice cream) rather salty. Join us and have a marvelous time ruining everything.

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Ah, to be a young Victorian beauty awaiting Christmas in December 1904. Such is the life of young Samantha, who is afraid she won't receive a (second) very expensive doll in the span of a few months in this Yuletide yarn. While we wait with bated breath to see if all of her holiday dreams come true, we discuss gift giving, the Roosevelts (yes again and always), and the servants' labor behind Sam's holiday magic. This is an Elsa / frozen combo you won't want to let go.

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In the second Samantha book, we find her well established in a private academy, and just learning about class. Tasked with coming up with a speech on progress, Samantha summons her inner Elon Musk and preps for her big moment --while also finding the time to bring Nellie up to speed on years of missed schooling. Yet it turns out that Nellie has much to teach her, too. After hearing about Nellie's experiences with factory life, Samantha changes her TedTalk faster than Grandmary can summon a servant. Speaking of the 1%, this episode also includes our commentary on Selling Sunset and the serotonin snack that is Sweet Magnolias.

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With this episode, we go back to one of the original American Girl stories: Meet Samantha. Published in the age of Reaganomics, this AG asks a lot of questions from a place of tremendous privilege -- and we are along for the ride. Though she has every material comfort, Samantha, who was orphaned a few years prior, is lonely in the House of Grandmary. Apparently, money only gets her so far, and with this episode, we learn how she navigates new friendships (Nellie), rivalries (Eddie) and the interior lives of people who are employed at the house (Jessie, you deserve more). There may be a faux velvet hat on top of her head, but with a re-read of this book, we learn there's brains, too.

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Girl grows up longing for a Bitty Baby and her accoutrement. Girl writes several books and launches a hilarious podcast. Fast forward to 2020: girl agrees to a shopping challenge and Beanie Baby market speculation on our show. Dear listeners - meet Caroline Moss, the author of the Work It, Girl! series and host of the hit podcast "Gee Thanks, Just Bought It." On this episode, we talk with Caroline about the joy of poring over an an American Girl catalogue and what we'd splurge on today. That feeling you used to get looking at the latest Penny riding gear and AG sleepover kits -- you want it? You got it.

Consider donating to Historic Stagville if you're able.

Take our Catalog Challenge!

Do the $100 spending challenge using this holiday catalogue:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/134421442@N08/albums/72157663591299692/

Pick any item to splurge on from this catalogue:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/134421442@N08/albums/72157662670713742/

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A lot has changed since the "Peek into the Past" chapters were written in the Addy books more than twenty years ago. In that time, the web has gone from a slow novelty to something we carry with us. More importantly, we now also have a new cultural form - the crowdsourced web syllabus. The Addy syllabus we describe in this episode features books, articles, primary sources, games, snippets from AGIG, and more. This list pulls together works and texts that allow for a new or deeper understanding of Addy, and additional ways to consider her story in the context of American culture. One of the purposes of this syllabus was to update the story of civil rights told in the Addy epilogues. We credit black feminist scholars for their creation of this scholarly form: Dr. Marcia Chatelain started the Ferguson Syllabus in the wake of the murder of Michael Brown in Missouri.

You can access the syllabus here:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1FtfimLFWcm9uQrGvXQso9Umn-gPELOAdAQotcVDz17A/edit

You may also add to the syllabus by writing an entry in this form:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1qGwxt55ommDkbZXPLzipDylI41QnaWaYW9yNIsEbeoA/viewform?edit_requested=true

Who are the real people who became the basis for the Addy story? What happened to black women who liberated themselves, only to find a life of restricted freedoms in the north in the 19th century? Join us for this conversation with public historian Vera Cecelski, the Site Manager at Historic Stagville State Historic Site in North Carolina. Vera sheds light on the true stories behind the Addy books and the incredible journeys of people who were enslaved at Stagville. We ask what it's like to run an Addy birthday party and how educators at Stagville use WPA narratives.

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For our first bonus episode on Addy, we spoke to Lacey Wilson, a public historian based out of Georgia. Lacey talked with us about growing up with Addy and her trajectory into a career in museums. Lacey also divulged details about the best college paper ever written on Addy (we aren't adding any qualifiers, we accept this as truth). Since this was not Lacey's first or even second re-read of the series, we also asked how another exploration of these books has felt during quarantine.

For our next episode, we are building an Addy syllabus! We are interested in compiling sources that connect to Addy's story and/or the period in which these books were written. These do not need to be print sources! You can share a song, photograph, poem, movie, memento, museum object or artifact. You submit your pick using this form or leave us a voicemail at (860) 455-4091‬. We will be sharing submissions on the syllabus and on our show!

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As a British Knight once taught us, some people choose to live alone; some people choose the city. In the final book of the Addy canon, the search for baby Esther, Aunt Lula, and Uncle Solomon continues. When the family is reunited, it does not feel so good, and Addy learns of a death close to home. Though rightfully unconvinced by the promise of Philadelphia freedom, Addy steps up to read the Emancipation Proclamation to her church. As we come to the end of the Addy canon, we consider where we've gone on her journey and what the Peek into the Past is meant to do. The hosts also talk about why you need Fiona Apple in quarantine (ok that's Mary's expertise) and some books to check out during this time of distancing.

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In book five, Addy Walker gardens in the sun and learns to empathize with Harriet despite the shade. While fundraising for refugees, Addy and her family tend to a garden plot while dealing with Harriet's snark and classism. Addy defies Harriet and pulls some strings to put together a heartfelt if strange puppet show for a good cause. When a devil in a blue dress runs away with their earnings from the fair, Addy stages an intervention. Just as Addy pursued a thief, this episode tackles a range of topics, including the new Netflix special "Self Made."

To check out pop culture distractions shared by our listeners (and add your own!), explore Pop Culture Prescription.

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In our last episode, we took some of your most pressing questions and left out content related to histories of medicine & disease. In this smaller mailbag pod, we talk about social distancing in the Kirsten era, Samantha's experience with the 1918 flu pandemic, and offer some additional pop culture prescriptions.

To check out pop culture distractions shared by our listeners (and add your own!), explore Pop Culture Prescription.

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Your date card has arrived, and we can't wait to share what's on our hearts. Join us for a very brief detour out of 1864 Philadelphia and into our mailbag. On this episode, we answer your questions on favorite historical sites, the books we've read this far, and grand unified theories about Bachelor and American Girl.

Special note: for some of you, hearing others talk about pandemics past or present isn't what you are looking for right now. For that reason, we dedicated a separate episode to talking about the history of disease and how the AGs would quarantine.

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In the fourth book of the Addy series, our young hero learns that sometimes you do get to have your ice cream and eat it, too. The spring of 1865 finds the Walker family in new circumstances. Poppa has come north, the family has moved out of the garret, and an incomparable sage has come into Addy's life, the darling M'Dear. As Addy struggles with problems as small as learning to jump rope and as big as systemic racism, her story continues to illuminate not just the interior life of a girl, but also a nation in transition. At the end of the book, Addy chooses the end of the Civil War to be her birthday, making her an Aries by destiny if not birth. This episode takes you though the most important April of Addy's life and along the way, sprinkles in the poetry of Maya Angelou, the history of ice cream, a detour into pandemic containment, and commentary on the disastrous decisions of Peter Weber. Wash your hands, find a double dutch partner, and treat yourself to our take on Happy Birthday, Addy.

Note: for next episode, we'll be taking your questions, comments, and stories for a special mailbag edition of American Girls. So, ask us anything!

We are thinking of our #OGAG community during this pandemic. Thanks to all of you contributed to the Pop Culture RX: List of COVID-19 Distractions. Stay safe everyone!

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In this third Connie Porter joint, we find Addy Walker longing for reunion and bracing for a lonely Christmas in Philadelphia. While this book has all the hallmarks of a typical AG “Surprise” book (a holiday! a doll! a father/daughter moment! moms overworking!) there are still additional surprises for Addy and her mother in this compact volume. As Addy continues to learn about the realities of life in the north, she questions why freedom isn’t free. Join us as we catch up on this week in popular culture AND Addy’s sharp criticisms of how refugees are treated in a racist and classist society. Love might be blind (thanks for ruining our week, Netflix) but Addy's story reminds us of the power of clear eyed look at history.

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Newly arrived in Philadelphia, Addy and her mother set out to build a new life. Addy begins attending school and quickly learns the value of good friends (we see you Sarah) and the lure of the mean girl (not cool, Harriet). On Wednesdays, Addy wears pink, but when it comes to the big spelling bee, she crushes it in a new blue dress. As Mary and Allison review this Porter classic, they consider the careful treatment of both friendship & literacy. Filled with a cast of new and rich characters, Addy’s second story exposes northern racism, segregation, and the challenge of making a new life. Join us and dive into a book that makes you cherish your friends and favorite stories more than you already do.

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This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Book one of Addy Walker’s story opens in a hot and hellish plantation cabin. By the end of her first story, Addy and her mother have taken their freedom, escaping bondage together. In this episode, Mary and Allison examine the corporate origins of Addy’s 1993 debut and a few perspectives on her status as an AG “first.” While considering representations of slavery, family, and whiteness in Addy’s world, the hosts also compare this first book with other characters’ plot lines. Lastly, this show tackles Bachelor Peter, the culture of CHEER, and what should be done about Sherb’s mysterious fall.

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Fan fiction can take many forms. With that in mind, this episode goes off book and dives feet first into the world of historic textiles. After responding to our invite via Pony Express, Jessica Quirk, founder of The Kirsten Project, agreed to talk about her process. A fashion blogger and seamstress extraordinaire, Jessica has recreated several key Kirsten outfits and has plans to do more. Jessica generously shared what it has been like to make and inhabit carefully reproduced Kirsten style clothing. Along the way, we got to chat about re-enacting, Jane Austen festivals, and why Kirsten’s winter garb looks an awful lot like an ‘80s Mom sweater. As the old saying goes: a stitch in time may save nine, but a sharply made Kirsten pocket will get you many well deserved likes on Instagram.

Check out Jessica’s book and her blog - Stars and Field:

https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/authors/142367/jessica-quirk

https://www.starsandfield.com/weblog/2019/8/17/the-kirsten-project-dress-inspiration

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Riffing on Janet Shaw, the wise songstress Sheryl Crow once said: "a change would do you good." As we read the sixth Kirsten book, we heeded these wise words and phoned a friend. For our discussion of Changes for Kirsten, we are joined by NY Times television critic Margaret Lyons. Working together, we try to find Shonda Rhimes and reason in the plot twists of this book. This proved challenging in a dense volume that includes a raccoon abduction, a house fire, and Kirsten’s discovery of a dead man in a cave. With Margaret’s guidance, however, we came to a new appreciation of our eponymous yellow -haired heroine. We also stepped outside the text to offer a dramatic reading of the Janet Shaw original "Miss Winston's Reply," a play designed for 4-6 adolescents.

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In this very special episode, Mary and Allison meet up with historian and chef Gwen in an undisclosed location. Armed only with munchkins and sheer grit, they set out to make some Food Network magic. As the author and cooking genius behind the blog "A Peek into the Pantry," Gwen brings years of expertise in the kitchen to the show. While making Kirsten's Pepparkakor cookies, Gwen explains how she got into cooking, dishes about her favorite recipes from Kirsten's Cook Book, and ruminates on what American Girl means to her. This episode also features Gwen's wife Jess, who offers her views on children's literature as well as trying times in our nation's history/Ben Affleck's career (yes, we are talking about Pearl Harbor). If you've wondered whether any of the recipes in your American Girl trunk are any good, this bonus Kirsten episode is for you.

Learn more about Gwen's work here: http://apeekintothepantry.blogspot.com/

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Before Jessica Alba had a hip-hop dance career, few may recall that Kirsten Larson was also making gold from honey. In the fifth Kirsten book, we find our young hero has become an unbearably brave woman of the woods. Undaunted by wild bears, Kirsten “saves the day” by finding honeycombs and eventually, creating a new revenue stream for the family. While Mary and Allison question Kirsten’s devotion to beekeeping (Bees? Beads? Her?) they tackle the concepts of wilderness and whiteness. This episode also includes an important discussion on Justin Timberlake and the unresolved, unanswered BOLO for Singing Bird.

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Snitches get stitches, but in this episode, we will see that secret-keepers like Kirsten get full hand-sewn quilts. Book four brings us straight into Gemini season, and plot twists and literal twisters abound. As the family makes plans for both a new barn and a new baby, Kirsten struggles with intense FOMO when new chores demand her attention. While Kirsten believes that her cousins/friends are making a quilt for their beloved teacher, they are in fact stitching together a special surprise for her double digit day. If flower crowns, barn raisings, and mid-19th century birthday parties (hello George Washington) sound like a good time to you, grab a cozy quilt and settle in. And if that doesn't sell it, this episode also includes a discussion of early aughts prairie living, settlement house reality shows, and a connection between Kirsten and the Kardashians.

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We know that not all heroes wear capes. In this episode, we learn that some explore “secret” caves and wear crowns. In “A Surprise for Kirsten,” a poorly timed trek to get luggage results in a near disaster for our eponymous hero and her father. Thankfully, Kirsten saves the day a bit early in her narrative arc—and just in time to be home for the holidays. As we consider Kirsten’s attachment to her belongings, we also examine her primary interests, which seem to be cats, carbs, and candles. If the Kirsten you remember is carrying a tray of goodies and wearing a wreath, this episode is for you. Come for the holiday magic and stay for our call to start investing now in $5,000 American Girl dolls in time for the season.

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During this episode, Mary and Allison channel a young Kirsten Larson and immediately hit the books. Diving right into Kirsten’s second story, the hosts start by examining her jarring introduction to the American classroom and all that entails (spoiler: threats of violence and male misbehavior). As they explore the power trips and perils of one-room schoolhouses, Mary and Allison also apply a laser sharp focus on the wonder that is Kirsten’s teacher, Miss Winston. To the surprise of us all, however, this wielder of rulers and molder of minds isn’t the most curious character in the book. Throwing memories of Marta to the wind, Kirsten becomes “best friends” with a local indigenous girl named Singing Bird. This revelation of course leads to a broader discussion of friendship, language barriers, and representations of native people in children's books. So, crack open your chalk, grab your slate, and prepare to get schooled.

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In this episode, we talk about the misadventures of not one, but three American girls who have found themselves in the Big Apple. After briefly recounting their experience at the American Girl Store in New York, NY, Mary and Allison launch into Kirsten’s first book, set in 1854. In under 60 pages, Kirsten’s story covers the travails of mid-19c immigration, cholera, steamboats, the thrill of hot train rides, and long walks to new beginnings. As they rediscover Kirsten’s life and times, the hosts also consider other children’s literature on migration and favorite primary sources on historic disease (miasma talk anyone??). In the words of the Larsons - have heart and come along for this next AG adventure.

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On this very special episode, Allison and Mary talk with Allison Marek, a psychotherapist specializing in working with people with eating disorders, depression, anxiety, and trauma. After we Meet Allison, she teaches us about the enneagram and shares her journey with American Girl. Allison then offers her professional perspective on the death of Mrs. Montoya, Mr. Montoya's unhealthy communication style, and Josefina's feelings of shame. This episode also includes insights into how you can be a good friend to someone who is grieving and healthy ways to process your emotions. Don't miss this conclusion to our summertime sadness and coverage of Josefina.

You can learn more about Allison Marek on her website: https://allisonmarek.com/

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In this episode, the hosts examine fan fiction about Josefina Montoya. After quickly realizing that there was a comparative dearth of material about Josefina and the Montoyas, Allison and Mary got to work and commissioned their listeners. As we are now all fond of saying, "Tia Dolores did it," and in this case, you did, too. Through the written word and through song, listeners took action and demanded new pasts, futures, and journeys for Josefina and Tia D. We consider the major trends and the bleak plotlines imagined by Josefina's fans. In the realm of pop culture, we also give our takes on the elite politics of Succession and the artwork of Amalia Mesa-Bains. Stick around for the end of the episode when we announce the winner of our first ever #GOAT Goat Writing Contest.

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In the last book in the Josefina canon, we find that it is not just comedies that end in weddings--sometimes tragedies do too. To bring the Montoyas' story to a close, author Valerie Tripp arranges a marriage between Papa and Tia Dolores, who will now take on the mantle of stepmother. While this book finds Josefina pondering the future of her family, Mary and Allison use this opportunity to consider the overall arc of the series and what it conveys about nationalism. The hosts also consider a new line of empowerment Barbies, some important news coverage, and an Ashanti sighting.

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In Josefina Saves the Day, the Americans have arrived and things get (el Camino) Real for the Montoyas and everyone’s favorite interloper, Tia Dolores. For this summer story, the family visits grandpa’s compound just outside of Santa Fe for a big trade meetup. Armed with the fruits of Tia D’s forced labor experiment, they are ready to make some cold hard coin. After luring a young Missourian scout with a clay pipe, Josefina fears that the Jason-Bateman-like Patrick O’Toole is not a trustworthy trade partner. Eventually, Josefina channels both Felicity Merriman & Nancy Drew to save the family’s big trade, but not before a bizarre night out in Santa Fe. As Mary and Allison discuss Josefina’s spring-break-like jaunt, they consider what it means for her to be an “American” hero in the context of US imperial intrusion. They also tackle the film trailer of the moment, LITTLE WOMEN, pig history, and most important of all, a Leo season engagement.

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Why do fools fall in love? Why is the earth round? What is the meaning of life? Does Mary have a seltzer preference? We answer some of these questions, and many more, in this very special episode. During this brief detour from Josefina’s summertime sadness, we take listener questions and read from some of our correspondence with listeners. Trust us, it’s worth the Tripp.

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Josefina: you know her, you love her, and at this point, you wish she could just catch a break. In book four, we find Josefina learning healing practices, both losing and then gaining a goat, and getting shortchanged on her first double -digit birthday. Though most of this book is about Josefina learning to do emotional labor and herbal medicine, Mary and Allison took this opportunity to examine whether Ms. Montoya is really a Pisces or is perhaps a Cancer or Taurus. They also question the continued lack of joy and friendship in Josefina’s life and the heavy overtones of Catholic shame that tinge her one moment of youthful hijinks. Finally, the hosts consider a few of the podcasts and television shows that are part of their world this summer.

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Surprise! We are three books into the Josefina series and everyone in the Montoya household is still super sad. As Mary and Allison continue their exploration of Josefina’s colonial world, they find her Christmas story to be both deeply moving and riddled with Catholic guilt. As the sisters continue to grapple with the loss of Mama, their grief is eclipsed only by Dolores’s drive to work. While evaluating the town’s Freudian passion play that is at the center of the action, Mary reveals her own thespian past & a Quincinera connection. Finally, after unlocking a potential connection to the film Sister Act 2, Mary and Allison consider how religion has shaped American girls from Josefina to Hannah B. Perhaps most importantly, the hosts also use this episode to consider whether Bachelor contestants are most deserving of encounters with the sublime (i.e. Vermeer paintings and Dollywood).

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In Episode 10, we explore Josefina Learns a Lesson, the second book in the Josefina series. One lesson we learn right away is never to judge a book by its (beautifully illustrated) cover. Though this book promises a school story, what it delivers is a story about a family being schooled by their once-absent aunt, Tia Dolores. Following a disastrous flood, Tia Dolores seizes her chance to inflict her priorities on the family. After making the family business solvent, Dolores begins her hotly contested campaign for literacy. Over the course of this episode, Mary and Allison consider Josefina's growing skillset (family therapy, weaving, sewing, spreading Catholic guilt) and whether Dolores is really just fleecing the Montoyas. We also wrap up our coverage of the HBO mega-hit Gentleman Jack, Taylor Swift’s contribution to Pride Month, and the couple bringing measles back.

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In episode nine, we turn our gaze to the American Southwest & the youthful, plucky Josefina Montoya. Our analysis of Josefina’s books begins with two powerful questions—first, given the place and time, is this the story of a colonial girl? Second, just how many references to Tejana queen Selena will we make per episode? While representations of imperialism in early American history are hard to unpack, over the course of this show, we’ll reveal why Meet Josefina had us reeling for still other reasons. Maybe you didn’t see how this book set in an 1820s borderland community (what’s now New Mexico) was essentially ripped from the 1990s melodrama THE PIANO.

But once you hear our take on Tia Dolores, you’ll see that’s why we’re here—note: we are also here to remind you of 90s crossover stars gone too soon.

At the end of this episode, we put out a special call for you to contact our hotline! You may reach us at 1-860-455-4091 with YOUR hot takes for Pride Month 2019. Whether you think Molly is the queerest of them all, or just have to share your Samantha take, reach out to us!

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If we've said it once, we've said it at least a dozen times: if Felicity was good enough to launch Shailene Woodley’s career, it is more than enough for this podcast. In episode eight, we consider Woodley’s turn as a spunky colonial frenemy in Felicity: An American Girl Adventure (2005). Along the way, we ask important questions about its team of producers, which was mysteriously led by none other than America’s sweetheart, Julia Roberts. This line of inquiry includes a stunning and hair raising revelation by Mary. We also wonder aloud why grown men take time to consume this material in a hate-watch fashion & then post about it. Lastly, Mary and Allison share their thoughts on the HBO-produced show everyone is talking about, and no, there is not a throne, but there is a queer hero.

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Upon completing the six canon Felicity books, Mary and Allison turn to fan fiction. In addition to reading some fans’ stories that fall within the Valerie Tripp timeline, they investigate alternative narratives, including a Men in Black II crossover. Inspired by the wild world of Felicity fic, the hosts pick up their own proverbial quill and imagine a few other Felicity plots. This episode also includes Olsen twin news and an Ann Rinaldi bombshell.

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If times are a changin, why does so little happen in this book? During this final Felicity saga, friendships are tested, grandfathers and town frenemies fall ill, and a foal is born. While reflecting on this journey we’ve taken with Williamsburg’s fave redhead, Mary and Allison question not only her development arc, but the redemption of Jiggy Nye and the absolution of Felicity’s grandpa. Last but never least, we find ourselves reeling over recent news on the collapse of the British empire (see: cheating rumors of Prince William) and America’s favorite not-a- girl-not-yet-woman Britney Spears.

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In book five, it’s the summer of 1775 but the spirit of 1776 is heating up along with the temperatures in colonial Virginia. Mrs. Merriman is pregnant, Mr. Merriman is having financial troubles, and Felicity is her usual spirited self - so the family of course takes a road trip to grandpa’s. But this journey through the woods includes a lurking Ben, who’s broken his apprenticeship and leg. Felicity will have to make some tough choices about loyalty and dependence and we’ll navigate how we feel about a woman photographing a black hole. We also take a look at a recent visit to Mount Vernon and the racial politics of portraying servitude in AG.

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Typically the magazines we talk about are Us Weekly and People but in this episode, Mary and Allison get into the Williamsburg gunpowder plot of 1775. Book four features Felicity’s birthday and the knowledge that as she enters her double digit years, she’s fully prepared to blow the whistle on loyalists. As we explore Felicity’s new 10-year-old level interests (gardening? the guitar!?) we weigh what it means that she’s an Earth sign & a Taurus. Last but not least, we look back at the history of children’s birthday parties. https://www.theodysseyonline.com/5-perks-long-distance-friend https://www.bustle.com/p/which-american-girl-doll-you-are-based-on-your-zodiac-sign-3267558 https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2018/01/the-new-age-of-astrology/550034/

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There’s a governor’s ball and Felicity WILL dance (and cry along the way) if she wants to in Felicity’s Surprise. In unpacking this third installment, Mary and Allison discuss the extent to which the title character’s surprise is not just a new dress or doll but the extent to which “woke” Ben wants her to be domesticated. We also trace the feverish dots between Mrs. Merriman’s illness, The Yellow Wallpaper, and Theranos. If you didn’t see the Elizabeth Holmes/Felicity Merriman connection coming, hold your horses–there’s also a colonial Williamsburg/Bachelor Nation tie-in. This is one we couldn’t wait to drop. Great analysis of Golden Girls and chronic fatigue syndrome: https://nursingclio.org/2018/09/25/golden-girls-chronic-fatigue-syndrome-and-the-legacies-of-hysteria/ Holiday Magic is Made by Women, and it’s Killing Us: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/emotional-labor-holidaysn5a1ec905e4b0d724fed5588a

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Loose lips may sink ships, and in Felicity Learns a Lesson, we learn how loose tea and teeth can bring down an empire…or just a bratty imperialist. In this episode, Mary and Allison question Felicity’s bonafides as a friend, whether Ben Franklin was an influencer, and the importance of the Yorktown tea party. We also connect the Fyre Fest debacle to colonial politics and ask a vital question: who’s looking out for Ashanti?

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In their very first episode, Mary and Allison talk about their origin story, attending American Girl Live! as thirty-somethings, and Valerie Tripp’s masterwork Meet Felicity. While exploring the world set out in the Felicity books (1770s colonial Virginia) they question the title character’s exclusive devotion to freeing a local horse named Penny. Last but not least, they address an important petition on American Girl dolls and representation. Sign the petition here: https://www.change.org/p/american-girl-dolls-american-girl-will-not-make-a-doll-with-down-syndrome

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Join historians and friends Allison Horrocks and Mary Mahoney as they relive the American Girls series one book at a time. New episodes every other week. Debuts March 1st.

This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app