American Girl introduces homeless doll

The "Gwen Thompson" American Girl doll raises
the issue of homelessness in America, but retails
for $95. (Photo: americangirl.com)

American Girl, best known for their high quality, ethnically diverse dolls representing various periods in American history, has just introduced a "limited edition" doll representing the plight of the homeless. The back story of the "Gwen Thompson" doll is that she lives in a car with her mother; the actual doll with the accompanying paperback book retails for $95, accessories not included.

The American Doll series of characters are available online at www.americangirl.com. Characters in the series include Addy Walker, a young girl escaping slavery in 1864; Felicity Merriman, who watches the American Revolution unfold in 1774; Kirsten Larson, a Swedish immigrant girl who settles on the Minnesota frontier in 1854; Kaya, a Native American girl growing up with other members of the Nez Perce tribe in 1764; and Kit Kittredge, a spunky Great Depression-era girl who became the subject of the first American Girl movie.

Most girls and their parents in Orlando might already be familiar with the American Girl books and crafting materials aimed at tweens. The Barnes & Noble bookstores at Waterford Lakes and Altamonte Mall have standing displays with American Girl small crafts, cookbooks, short stories, journals and advice books geared towards pre-teen girls.

In cities where there are American Girl Place stores—Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Dallas, Boston, and Minneapolis—going to the store is a mother and daughter experience. The flagship American Girl Place was opened in Chicago in 1999 and recently relocated to an even larger location on Michigan Avenue in what is known as the Magnificent Mile shopping district. I’ve been to the original Chicago location, and even tried to visit the new one last year, but somehow my son steered me away from it.

The stores include all of the character dolls, books, clothing (for the dolls and their young owners) and other accessories. There is also a café, photo studio, and doll hair salon at what can best be described as Disney World prices. American Girl products are definitely as wholesome as (and even more educational than) all things Disney, but the dolls and accessories would be rather inaccessible to the type of child that “Gwen Thompson” is based on, which is probably why a $95 “homeless” doll (buy the hairbrush for only $7 more) is raising more than a few eyebrows among parents who might be asked to buy an American Girl Doll one day for their daughter.

For more info: Read more about another doll that's raised a few eyebrows among parents; the breastfeeding Bebe Gloton.