My Daughter Loves the American Girl Dolls

American Girl Dolls - A Healthy Obsession

I'd never heard of the American Girl Dolls until my sister-in-law (a very talented quilter who also makes clothes for dolls) showed my daughter Grace (4 yrs old at the time) one of her Historical Dolls.

She enjoyed changing the clothes, and brushing her hair, as much as any little girl with a new doll. It wasn't until we took our seasonal trip into NYC to see the Christmas Tree at Rockerfeller Center, that I realized how much my daughter loved that doll. On the train ride in, my sister-in-law (Jean) mentioned that the American Girl Place was only a few blocks from Rockerfeller Center, and that Grace would enjoy seeing all of the dolls, and their different outfits.

To say Grace enjoyed the store is like saying that the US Open is just another golf tournament. The first floor hair salon was fascinating. The second floor historical dolls (and the rows of outfits and accessories) were like the catalog come to life. But the third floor, with the Bitty Babies, was nothing short of Heaven on Earth. Within a few seconds, Grace had decided that the whole 3rd floor was her personal playroom.

She soon had the Bitty Baby twins loaded in their stroller, a suitcase from a display packed underneath, and was pushing them around the 3rd floor as any loving parent would (and I thank the AGP staff for being understanding, I'm sure this wasn't the first time this has happened).

At this point I realized that my daughter wouldn't be happy just playing with one doll, she wanted to play with the whole store!

American Girl's Rebecca Rubin

Photo by Tony Cenicola, NY Times

Here she is - Rebecca Rubin, the newest Historical Doll from the American Girl Doll company.

Rebecca and her family are Jewish-Russian immigrants who have settled in Manhattan's Lower East Side in 1914. In addition to her parents, rebecca lives with siblings (no details yet), and her Grandmother, affectionately known as "Bubble".

The American Girl Company spent years researching Rebecca's look, in order to make sure that her appearance and physical characteristics appropriate, but not stereotypical. The result is Rebecca, a 9 year old girl with hazel green eyes, mid-tone brown hair with russet highlights, a red coat and white boots.

Also, in order to make Rebecca's story as authentic as possible, American Girl recruited Jacqueline Dembar Greene, who has previously written a young adult historical novel about Jewish immigrants set in 1654.

Rebecca Rubin is not the first Jewish character in the American Girl lineup. The very first "Girl of the Year" in 2001 was Lindsey Bergman.

Rebecca goes on sale May 31st - the same day as the Israel Day Parade in Manhattan. Rebecca's books will be available on June 1st.

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Rebecca Rubin - Inspiring and Confident

Now that Rebecca Rubin has finally arrived, you can explore her world through her 6 book series. Inspiring and confident, Rebecca is a lively girl growing up in New York City.