American Girl dolls are dolls that aim to give girls a wholesome play toy and, in some cases, role model. While there are a lot of toys aimed at babies or aimed at teenagers, there is a missing gap between that time frame. That’s where American Girl dolls come in.

To understand the American Girl dolls, you have to go back to the very beginning of the American Girl company. American Girl the company was founded in mid-1980s by Pleasant T. Rowling. Rowling, who was born Pleasant Williams Thiele, was born in the United States of America and is an entrepreneur, a writer and a teacher.

The story goes that Rowling was looking to buy a present for a preteen girl in her family but couldn’t find anything that was age appropriate. The baby toys were too young and the teenager toys, such as Barbie dolls, were too risque. Seeing the need for dolls that were suitable for the preteen crowd, Rowling decided to start her own line of dolls – which was the origin of the American Girl dolls.

Around the same time frame, Rowling spent time in Colonial Williamsburg. Colonial Williamsburg is a historical district in the Virginian city of Williamsburg. Many building in Colonial Williamsburg are from the late 1600s to the late 1700s. Rowling learned about the history of the United States and became enamored by the styles of that specific era. Her time in Colonial Williamsburg would help shape the direction she would eventually take the American Girl company.

By 1986, Rowling had started distributing the American Girl dolls. To gain her first customers, she sent out catalogs that contained her first three dolls: Kirsten Larson, Molly McIntire and Samantha Parkington. In addition, the catalogs contained stories about each of the dolls. The original dolls were made in Germany. However, the production of the dolls would move to Hungary and then China.

From 1987 to 1998, the American Girl company continued to grow. Three more dolls – Felicity Merriman, Addy Walker and Josefina Montoya – were produced and released to customers. The American Girl company would also start branching out. Due to the popularity of the dolls, the American Girl company released a magazine called American Girl. The bi-monthly publication is aimed at girls between 8 and 14 years of age and includes everything from advice columns to updates about the dolls. Other branches include a release of larger 18-inch dolls and a series of dolls (called Bitty Baby) that were targeted to the 8 and under crowd.

The year 1998 marked the next important step in the American Girl company. In that year, American Girl was sold to Mattel. Mattel is currently the world’s largest toy maker and is responsible for famous products such as Barbie, Hot Wheels, Matchbox cars and a number of board games. Since Mattel had been around since 1945 and had become one of the most powerful names in the toy industry, this gave the American Girl company a much better opportunity to reach a wider audience. Mattel had the funding to help spread the word about American Girl and the American Girl company had its niche market that had created many loyal customers throughout the years.

While many loyal customers were a bit hesitant about the American Girl company joining forces with the such a huge company, American Girl has not only survived – it has gotten stronger throughout the years since the acquisition. Currently, American Girl is a subsidiary of Mattel.

In 2000, Rowland retired as the president of American Girl. From 2000 to the present, a number other dolls have been released in the American Girl line including Kit Kittredge, Kaya’aton’my and Ivy Ling.

Another unique aspect about the American Girl dolls are the Just Like You dolls. The Just Like You dolls are dolls that customers can customize. Using over 20 different options, customers can customize everything from eye color to hair color and skin tone. Customers can even purchase accessories for these Just Like You dolls. The accessories include everything from wheelchairs to furniture.

In 2004, the American Girl company took an exciting step into the field of cinema. A television film entitled Samantha: An American Girl Holiday was debuted. The film was written by Valerie Tripp and Anna Sandor, and was directed by Nadia Tass. The film itself starred AnnaSophia Robb, Mia Farrow and Kelsey Lewis and was shown on November 23 on The WB. The plot of the movie revolves are two girls who become neighbors and then best friends.

Almost exactly a year later, another American Girl movie was shown on The WB. This one was called Felicity: An American Girl Adventure. While the writers were the same, the actors were Shailene Woodley, Marcia Gay Harden and Robinne Fanfair. This film takes place during the Revolutionary War period and again features two girls who become friends.

The next year, the third American Girl movie came out. This one moved from The WB to The Disney Channel. Called Molly: An American Girl on the Home Front, it was written by Anna Sandor and starred Maya Ritter, Tory Green and Hannah Fleming. This film is set in the World War II era and follows a girl who tries to adjust to the changing ways of the United States during the time of war.

With three television films under their belt, the American Girl company decided to go to an even bigger stage. On July 2, a full length film will hit the theatres called Kit Kittredge: An American Girl. This 90 minute film is written by Valerie Trapp, produced by Julia Roberts and directed by Patricia Rozema. Starring in the film are Abigail Breslin, Chris O’Donnell, Julia Ormond and Max Thieriot. This film, which had an estimated budget of about $10 million, follows Kit Kittredge in Cincinnati, Ohio during the Great Depression. Initial screenings of the movie have generated a number of good reviews.

If you are in New York, Los Angeles or Chicago, you can go to a store called American Girl Place in your city to purchase almost everything in the American Girl product line. Instead of having to order through a catalog or order online, these stores offer you the chance to purchase everything from dolls to magazines to accessories right on the spot. Smaller versions of these shops, called American Girl Boutiques and Bistros, have opened in Georgia and Texas. A few more are scheduled to open in the next year.

While the American Girl company has grown over the years, it still has kept its caring and affectionate nature toward its consumer base. If you are shopping for a preteen girl and want to get something that is definitely age appropriate, look for the American Girl brand name. You can rest assured that the preteen girl in question will be able to enjoy the product in a completely wholesome way. And don’t forget about the movie, which promises to be a hit with the preteen girl demographic.

If you wish to learn more about the American Girl product line, go to their website at AmericanGirl.com. At the website, you can shop for American girl products, order the American Girl magazine, learn more about the American Girl movies and see if there is an American Girl store in your area.