American Girl dolls and books are some of the favorite things for young girls to play with. For those not familiar with American Girl, the company features a couple different series of books for each of their eight to nine-year old character – young girls living in different eras and locations of the United States.  Characters range from Kaya, a Nez Perce girl from the 1760s, to Kirsten, a Swedish immigrant settling on the frontier prairie in the 1850s, to Julie, a San Franciscan in the 1970s. From what began over 20 years ago as The Pleasant Company and starting with characters Kirsten, Samantha and Molly, American Girl was  acquired by Mattel, Inc. 10 years ago and since has added six more characters to their book series, along with expanding their doll line with Bitty Baby and a line of Just Like You Dolls. The movie Kit Kittredge: An American Girl, appeared in theaters over the summer and comes out on dvd on October 29.

Here at St. Stephen's the American Girls Club gathers once a month to discuss a specific character chosen for the month and encourages kids to participate in activities and discussions about the stories.

The monthly club meetings are a fun opportunity for young girls to get together and read about strong girls their own age in different settings and time periods in the United States.