I think these dolls are atrocious. The stories are just a doll-centric marketing tool to encourage tiny consumers to want -- you guessed it! -- overpriced dolls. I was thrilled when my daughter yawned over the three books she was given.

What a great idea! Because every young girl wants to pretend she's homeless...

I never had an American Girl doll; I just read the books. But I absolutely loved the books! It was a fun way to learn about history. Obviously it's a business, but I hope they're not loosing sight of the educational value. How else are little girls supposed to understand what WWII was like for an American girl (Samantha) or the Great Plains before the West was won(Kirsten)?

Jo.....I understand your distaste for the overpriced dolls but don't discount the books. Many young girls gain an appreciation for history through those books and just because a child reads the books doesn't mean her parents have to give in and buy her the doll. I never had a doll growing up but I loved to books. Boycott the dolls all you want but the books are wonderful and help many young girls understand and appreciate American history.

The books offer an opportunity to view history along with an easy-going story line. The dolls and accessories are pricey. I have always loved the Civil War period and adore the Addy doll and accessories but just can't bring myself to part with that kind of money. When Addy is 'retired' I'll probably be sorry, but still. My daughter had the 'Molly' doll but we never really got into the accessory end; just the doll and books.

I have always loved the American Girl historical line, but have been increasingly frustrated with the lack of representation for Asian Americans. We finally got our own doll, and she's just a friend. She doesn't have her own book series, just one story. And, she's not even representative of a true Asian American immigrant experience. Please see my petition for more information. www.petitiononline.com/asamgirl.

I began reading these book when I was about 8 yrs old, and the stories of Felicity, Kirsten, Addy, Samantha & Molly will be forever among my favorite memories from my childhood. Each series of books were well written about each girl, and would transport my imagination to her time period as I learned in exciting ways about the world she grew up in, and invested so much interest in learning more about each time period. After reading Felicity's books at the age of 10, for example, I wanted to know all I could about colonial times, and actually had the thrill of my young life when my Grandparents took me to visit colonial Williamsburg- I was EXCITED to learn!

I have saved every book I ever had and am now in my late 20's. I hope to pass them on one day and hopefully instill a love of history and imagination in another little girl. Bottom line: instead of reading R.L. Stine "Goosebumps" I was more interested in history lessons. These books are an excellent learning tool.

I am so personally upset that they keep retiring these dolls- which I think is more of a financial ploy- instead of increasing their collection. Does anyone remember that they retired Felicity at one point, just to relaunch her for the first American girls' movie? And, it's obvious that they retired Samantha so they could introduce Rebecca (also from New York, same time period, same hair color) but they should have creatively thought that point out.

I got both Kirsten and Samantha from my mom as a little girl; now my mom has passed, and I was looking forward to the day I could dress the dolls in a new dress and put them under the Christmas tree to pass on to my daughter. I'm afraid that those stories- the building of the middle class and the protection of children's rights, the pioneer story and the interaction of whites and native Americans on the frontier- are going to be lost.

I can't believe Ellen Brothers, the president of American Girl, is doing this! isn't the point of the American Girl dolls to preserve history, not dump one of the prettiest dolls?! I collect the American Girl Dolls because I love them and started last year with Samantha right before her archiving and now I have four, soon to be five with Kirsten.
I mean, I understand trying to add dolls that have hard lives but good Lord, does this new homeless doll mention she has a problem with Kirsten being there? Do Rebecca and Samantha have a problem with each other? I think not. I don't think they have to archive a doll just because some new doll is coming along. I think they need to think twice about doing this. I plan to get an outfit if hers, possibly her doll, and maybe an extra outfit, but what really gets on my nerves other than the fact Brothers has got something else coming, is that they announce it so late in the game, like "Oh, Chrissa is on her way out in two months, and oh, by the way, Kirsten is going out the door with Samantha, so hurry up and get all her clothes". They need to get their priorities straightened out. One more thing: COME ON! A homeless doll? Maybe you could spend some money designing an Asian doll or new African American doll! Money better spent that way and more customer satisfaction.