This isn't the first doll to have a car in the collection. I have never given much thought to the age of the doll and the accessories that are sold for the doll. Maybe because I played with Barbie dolls that had car and camper, but Barbie and Ken were older. This brings up another issue. The issue is the stories for the dolls usually has the doll/character making an adult choice or doing some activity that a girl of that age wouldn't be doing. For example, Grace Thomas goes out wandering the streets in Paris by herself. Grace and her friends baking without adult supervision. In the US, she wouldn't be allowed to bake in a commercial kitchen, due to her age. (In my area, there was an incident where a boy, 14 YO, was helping in a family friend's bakery and something he was wearing got caught up in the mixer. The owner was fined over it.) I think Lea went off without telling where she was going. Luciana went roaming the space school hallways and went into rooms, places she knew she shouldn't be. In Blaire's book 2, the main activity is Blaire being in a TV show. The producer asks her to go to the location on a certain day. She says that she will go. He never tells her to ask her parents if it is ok, nor does he ask the parents. He drives a motorcycle, so him and Blaire were going to get a ride with someone else that the parents didn't know, more than to maybe introduced when the family first went to the location of filming. The book never makes it clear how well they know the person that is driving them in the car, and the TV producer is staying at the BnB, but the book doesn't mention how much interaction he has with Blaire's parents. The girl, that got married in book 1, sees Blaire waiting for the ride to show up and shames Blaire into not going because she was supposed to do a chore, and if she didn't do the chore her mother would be upset. She knew that the parents didn't know, because the chore was given to Blaire by her mother, and her mother wouldn't have approved of her going without completing the chore. So, the girl didn't mention anything to Blaire about going without asking the parents permission, going off without telling anyone she was leaving, and her parents were never told of the incident. IMO, with children being abducted, this incident should have been addressed by AG, especially since in Book 1, they addressed not corresponding to a stranger in an e-mail. The stranger that Blaire corresponded with was someone the family knew, but didn't know very well. I put a lot of thought into the pros and cons of posting something to AGFacebook, considering that AG might be negatively effected. I choose to post thinking that AG may not know it was in the book, since Scholastic was the publisher. AG did respond to my post privately, which gave me the feeling that they wanted the situation to blow over, and not address it. An adult responded that other stories have the character making adult choices and it is a great opportunity for discussion with your child, but mentioned they don't read the GOTY books. If you don't read the book, how do you know what to have a discussion about? My other problem with Blaire's books was the way her food allergy was handled. The adults played no role in explaining it, parents were never notified by the teacher of the food sensitivity, so they sent in snacks that Blaire couldn't eat. Eventually one of the students figures out Blaire's food sensitivity and tells his mom about it, so they take a snack to class that Blaire can eat. Showing the young aged character doing adult activities or solving problems without an adult providing guidance, does this indicate to the child/young adult that the doll is older than what he/she really is. As an adult, I'm reflecting on that thought. Something else I thought about, with AG trying to appeal to the older teenager, the dolls are given clothing and accessories of an older teenager. Thank you for sharing your thoughts.
I love the concept but I don't love the price.
ReplyDeleteSame here, and I never have room for the big items anyway.
DeleteNot for that price!
ReplyDeleteI almost bought a real VW beetle
ReplyDeletefor $800 when I first started driving. My dolls will have to walk or ride a bike. They are only 10 years old.
This is so very true and I love VW. My grandma had a blue and white bus. But the dolls in their stories (books) are not at driving age.
DeleteInsanity!
ReplyDeleteAlso, cool but why do dolls have vehicles? Under 16 can't drive. Who plays that they're dolls are older?
My thoughts EXACTLY! LOL
DeleteThis isn't the first doll to have a car in the collection. I have never given much thought to the age of the doll and the accessories that are sold for the doll. Maybe because I played with Barbie dolls that had car and camper, but Barbie and Ken were older. This brings up another issue.
DeleteThe issue is the stories for the dolls usually has the doll/character making an adult choice or doing some activity that a girl of that age wouldn't be doing. For example, Grace Thomas goes out wandering the streets in Paris by herself. Grace and her friends baking without adult supervision. In the US, she wouldn't be allowed to bake in a commercial kitchen, due to her age. (In my area, there was an incident where a boy, 14 YO, was helping in a family friend's bakery and something he was wearing got caught up in the mixer. The owner was fined over it.) I think Lea went off without telling where she was going. Luciana went roaming the space school hallways and went into rooms, places she knew she shouldn't be. In Blaire's book 2, the main activity is Blaire being in a TV show. The producer asks her to go to the location on a certain day. She says that she will go. He never tells her to ask her parents if it is ok, nor does he ask the parents. He drives a motorcycle, so him and Blaire were going to get a ride with someone else that the parents didn't know, more than to maybe introduced when the family first went to the location of filming. The book never makes it clear how well they know the person that is driving them in the car, and the TV producer is staying at the BnB, but the book doesn't mention how much interaction he has with Blaire's parents. The girl, that got married in book 1, sees Blaire waiting for the ride to show up and shames Blaire into not going because she was supposed to do a chore, and if she didn't do the chore her mother would be upset. She knew that the parents didn't know, because the chore was given to Blaire by her mother, and her mother wouldn't have approved of her going without completing the chore. So, the girl didn't mention anything to Blaire about going without asking the parents permission, going off without telling anyone she was leaving, and her parents were never told of the incident. IMO, with children being abducted, this incident should have been addressed by AG, especially since in Book 1, they addressed not corresponding to a stranger in an e-mail. The stranger that Blaire corresponded with was someone the family knew, but didn't know very well. I put a lot of thought into the pros and cons of posting something to AGFacebook, considering that AG might be negatively effected. I choose to post thinking that AG may not know it was in the book, since Scholastic was the publisher. AG did respond to my post privately, which gave me the feeling that they wanted the situation to blow over, and not address it. An adult responded that other stories have the character making adult choices and it is a great opportunity for discussion with your child, but mentioned they don't read the GOTY books. If you don't read the book, how do you know what to have a discussion about? My other problem with Blaire's books was the way her food allergy was handled. The adults played no role in explaining it, parents were never notified by the teacher of the food sensitivity, so they sent in snacks that Blaire couldn't eat. Eventually one of the students figures out Blaire's food sensitivity and tells his mom about it, so they take a snack to class that Blaire can eat.
Showing the young aged character doing adult activities or solving problems without an adult providing guidance, does this indicate to the child/young adult that the doll is older than what he/she really is. As an adult, I'm reflecting on that thought. Something else I thought about, with AG trying to appeal to the older teenager, the dolls are given clothing and accessories of an older teenager.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts.