Synopses & Reviews
"Balanced, funny, provocativeand#151;and most of all, important for anyone wanting to unand#173;derstand girlhood in America."and#151;E. Lockhart,and#160;New York Timesand#160;bestselling author ofand#160;We Were Liarsand#160;
Barbie just might be the most famous doll in the world. She has represented fifty different nationalities. Sheand#8217;s stepped into the always-fashionable shoes of more than one hundred twenty careers. She has been played with, studied, celebrated, and criticized for more than fifty years. And she has unquestionably influenced generations of girlsand#151;whether that influence has been positiveand#160;or negative depends on whom you ask.
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Acclaimed nonfiction author Tanya Lee Stone takes an unbiased look at how Barbie became the icon that she is.and#160;Part biographyand#151;both of the doll and of her inventor, Ruth Handlerand#151;and part exploration of the cultural phenomenon that is Barbie, The Good, the Bad, and the Barbie is filled with personal anecdotes, memories, and opinions from people of all ages. Featuring original color and black-and-white photographs, this book is for everyone who understands that weand#8217;re all living in a Barbie world.
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"This is no mere Barbie book. This is a how-to manual about being a girl."and#151;Lauren Myracle,and#160;New York Timesand#160;bestselling author
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* "Source notes, a bibliography, and lots of images, including an inset of color photos, add to an offering that pleases and intrigues." and#151;Booklist, starred review
Review
Winner of the Golden Kite Award and#8220;History writers donand#8217;t get better than Tanya Lee Stone.and#160;The Good, the Bad, and the Barbieand#160;is balanced, funny, provocativeand#8212;and most of all, important for anyone wanting to understand girlhood in America.and#8221;and#8212;E. Lockhart,and#160;New York Timesand#160;bestselling author ofand#160;We Were Liars
and#8220;This is no mere Barbie book. This is a how-to manual about being a girl: a strong, sparky, awesome girl, with Barbie in hand or in the nearest deumpster!and#8221;and#8212;Lauren Myracle, New York Times bestselling author
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* and#8220;Stone has done her homework and offers a particularly well-researched read. But she has also gotten many women (and men) to reminisce, comment, and argue about Barbie, and these voices add sparkle.and#8221;and#8212;Booklist, starred reviewand#160;
* and#8220;Stone reveals the pathos behind so many relationships of girls with Barbie: those who cherished her and those who were negatively influencedand#8230;In this balanced overview, both sides of the quandary are addressed... and#160;Accessibleand#8230;and includes extensive source notes and bibliographical information.and#8221;and#8212;School Library Journal, starred reviewand#160;
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* "Stone tantalizes with her intriguing survey of Barbie. indicating an audience of teens and adults rather than children. The striking cover, open design with numerous photographs and collegial voice will appeal to younger readers.and#8221;and#8212;Kirkus Reviews, starred review
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"Stone calmly covers Barbie's creation by Ruth Handler, the formation of Mattel, and the doll's unpromising launch among sexpot-resistant buyers at a national toy fair. From there on, though, the gloves come off, and Stone allows the voices of women and teens, scholars and collectors, lovers and haters to thrash out whether Barbie has single-handedly set an unattainable standard of female beauty, joined forces with manipulative media to trash adolescent self-esteem, acted as the progressive model for girls to envision gender barrier-crashing careers, or reigned as-duh-just a really cool doll with really pretty clothesand#8230;Notes, index, and an extensive bibliography may lure report writers into unconsidered territory, and teen book clubs might want to nominate this as a fiery nonfiction selection.and#8221;and#8212;BCCB
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and#8220;Stone takes an unapologetic look at Barbie's life, documenting the changes in Barbie through the years, her impact on society and the numerous controversies surrounding her existence.and#8221;and#8212;Childrenand#8217;s Literature
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and#8220;Stone's evenhanded, eye-opening cultural history examines [Barbie] quoting a myriad of sources to reveal the devotion and loathing generated by a fifty-plus-year-old hunk of molded plastic."and#8212;The Horn Book
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and#8220;Filled with photographs of Barbie dolls past and present as well as quotes about her from nationally known figures and children alike, Stone's fascinating and balanced account reveals a toy of almost unmatched influence.and#8221;and#8212;Publishers Weekly
Synopsis
During her unparalleled fifty-year history, Barbie has been the doll that some people love-and some people love to hate. There's no question she's influenced generations, but to what end? Acclaimed nonfiction author Tanya Lee Stone takes an unbiased look at how Barbie became the icon that she is, and at the impact that she's had on our culture (and vice versa). Featuring passionate anecdotes and memories from a range of girls and women, a foreword by Meg Cabot, and original color photographs, this book explores the Barbie phenomenon in a brand-new light.
Synopsis
Stone takes an unbiased look at how Barbie became the icon that she is, and the impact that she's had on our culture (and vice versa). Featuring original full-color photos, this book explores the Barbie phenomenon in a brand-new light.
About the Author
Tanya Lee Stone is an award-winning author whose works have received critical acclaim and accolades including ALAand#8217;s Sibert Medal (for informational text) and SCBWIand#8217;s Golden Kite Award. She is also the author of the YALSA Award Finalist for Excellence in Nonfiction, Almost Astronauts: 13 Women Who Dared to Dream.and#160;She lives in Burlington, Vermont.