American Girl Talk

It's summertime and the living's easy! We kick off the season of fun with a boy becoming a man, egg salad on the beach, and a theme park that seems...mean! Rebecca goes to Coney Island for thrills, chills, and... spills from a 50-foot ladder? It's a lot for girl, never a woman, to handle!

Chapters

0:00 - Intro: Sloan is back! We love Becky!

6:08 -Chapter One: A Bar Mitzvah Celebration

20:15 - Chapter Two: Steeplechase: The Funny Place

35:15 - Chapter Three: Thrills, Chills, and Spills!

44:49 - Chapter Four...

Have you ever dreamed of being a star kidlet? Have you ever wondered what you would do if you had the chance to star in reel moving picture? Have you ever been worried that your family might find out, and the news of your exploits would bring shame upon your elders? Well fear not! 2/3 of those things definitely do happen in our thrilling trip to sets of the silver screen - tune in doll-babies! 

Chapters 

0:00 - Alex is back! Kids books, etc! 

8:58 - Chapter One: Max's Magic 

21:52 Chapter Two: A New Worl...

Fry up some latkes, it's time to wish you and yours a happy Hanukkah! It's that time of year again! But what time of year IS that time of year, Rebecca wonders - Christmas, or Hanukkah? When a school project sends Rebecca into a low-stakes guilt spiral, she's forced to confront faith, festivities, and just what it means to celebrate during the holiday season.

Chapters

0:00 - Intro - We learned it all from Rugrats

7:57 - Chapter One: A Holiday Project

22:26 - Chapter Two: A Secret Shared

32:23 - Chapter Three...

Cousin Ana has touched down in the good old US of A, and Rebecca is so excited to have a twin cousin she neglects to consider that Ana may have her own thoughts, feelings, and trauma to deal with! Rebecca is back and iconically self-centered as she learns a lesson about family, patience, and the exclusionary practices of the American Immigration System. 

Chapters 

0:00 - Intro: Welcome Back Paige! 

5:26 - Chapter One: Welcome to America! 

18:55 - Chapter Two: A Yiddish Mistake! 

28:24 - Chapter Three: Music for a Song 

36:08 - Chap...

Mazel Tov! We're back in time again with Rebecca Rubin, the daughter of Jewish-Russian immigrants living out her showgirl dream in the LES during the 1910's. Rebecca has it all - creepy twin sisters, a penchant for showmanship, and a loving family (?). What doesn't she have? $64 candles and a cousin who may or may not be dying in a Fiddler on the Roof-esque Russian wasteland. She's a girl caught between two big decisions: support her love of candles or save her family? Tune in to find out!

Chapters

0:00 - Welcome Back Chelsea and Meet Rebecca!<...

SPECIAL GUEST ALERT! Huge relief, too, because we needed the energy of heaven itself to get through 90 minutes of Molly. Join us for ol' times sake as we cover the brattiest girl on the homefront, wonder why Molly Ringwald's agent co-signed this project, and experience a drive-by aunt!

This podcast is for entertainment purposes only. Characters mentioned from the American Girl Doll books are the property of the Pleasance Company. 

Hello! I have a shorter episode for you all this week! Life has been hectic and I didn't have time/company to record a regular episode, so I hope this will suffice! 

I'm talking about the recent CBS Sunday Morning interview about the American Girl Doll books, featuring the illustrious Valerie Tripp, and I'm giving you the first (of many) reviews of the brand new OFFICIAL AMERICAN GIRL COOKBOOK (spoiler, I love it!) 

Thanks as always for tuning in, and we'll be back to regularly scheduled, egregiously long episodes with meandering stories and diabolical diatribes ne...

Election connection! As we wind down our time with Julie, she's revs up her political career! Spurned by an unjust detention, does her ambition for power prevent her from seeing her friend who is suffering the most? (hint: a little) 

Chapters

0:00 - Goodbye, Julie! Hello, Sarah! 

14:28 - Chapter One: Detention! 

33:31 - Chapter Two: Poster Power 

43:33 - Chapter Three: Julie for President! 

53:50 - Chapter Four: Heating Up! 

1:10:09 - Chapter Five: The Election 

1:17:35 - Peek into the Past: 50 years, or just yesterday? 

1:21:08 - Final Th...

It's a rootin' tootin' good time on the trail this week as Julie learns the legacy of America, the importance of setting goals, and that horses are cooler in practice than in theory. Join us as we go on a journey with our favorite 70s girl and discover the cult that is American Patriotism! 

Chapters 

0:00 - Yeehaw! Meet Sloan! 

9:38 - Chapter One: Flying! 

21:42 - Chapter Two: Wagons, Ho! 

34:19 - Chapter Three: Lightning Kelly 

48:50 - Chapter Four: Making History 

57:57 - Chapter Five: Valley Forge 

1:05:47 - Peek i...

Did you know the earth was in danger in the 70s? Did you know that eagles need Hack Towers? Did you know that some American Girl books are weirder than others? This week, we're reading about Julie's foray into activism and discussing the practicalities of commuting from Berkley to downtown San Francisco daily. Will Julie save the eagles? Was this just a PSA? Tune in to find out!

Chapters 

0:00 - The weirdest book yet. Meet Alex! 

11:42 - Chapter One: A Cry in the Park! 

19:54 - Chapter Two: Feathered Friends 

31:47 - Ch...

If you thought two Christmases was a bonus point for divorce, think again! Julie's first Christmas as a child from a broken home goes so horribly that only the Chinese New Year can save the day! But will mom, dad, Tracy, and their new lives get in the way of new beginnings? Tune in to find out! 

Chapters 

0:00 - New Holiday, new friend - Meet Alexis! 

7:40 - Chapter One: Changes for Christmas 

20:31 - Chapter Two: Problems and Puzzles 

38:58 - Chapter Three: Good Fortune 

50:53 - Chapter Four: Gung Hay Fa...

Are Julie’s parents divorced, or are they just the worst? This week, we’re recapping Julie Tells Her Story—where Julie is forced to confront divorce head-on and reckon with the reality that split custody kind of sucks. Family drama, high-stakes sports, and newfangled recording rules shape not only Julie’s school year, but her entire outlook on life.

Chapters

0:00 - Intro: Meet Paige!

8:18 - Chapter One: Homework!

21:27 - Chapter Two: Meet Charlotte!

30:07 - Chapter Three: This Little Piggy

38:31 - Chapter Four: The Big Game

46:00...

We're so back and getting groovy with America's very first daughter of divorce! As Julie navigates the new world of split custody, she learns some harsh lessons about relationships, sexism, and whether or not mom has a new, homeless boyfriend. 

Chapters

0:00 - New Girl(s)? Alert? Meet Chelsea AND Meet Julie!

13:28 - Chapter One: Moving Day!

30:18 - Chapter Two: Capitols and Cupcakes!

47:49 - Chapter Three: Jump &hots and Rebounds!

57:09 - Chapter Four: Career Day

1:06:08 - Chapter Five: Girls Can Play Too!

1:18:48 - Chapter S...

Babes - we left for a while, but we're back. And while we've got a bittersweet announcement at the top o' the show, we've got GIRLS GIRLS GIRLS coming your way. But first - Felictiy!

We watched Felicity: An American Girl Adventure! So you don't have to! Check out our hot takes, casting opinions, and speculation on whether the version we watched was too bootlegged, and enjoy your favorite dolls getting back to some good old-fashioned yappin!

New episodes will start in March, with Caroline covering Julie!

This podcast is for entertainment...

Sam is so back and portrayed in living color on the silver screen.  We're kicking back in our month off the books and watching a year in Samantha's life play out in front of our very eyes.  What changed? What stayed the same? And why on earth is Grandmary so c*nty?

This podcast is for entertainment purposes only. Characters mentioned from the American Girl Doll books are the property of the Pleasance Company. 

Happy New Year, Dolls! We're back for one last yap (this year) and to look back at all the books we've read this year. What did we learn from reading 48 children's books in one year? Did they affirm our love of history? (yes), did they radicalize us politically? (also yes). In this bonus episode, we talk about why we love the girls, what we wish was different, and of course, whose dad was the hottest of them all. 

This podcast is for entertainment purposes only. Characters mentioned from the American Girl Doll books are the property o...

Have you ever been bleu balled by a children's book? Because Changes for Kaya was NOT what we expected! We're okay, and we still love our girl, but...we were promised more. As we wrap up the original American Girl, we are forced to rant in equal measure about Kaya's inability to NOT be Magpie, and our hatred of how the US Government treated native people. It's an episode that contains multitudes! 

Check out this week's poll to help us decide what we're covering in January! 

Chapters 

0:00 - Intro: Two Women Left Wanting.

It's summertime, the salmon is frying, and Kaya is FINALLY reunited with her sister, Speaking Rain! The cover spoiled us, but that doesn't mean the reunion goes smoothly. In this week's dive into Kaya's story, we unpack what happens when you physically lose a sister, and what might happen when you emotionally lose a sister, and how finding a new path (allegedly) might just mean you never have to take your sister's oath seriously. It's a sister story, and not much else, but as always, we have a good old time, so tune in!

Chapters

0:00...

Have you ever thought about coping with your sister's kidnapping and your mentor's death by putting all of your hopes and dreams into a feral wolf-dog? Kaya is TOTALLY ok, by the way! This week, we're recapping Kaya as she takes a break from causing chaos and instead becomes the ultimate dog girl (horse girl being out of play, currently). Kaya learns how to nurture, Sparrow begs to be mauled by a bear, and Kautsua continues to be in everyone's business. Tune in!

Chapters

0:00 - Intro: Dog Girls Unite!

7:06 - Chapter O...

*Slightly bad audio today, (sorry!)*

Have you ever had a girl crush on a strong, powerful, possibly barren woman in your tribe? Who among us hasn't, you know? This week, we're diving into Kaya's Hero, in which a girl crush on Swan Circling teaches Kaya how to be a better person (maybe). What we aren't taught is what is going on with any of these ceremonies, and that's an issue for Caroline and Celia to harp on. Tune in for some high highs, low blows, and a baby that just isn't actually that sick!

Chapters<...

If you thought any of the other girls ended up in disasters of their own making, then buckle the F up because Kaya's about to take the finger cake. When Kaya and her sister get abducted by raiders in a mess entirely of Kaya's own making, Kaya must team up with a surly Salish boy carrying the energy of an angry NPC to try and find her way home. Will she survive? Is this all her fault? The answer to both is yes, but tune in for the roller coaster ride that is Kaya's Escape! 

Chapters 

...

Chapters

0:00 - Meet Kaya: A Nez Perce Peek into the Past!

16:12 - Chapter One: Let's Race!

37:06 - Chapter Two: Switchings!

52:06 - Chapter Three: Courtship Dance

1:05:40 - Chapter Four: Rescued From the River (plus, a technical difficulty)

1:14:52 - Bonus Peek into the Past

1:22:25 - Closing Thoughts: New World, New Girl!

This podcast is for entertainment purposes only. Characters mentioned from the American Girl Doll books are the property of the Pleasance Company. 

Two hens are clucking once again about your favorite girls - from Kirsten to Kit, we're covering the best books, why Learns a Lesson's never quite hit, and comparing how bad our Halloween hangovers are in comparison to last year (you had to be there). Tune in for a little break between seasons, and a fun chat with Caroline and Celia about all things American Girl!

This podcast is for entertainment purposes only. Characters mentioned from the American Girl Doll books are the property of the Pleasance Company. 

Goodbye Kit! This week, we're wrapping up our coverage on this little writer girl by getting into uncle fights, becoming journalists, and perhaps most important of all, making a difference. 

Will Stirling's mom ever be caught poisoning his soup? Does the eggman come at dawn? Is dad ever going to get a job? Find out all this and less in Changes for Kit! 

Chapters 

0:00 - Intro: Last Kit book! 

2:34 - Chapter One: Something Wonderful 

21:31 - Chapter Two: To Do 

36:31 - Chapter Three: Letters with an 'S' 

46:10...

Hobos and Bums and Tramps, oh my! When a young hobo wanders into Kit's backyard, she's immediately adventure-cucked. Living in a tent, eating communal hobo soup? What a treat! What a dream! 

Wrong! Turns out, being a vagabond is not nearly as cool as it seems, and actually scary! Oops! We could not have predicted this. 

Chapters 

0:00 - Our Darkest Book Yet 

2:01 - Chapter One: Stuck! 

10:02 - Chapter Two: Just Plain Will 

23:40 - Chapter Three: The Hobo Jungle 

33:50 - Chapter Four: Do Something 

46:29 - Peek i...

The eggman cometh! Join us as we celebrate (or barely reference) Kit's upcoming 10th birthday!

When Aunt Millie comes to town, she brings with her tons of ideas on how the Kittredges can actually save money and turn a profit with their failing boarding house business - but will the Kittredges be happy with these changes, or will they be inexplicably shamed by the idea of eating peaches out of a dented can? Only time will tell, and boy, does this book take its time getting to the point! This book? Boring. This episode? Very entertaining. So...

It's a Depression-era Christmas, and Kit is NOT feeling the Christmas cheer - if you can even believe. Between Ruthie's dad threatening to evict her family as a New Year's gift and Ruthie giving her hand-me-down dresses, Kit is at her limit with financial stress, as any nine-year-old would be. But can she turn her Christmas around by performing a series of increasing random errands for her curmudgeonly uncle? Is it still "American Girl Talk" if Caroline is recording in Romania? Tune in to find out!

Chapters

0:00 - Intro: Romanian Girl Talk!

9:48...

Our very first book where no lesson is learned - potentially! It's Thanksgiving at the Kittredge boarding house, and Kit is FED UP with all the boarders cramping her style. Dad will get a job any day, so there's no point in having them there, right? RIGHT? Wrong! Turns out, you can't trust adults to be honest, but you can trust us to give you the DL on everything happening in Kit's world on this week's episode. Tune in - gobble gobble!

Chapters

0:00 - Intro: Valerie strikes again

3:37 - Chapter One: Messages

America may be depressed, but we certainly aren't (sometimes)! It's time to meet Kit - our spunky, plucky, Depression-era daddy's girl who just discovered her family is headed towards financial ruin! When a ghoulish boy and his maybe-questionable-mother move into the Kittredge house, Kit discovers that life is not fair, and Caroline and Celia wonder why the adults in Kit's world lie so much. 

Chapters

0:00 - Intro: New Girl Alert! Caroline's Golden Gal and the Return of Valerie

5:16 - Chapter One: Good News

20:58 - Chapter Two: Read All About It!

You heard it here last, folks! American Girl just released their new Girl of the Year, and she comes equipped with clothes, accessories, and...Samantha lore? Tune in for a quick lil' snack of an episode where we discuss this breaking news!

This podcast is for entertainment purposes only. Characters mentioned from the American Girl Doll books are the property of the Pleasance Company. 

It's time for another yap! We're taking a week off from reading about American Girls and we're simply talking about American Girls - Kirsten, Samanth, Molly, Felictiy, Addy, and Josefina! Join us as we rank, rant, rave and review what we've noticed and who's won our hearts. PLUS: Celia does some snooping and gets to the bottom of our frenemy, Valerie Tripp's relationship to the American Girl Doll brand. 

This podcast is for entertainment purposes only. Characters mentioned from the American Girl Doll books are the property of the Pleasance Company. 

WE WERE SO RIGHT. Love is IN THE AIR in the land of enchantment, but yearning is also at full throttle - and Papa and Tia Dolores do not know what to do with themselves! When Tia Dolores announces she's going to leave the rancho and move to Santa Fe, Josefina full-on crashes out because she KNOWS Tia Dolores is meant to be with Papa. Can Josefina mastermind the relationship into existence? We're literally giggling, kicking our feet, listening to this one, so tune in!

Chapters

0:00 - Intro: We were SO RIGHT

3:02...

We can't even focus on this book because of the sheer amount of tension between Papa and Tía Dolores, but... 

Josefina and her family are in Santa Fe to trade goods and save the ranch! When Josefina encounters the Rizzmaster Señor O'Toole, he says that he can help her family earn the money they need AND throw in something a lil extra to make Josefina's day! But can we trust this Americano? Are all people who play music inherently good? Have Papa and Tía Dolores touched each other, or are they straight yearn...

Josefina's name day fast approaches, and she's LOCKED IN on becoming a healer. She's fostering goats, sniffing herbs, and cleaning pots off tall shelves - but will it be enough? Only time and bizarre circumstances will tell, so join us as we hyperfixate on what papa and Tia Dolores are doing, speculate on the logistics of snake attacks, and wonder if mallow root really could save the day!

Chapters

0:00 - Intro: Are Papa and Tía Dolores F*cking?

3:54 - Chapter One: Spring Sprouts

19:23 - Chapter Two: Tía Mag...

Feliz Navidad! It's Christmastime for Josefina and her family, and everyone is wondering - for the first time since Mama's death - do they dare to be happy? The jury's out because Clara doesn't think so! She's hiding dolls, crashing out over altarpieces, and in general feeling glum about the holiday season. Can Josefina and Tia Dolores lift her spirits? Will Josefina unlock a classic American Girl Hyperfixation? Does Celia cry for the first time reading one of the books? Find out all this and more on this week's episode!

Chapters -

0:00 - Intro: Christmas...

*AUDIO DISCLAIMER* The ghost of Mama cursed this episode, so the audio in the first part is...bad! Stick with it though! 

When a torrential flood kills a shocking number of sheep on the rancho, Tia Dolores swoops in to save the day! Josefina and her sisters must weave like their lives depend on it to save their family's fortunes, but could weaving lead to worse things - like forgetting the legacy of their dead mama? Inexplicably - maybe! Join us as Josefina becomes the first girl in AGT history to barely learn a discernible lesson in J...

Hola! Bienvenido a un nuevo episodio de American Girl Talk! We're down in the land of enchantment with Josefina, our newest gal! She's shy, she hates goats, and she's not even technically American at this point! It's been a year since Mama died, and the Montoya's are barely scraping by (emotionally)! When Mama's sister, Tia Dolores, comes to visit all the way from Mexico City, the rancho comes to life again. Can Josefina convince her aunt to stay? Do Tia Dolores and Papa give off weird vibes? Tune in to find out!

Chapters

0:00 - Intro...

This podcast is for entertainment purposes only. Characters mentioned from the American Girl Doll books are the property of the Pleasance Company.

It’s full-on weep city at AGTHQ as we close the final chapter of Addy’s journey — the bravest girl in the American Girl universe. In the winter of 1865 Philadelphia, Addy clings to hope: hope for her family to be whole again, and for the freedom she’s fought so hard to claim. But freedom doesn’t come without cost, and we’re reminded that not every story ends neatly — or happily. Join us as we laugh, cry, and ugly-weep our way through Addy’s final book, and reflect on why stories like hers are so powerful — and why some would rather...

It's summertime in the city! War is over, the church is planning a fair, and Addy is in a full-out brawl with mean girl Harriet over puppets and magic. But puppets and magic are no match for thieves and amputees...and you'll have to listen to find out what that means. Join us as we hee-hee haw-haw and sometimes sob our way through yet another Addy book!

Chapter Markers

0:00 - Welcome Back! Another Saves the Day!

10:02 - Chapter One: Seeds of Hope

24:26 - Chapter Two: Hope and Determination

31:59...