The Good, The Bad and the Barbie

Tanya Lee Stone's non-fiction look at Barbie dolls and this icon's history was a rather interesting look at how Barbie came to be.

As a child, I was not much into Barbies. Already at a young age, if there wasn't reading involved, I really wasn't interested. My younger sister went through a phase where she collected and played with Barbies - a fact I am sure she attempts to forget today.

Of course I have heard the criticisms about Barbie - the unrealistic expectations girls have for themselves when they see how Barbie looks- but have never really thought much about whether this is true or not. Mostly, the girls I knew who played with Barbies enjoyed dressing them and undressing them, allowing them to be or do unlimited things.

Stone doesn't provide just one opinion on Barbies. Instead she traces this doll's beginnings to Ruth Handler, the woman who came up with the idea of the Barbie doll (her own daughter's name is Barbara, while her son is named Ken). She also provides a history of how the doll has changed through the years and various examples of how girls felt about Barbie dolls and Barbie's impact on their childhood. In 2009 Barbie turned 50, and is still going strong.

This book is well researched and informative, a complete history of this doll that all girls know.