American Girl Talk

*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!Chapters0:00 - Devastation (cont)2:13 - Chapter One: Runaway Horse24:30 - Chapter Two: Lessons From a Basket40:03 - Chapter Three: Sick Baby50:34 - Chapter Four: Gifts From Swan Circling1:11:20 - A (Disappointing) Looking Back1:16:03 - Closing Thoughts - We All Need a Strong Woman This podcast is for entertainment purposes only. Characters mentioned from the American Girl Doll books are the property of the Pleasance Company. 

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 0:00 - Intro: The Books Are Getting Dark Quickly 2:17 - Chapter One: Taken Captive 17:20 - Chapter Two: Slaves of the Enemy 33:45 - Chapter Three: Escape!49:32 - Chapter Four: On the Buffalo Trail1:06:23 - Looking Back: Learns a Lesson? 1:15:42 - Closing Thoughts: Kaya's Fault! This podcast is for entertainment purposes only. Characters mentioned from the American Girl Doll books are the property of the Pleasance Company. 

Chapters0:00 - 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 Dance1:05:40 - Chapter Four: Rescued From the River (plus, a technical difficulty)1:14:52 - Bonus Peek into the Past1:22:25 - 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 - Chapter Four: The Perfect Word 55:20 - Peek into the Past: WWII Saves the Day? 1:01:45 - Closing Thoughts on Kit! This podcast is for entertainment purposes only. Characters mentioned from the American Girl Doll books are the property of the Pleasance Company. 

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 into the Past: Too Poor for Summer! 57:33 - Closing Thoughts: Dark! This podcast is for entertainment purposes only. Characters mentioned from the American Girl Doll books are the property of the Pleasance Company. 

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 listen in, lest you summon the wrath of the ragman!Chapters0:00 - We're so back! What happened in this book?7:45 - Chapter One: Secrets and Surprises18:11 - Chapter Two: The Waste-Not Want-Not Almanac34:23 - Chapter Three: Grace44:31 - Chapter Four: The Penny Pincher Party55:10 - Peek into the Past: Dad's Can Abandon Kids!1:00:00 - Final Thoughts: Do You Believe in the Eggman? This podcast is for entertainment purposes only. Characters mentioned from the American Girl Doll books are the property of the Pleasance Company. 

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!Chapters0:00 - Intro: Romanian Girl Talk!9:48 - Chapter One: Rick Rack22:06 - Chapter Two: The Bright Red Dress38:24 - Chapter Three: The Wicked Ogre47:37 - Chapter Four: Jewels58:58 - Peek into the Past: A Depressing Christmas!1:04:01 - Final Thoughts: Best Doll Award? This podcast is for entertainment purposes only. Characters mentioned from the American Girl Doll books are the property of the Pleasance Company. 

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!Chapters0:00 - Intro: Valerie strikes again3:37 - Chapter One: Messages17:19 - Chapter Two: Pilgrims and Indians28:55 - Chapter Three: Spilling the Beans!36:44 - Chapter Four: Kit's Hard Times47:50 - Peek into the Past: School - incredibly depressing!49:50 - Final Thoughts: Did Kit learn a lesson? This podcast is for entertainment purposes only. Characters mentioned from the American Girl Doll books are the property of the Pleasance Company. 

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. Chapters0:00 - Intro: New Girl Alert! Caroline's Golden Gal and the Return of Valerie5:16 - Chapter One: Good News20:58 - Chapter Two: Read All About It!31:09 - Chapter Three: It's Not Fair!41:37 - Chapter Four: Mother's Brainstorm54:31 - Peek into the Past: Depression? Very Depressing!1:02:00 - Closing Thoughts  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!Chapters0:00 - Intro: We were SO RIGHT3:02 - Chapter One: Gifts and Blessings19:36 - Chapter Two: Sleet42:03 - Chapter Three: Josefina's Plan49:38 - Chapter Four: Heart and Hope1:01:36 - Peek into the Past: Oops - Manifest Destiny!1:08:59 - Closing Thoughts: Goodbye to our delicious slowburn This podcast is for entertainment purposes only. Characters mentioned from the American Girl Doll books are the property of the Pleasance Company. 

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 yearning? Are we delulu? Find out! This podcast is for entertainment purposes only. Characters mentioned from the American Girl Doll books are the property of the Pleasance Company. 

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! Chapters0:00 - Intro: Are Papa and Tía Dolores F*cking?3:54 - Chapter One: Spring Sprouts19:23 - Chapter Two: Tía Magdalena30:11 - Chapter Three: Second Chances40:57 - Chapter Four: Rattlesnake!51:27 - Peek into the Past: Childbirth and Suspicious Wedding Lore56:11 - Closing Thoughts: A Manic Episode, and a Budding Romance This podcast is for entertainment purposes only. Characters mentioned from the American Girl Doll books are the property of the Pleasance Company. 

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 in Summer Never Felt So Good!10:51 - Chapter One: Christmas is Coming!32:25 - Chapter Two: Where is Niña?46:06 - Chapter Three: The Silver Thimble50:45 - Chapter Four: La Noche Buena1:00:21 - Peek into the Past: Put Christ Back into Christmas!1:06:47 - Final Thoughts: Grief, for Girls! This podcast is for entertainment purposes only. Characters mentioned from the American Girl Doll books are the property of the Pleasance Company. 

*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 Josefina Learns a Lesson! Chapters 0:00 - Intro: Shy but Introspective Gal2:24 - Chapter One: Light and Shadow 20:08 - Chapter Two: Turning Blankets Into Sheep 30:57 - Chapter Three: Rabbit Brush (Cursed Chapter) 40:12 - Chapter Four: The First Love 52:21 - Peek into the Past: School! Barely! 58:18 - Did Josefina Learn a Lesson? This podcast is for entertainment purposes only. Characters mentioned from the American Girl Doll books are the property of the Pleasance Company. 

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!Chapters0:00 - Intro: Nueva Chica! 9:58 - Chapter One: Primroses 32:35 - Chapter Two: Abuelito's Surprise 51:34 - Chapter Three: A Gift for Tia Dolores 1:02:15 - Chapter Four: Josefina's Idea 1:13:12 - Peek into the Past: The book retold 1:21:49 - Closing Thoughts: Cute, Shy, and Historical! This podcast is for entertainment purposes only. Characters mentioned from the American Girl Doll books are the property of the Pleasance Company. 

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 they go untold.Chapter Markers0:00 - Intro: Weeping and Book Bans8:43 - Chapter One: Pieces of a Puzzle13:21 - Chapter Two: A Missing Piece21:31 - Chapter Three: The Last Piece29:19 - Chapter Four: Together(?)40:34 - Peek Into the Past: Changes for America45:34 - Final Thoughts: Goodbye, Addy, and Thank You, Connie! This podcast is for entertainment purposes only. Characters mentioned from the American Girl Doll books are the property of the Pleasance Company. 

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 Markers0:00 - Welcome Back! Another Saves the Day!10:02 - Chapter One: Seeds of Hope24:26 - Chapter Two: Hope and Determination31:59 - Chapter Three: Healing43:18 - Chapter Four: All for One!48:51 - Peek into the Past - Being Poor Isn't Fun!53:43 - Final Thoughts - Did Addy Save the Day? This podcast is for entertainment purposes only. Characters mentioned from the American Girl Doll books are the property of the Pleasance Company.