The Good, the bad, and the Barbie

Author Tanya Lee Stone did a magnificent job sharing with the reader Barbie’s history. She shares Ruth Handler’s life and how she began the company Mattel along with her husband, Matt, and a friend of theirs, Elliot.

Ruth was never interested in playing with dolls, for she considered herself a tomboy. Life partnered her up with a creative man who started designing and creating bookends, trays, mirrors, and other accessories in their garage. They eventually had to move to the workshop to a bigger location since their toys were growing in popularity and demand. Later, they began to design toys. They were the perfect team because Elliot designed and Ruth sold the items.  Elliot joins them and they become part of a growing company. Elliot later decides that the company requires too much of his time and attention and decides to leave the company. Ruth was having a blast and was enjoying working with her husband more than staying at home with the children. She felt that she was not meant to be a stay at home mom. Ruth had a brilliant idea of creating a doll that girls could do role playing and use their imagination, for Barbie could be from a model to an Air Force pilot. At the beginning of her project, Ruth faced much opposition, for the business men she worked with believed no one was going to want to buy a doll with breasts. Even her husband was doubtful. Ruth did not allow this to stop her, and she pressed on.

Barbie has been in almost every single household.  Even though some consider her to be damaging to young girl’s body image, children around the world have been able to play and enjoy Barbies of all races and professions. Some women remember feeling empowered as children when they played and dreamed of being famous or simply a grown up. And, it has not only been used for play but also as an inspiration for creating art.

There isn’t an official book trailer for the book, but you can watch a very entertaining trailer with a catchy song on the background.

 Book Trailer

Tanya Lee Stone did a wonderful job enlightening us with the history of Barbie. This talented writer has written other nonfiction books: Wild America, Making America, Blastoff, Made in the USA, and many others. She has also written the following picture books: Who Says Women Can't Be Computer Programmers, Who Says Women Can't Be Doctors, The House that Jane Built, and many others.

Another book that discusses an artifact that impacted the lives of women is Wheels of Change: How Women Rode the Bicycle to Freedom (With a Few Flat Tires Along the Way)
by Sue Macy. “Take a lively look at women's history from aboard a bicycle, which granted females the freedom of mobility and helped empower women's liberation” (Goodreads).

It would be wonderful for students to create an online survey to go along with the reading of the book. Students can brainstorm questions and figure out if the students and staff feel if Barbie has positively or negatively impacted their lives. If students wish to have fun with a little competition, they can form groups and design new outfits for Barbie and display them in the library. You never know. There might be a future famous designer in your classroom.

Books similar to The Good, the Bad, and the Barbie: A Doll's History and Her Impact on Us.        (n.d.). Retrieved November 1, 2018, from https://www.goodreads.com/book/similar/13414386-the-  good-the-bad-and-the-barbie-a- doll-s-history-and-her-impact-on-us

Stone, T. L. (2015). The good, the bad, and the Barbie: A dolls history and her impact on us. NY, NY: Viking, an imprint of Penguin Group (USA).    

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