Melody Doll & Book by American Girl

Melody Ellison is a hopeful and positive 9 year-old girl growing up in Detroit, Michigan, during the civil rights movement of the 1960s. The beautiful 18-inch Melody doll has dark brown eyes and black hair. Melody comes in a bright blue-and-green houndstooth dress, a blue ribbon headband, and shiny blue patent shoes. Also included is No Ordinary Sound, the first volume in Melody’s classic series, by Denise Lewis Patrick.

Why we like it: Kudos to American Girl for embracing diversity and featuring Melody, a little girl with big dreams. As always, youngsters will learn about an important part of American history with the accompanying book that talks about the Civil Rights movement of the ’60s.