Review: The Doll People by Ann M. Martin & Laura Godwin

Title: The Doll People

Author: Ann M. Martin & Laura Godwin

Publisher:  Disney Hyperion

Release Dates: September 1, 2003
Pages: 288, Paperback

Lexile Measure: 570

Age Range: 8-12

Goodreads Rating: 3.98 stars
My Rating: 4/5 stars

Summary from Goodreads: Annabelle Doll is eight years old-she has been for more than a hundred years. Not a lot has happened to her, cooped up in the dollhouse, with the same doll family, day after day, year after year. . . until one day the Funcrafts move in.

OUR TAKE

This was an incredibly sweet and charming book.  Both my daughter and I loved it!  The story follows little Annabelle Doll (who has been eight for one-hundred years) who yearns for a bit of adventure.  Her Auntie Sarah has been missing for 45 years and none of the dolls have been brave enough to venture out to find her.  But, when Annabelle finds her aunt's journal, she realizes that the Dolls really CAN leave the dollhouse and she is determined to find her aunt no matter how long it takes her.  Meanwhile, a new doll family moves in next door and Annabelle finds a true friend and fellow adventurer in Tiffany Funcraft, the eight-year-old daughter.  Together, they set our to uncover the mystery of Annabelle's missing aunt.

This was a great story with lessons about accepting others' differences (the Funcrafts are VERY different than the Dolls, which the Doll adults have trouble with at first).  The book highlights how the two families working together are able to accomplish great things.  It also shows that sometimes family members can argue about things, but that it's okay (Uncle Doll even moves out for a time and Annabelle blames herself at first).  I thought that this was a very cute story and we will definitely pick up the other two books in this series.  4/5 stars