Meet Melody Ellison, a 9-year-old African-American girl who loves gardening, singing in the church choir, and listening to Motown music. Her story, No Ordinary Sound, is set in 1960s Detroit during the height of the Civil Rights movement. Inspired by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s speeches about equality, American Girl’s newest BeForever™ character picks “Lift Every Voice and Sing” for her very first solo performance. Change is in the air, and when the unspeakable happens in the Deep South, Melody’s voice is silenced. Can she recover it before her upcoming solo? Enter the book giveaway at the end of this blog post, and be among first to find out!
Most girls choose dolls that look like them. They want dolls that spark their imagination and inspire them in some way. Melody and I aren’t twinsies, but then again, I didn’t look like my beloved clothespin doll (Miss No Name), either. But we share the same name, and our stories are similar. Best of all, Melody Ellison’s built for adventures, just like me.
She arrived in her “meet” dress, accessorized here with a pillbox hat, cat-eye sunglasses, and a patent leather handbag.* Motown all the way, but ready for her adventures in La La Land.
We took a quick tour of my backyard first, because that’s what gardeners do. So flattering, the California sunshine on her beautiful hair and skin! I tucked some flowers into her handbag and then we headed to the beach.
Lovely view, don’t you think?
Melody opted quickly for a more casual look, ditching the handbag and slipping out of her patent leather flats.
#CaliforniaDreaming
She scrambled up the lifeguard stand…
…and splashed in frothy waves.**
Salty breezes tousled her hair, and her sunglasses slipped down her nose.
We explored the tide pools together, collecting sea glass and ocean-smoothed rocks.
Then we leaned against this outcropping, watching the surfers and listening to the seagulls.
Melody didn’t bring a beach hat, but she protected her curls with this fetching little number. A passerby pivoted, called over his shoulder: “Hey, isn’t that the doll I saw on the news? She smiled and waved, like the celebrity she is.
It was a memorable day, start to finish–lots to write and talk about when we got home!
We had so much fun on our beach adventure, and I can’t help but think that girls of all ages will fall in love with Melody Ellison.
Kudos to American Girl for designing this beautiful doll, who reflects so well the changing face of history. Author Denise Lewis Patrick should be congratulated, as well, for adding No Ordinary Sound to the growing collection of diverse books. Melody isn’t just a doll–she’s a phenomenon. In lifting her voice for positive change, she’ll inspire girls of all ages to do the same.
*American Girl collaborated with a six-member advisory board that provided input on all aspects of Melody’s appearance and storyline, including her outfits, accessories, hairstyle, historical events and settings.
**Thanks to videos like this one, I knew ahead of time that American Girls don’t like to get drenched. Not to worry, though: If Melody gets water-damaged, the AG hospital can fix her up, good as new.
And now for the book giveaway contest! You have until Labor Day to enter–good luck!
Thanks for this post, and for sharing your day at the beach with your new friend. I’m so happy American Girl Doll has introduced Melody. For too long African American history has been relegated to Feb. It needs to be mainstreamed so that we can all understand how history continues to shape race relations. That’s a lot to expect of a doll perhaps, but it’s a beginning. Besides–I love her style!
Love this post!! Very creative… so Melodye!
Love how American girl dolls celebrate history!!
My girls love the books just as much as the dolls. Melody’s story sounds like a great addition.
I love this. Thank you
These pictures are SO. CUTE. Melody! 🙂
My Lily just started learning about the civil rights movement in school at the end of last year … so this new doll and book would really strike a chord.
As sister of the real live Melodye and author of this blog post, I can say that we have shared many adventures together. Some of my favorite memories and fun with Melodye involve walking on the beach as she and the American Girl, Melody have done. She’ll probably kill me for this, but we used to sing In my heart there rings a Melody” in church. She hated it and would say, “Why can’t they sing In my heart there rings a Sheryll”?
Thanks for this walk with the two Melody’s.