The Good, the Bad, and the Barbie

Title: The Good, the Bad, and the Barbie: A Doll's History and Her Impact on Us
Author: Tanya Lee Stone
Genre: Nonfiction

You will like this book if:

• You played with Barbies growing up.
• You like to read about controversial topics and all of the different opinions that surround the subject.
• You are all about Girl Power.
• You like to read nonfiction.

You will not like this book if:

• You have no interest whatsoever in Barbies.
• You don't have patience for other opinions besides your own.
• You like to read fiction.

Summary: Growing up, my sister and I played with our Barbies for hours.  We treated our Barbies very well and always wanted her to stay beautiful.  So as a Barbie fan, I never quite understood why she made some people so angry; reading Stone's book opened my eyes to the wide variety of opinions people hold of this controversial doll.  What does Barbie represent?  A career-oriented woman or a sex symbol?  Does she build young girls up encouraging them to reach for new heights or does she tear apart their self-esteem by setting a standard that they will never be able to reach?  Barbie started out as just one doll from a small American country and is now sold world-wide.  This is her story.