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Pleasant T. Rowland

by Gabriela

Pleasant T. Rowland has used her fascination with American history to produce educational products called the American Girls Collection. Pleasant's goal is to "give young girls a sense of self and understanding of where they have come from and who they are today." Pleasant's company has sold more than 25 million books and 2 million dolls since the line was introduced in 1986.

Pleasant turned the Pleasant Company into a multi-million dollar business, according to The New York Times, "by breaking toyland's rules." Her company tries to steer clear of the the mass culture which tries to sell young girls sophisticated notions of their sexuality. The American Girls are portrayed by their accompanying books as intelligent, active and heroic; in other words, anything but traditional.

Page created on 8/16/2012 11:00:51 AM

Last edited 1/4/2017 10:36:43 PM

The beliefs, viewpoints and opinions expressed in this hero submission on the website are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the beliefs, viewpoints and opinions of The MY HERO Project and its staff.

Related Links

The American Girl website - has biographical information about Pleasant.
The Pleasant Rowland Reading Program - In 2003, Rowland "formed a non-profit foundation to update and distribute The Superkids program and to support research into the most effective way to teach children how to read."

Extra Info


Learning to read is hard work.
The Superkids make it fun!

"Created by a teacher for teachers everywhere, the program features a lively cast of characters that engage children as no other program does. But don't be fooled by the fun! The Superkids program is a rigorous and disciplined curriculum that takes the teaching of reading and writing very seriously—and delivers results like no other. Find out why kids love it (it's fun!), why teachers love it (it works!), and what the research says."

Related Books

 

Author Info



"Pleasant is my hero because I like the American Girls and I learn about history when I play that I am The American Girl. I know what it was like to be a girl from history."