The American Girl 2020
Girl of the Year is Joss Kendrick. She is a competitive cheerleader and a surfer who is also the first American Girl doll
who wears a hearing aid and is fluent (along with her family members) in American Sign Language.
Joss has two books: Joss and Joss:
Touch the Sky by Erin Falligant. Both books were released on December
26, 2019.
As a consultant, I am so glad to finally be able to
talk about this publicly. From the start, I loved Joss as a character. The
story-lines incorporate the character’s deafness but that is not the focus of
the story. Both books focus on friendship
and connections that are universal to young people and the young at heart. I
appreciated the struggles that Joss had with being a good friend and keeping
balance in her life.
Joss communicates with her parents, brothers, and her
friends through ASL and speaking. As a surfer, she removes her hearing aid and
must use ASL to communicate.
Surfer Crystal DaSilva, the women’s short board champion at
the 2009 biannual World Deaf Surfing Championships, was another consultant on
this project.
To read more about the character and the process, please visit the American Girl website.
Joss and Joss:
Touch the Sky by Erin Falligant
Age
Range: 4 - 8 years
Grade
Level: 3 - 5
Series:
Girl of the Year (Book 1) and (Book 2)
Publisher:
American Girl (December 26, 2019)
Joss (Book 1):
"When
the surf's up, she pops out her hearing aid, hops on her board and paddles out
to the lineup. Joss is stoked to enter a surfing video contest with her friend
Sofia and Murph, the surfing bulldog. If she can master a killer aerial like the
frontside air and get her brother Dylan to catch it on video, maybe she'd even
have a shot at winning. But Dylan throws her a curve: he dares her to try out
for the cheer team. No way--Joss can't see herself as a cheerleader ... She's
100% surfer girl, and Dylan knows it! Still, if she takes him up on his dare,
then maybe he'll help her with the video. It's worth a try, right?"
Joss:
Touch the Sky (Book
2):
"Joss
Kendrick is always looking for new ways to soar. So when her cheer team needs a
new flyer, she can't wait to step up (literally). Her high-flying skills on her
surfboard and skateboard make her a natural for the role. But when her
skateboarding act at the talent show turns into a total catastrophe--make that
a dog-tastrophe--Joss loses her confidence all around, even at the cheer gym. A
big cheer competition is coming up fast, though, and her team is depending on
her to nail a tricky stunt. If only Joss could trust them not to drop her. She
wants to do an easier stunt, but if she plays it safe, can her team still win?
And if they don't, will her team ever forgive her?"
.
Not only can you purchase the books but you can also purchase the Joss doll with some seriously cool accessories, including her bulldog Murph with his surfing life vest on the American Girl page. In addition, I also want to note that American Girl announced a $25,000 donation to the Hearing Loss Association of America (HLAA).
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