A Holiday Gift For All Time? Give History – Exquisitely Wrapped as a Doll
As the gift-giving season builds to December 25, parents not only look for the right toy but one that will inspire. Basic childhood presents like a doll, costumes and storybooks are far better than hi-tech gear and apps to promote wonder, curiosity, creativity and imagination. A childhood gift for all time might be a beautifully crafted doll with a historically correct background story. Add to the mix an age-appropriate history lesson from a young girl’s point of view plus period costumes. British girls already enjoy this in the form of Clementine, Matilda and Amelia from A Girl for all Time® doll collection. This season, American girls everywhere can finally possess this line by clicking on the USA Shop at www.AGirlforAllTime.
Moms may say that “we already have those dolls” in the form of 18″ American Girl dolls and books. Yes and no. According to the Washington Post writer Alexandra Petri, since toy conglomerate Mattel took over the iconic collection, the focus is less on history and inspiration and more on consumerism. “Now — actual stories are being replaced with bland, featureless faces. The My American Girls have spawned a series of books where you fill in the blanks of her adventures,” she writes.
Petri continues in a recent column, “Dolls just like us. Is this really what we want? The image is embarrassing — privileged, comfortable, with idiotic-sounding names and few problems that a bake sale wouldn’t solve. Life comes to them in manageable, small bites, pre-chewed. No big adventures. No high
stakes. All the rough edges are sanded off and the real dangers excluded. It’s about as much fun as walking around in a life vest.”
Well, if young girls want adventure, look to Clementine, Matilda and Amelia, historic figures based on 500 years of the fictional Marchmont Family. There’s Clementine, who survives the evacuation of London in 1939 as a 12-year- old. Matilda is a Tudor girl from King Henry VIII’s Court and Amelia, from 1880 London, shows today’s girls what the Victorian era was all about. Individually, the three dolls captured three rare Platinum rankings within the prestigious Oppenheim Best Toy Award.

The Oppenheim toy judges gleefully explained their latest top choice, “Clementine, is a 1940’s English girl, with an instantly lovable wistful look…(and) like previous A Girl for All Time winners, Matilda, a Tudor girl and Amelia, a Victorian girl, Clementine’s details are noteworthy. Designed for play, she and others in the collection will likely become treasured collectibles for the lucky few.”
Oppenheim is one of the few toy award programs that does not charge a submission fee and evaluates hundreds of new products every year from the very biggest of toy companies to the smallest. It awards its top prize, Platinum, to a small group of the very best offerings for the year, as well as Gold to excellent toys and games, Blue Chip for classic toys and SNAP for special needs products. Of Amelia, Oppenheim wrote, “From our friends across the pond, comes a new collection of girl dolls that will give our well-loved historic American Girl Dolls a run for the money. The dolls, each from a different time period, are executed with the kind of finesse of a Masterpiece Theater production.”
And of platinum winner Matilda, Oppenheim remarked, “A lovely 16″ Tudor girl comes dressed in a long gown of grey velvet with a plum colored underskirt, known as a kirtle. She wears historically styled undies and a petticoat and wears typical Court shoes, a key necklace and a grey headdress. A book about the 13- year old Matilda and her life in the court of Henry VIII makes for good reading. Stunning wardrobe choices are also available. We loved the silk lined velvet cloak ($39.99) and her masked ball gown ($29.99). Like other A Girl for All Time dolls she is fully articulated at the knees and elbows for more playability.”
Chimes in mom blogger Thanks, Mail Carrier, “these award-winning dolls and the history that they teach are truly amazing! Even before we had Matilda, Your Tudor Girl, out of her stylish box, Big Sister E and Little Sister B were pointing out every aspect, from her intricate clothing to her long, smooth hair to her eye-catching pendant. While I warned the girls that this was a keepsake doll (in hopes that she wouldn’t end up disheveled and tossed around like some of their past dolls), as we removed the last ties it was clear that she was, in fact, plenty durable enough to withstand play. Which makes all of the exquisite fine details — from the images online I could have sworn that her face and hands were crafted from porcelain, not vinyl! — even more stunning!”
Back in London, where history seems to surround every family, the three characters from A Girl For All Time are flying off the shelves at Harrods luxury department store.
Beyond the doll and her clothes are the historical storybooks, period clothes and accessories that appeal to young school girls through the early teen years. With the inspiration from these dolls, such as Clementine’s evacuation from The Blitz in London without her parents, imagine the conversations at sleepovers!
The ever-expanding collection currently features:
Clementine, Your 1940s GirlTM • Ages 7+ • $134.99
Clementine comes in a historically inspired 1940’s dress of green poly-cotton with a vintage daisy pattern, upturned sleeves and a satin Peter- Pan collar. Clementine’s dress comes with a belt and cream-colored buckle, period underwear, ankle socks and sturdy shoes. Hat with satin ribbon included.
Clementine’s Winter (available this winter) • Ages 9+ • $9.99
Clementine Harper is 12 years old when war breaks out in 1939. As The Blitz threatens London, Clemmie is evacuated with her younger brothers and eventually settles in rural Devon away from her parents and urban life. There she meets another fish-out-of-water, Giselle, a Jewish-German refugee and the two become fast friends. But Giselle’s sister is hiding in occupied France and her parents have been taken. If only the girls could help…
Add to her wardrobe:
Party Dress & Petticoat • $45.99
Party Dress Accessory Pack • $19.99
Land Girl Outfit • $39.99
Matilda, Your Tudor GirlTM • Ages 7+ • $134.99
Pink Coat and Beret • 49.99
Land Girl Accessory Pack • $19.99

Matilda, Your Tudor GirlTM • Ages 7+ • $134.99
As Matilda and Katherine twirl about the room in their new dresses, Matilda feels as if she is in a dream. Her new dress is the most beautiful she has ever seen …This deluxe doll comes dressed in an historically inspired costume of luxurious grey velvet with a plum kirtle, period underwear and petticoat. Court shoes, key necklace and headdress included.
Matilda’s Secret Novel • Ages 9+ • $9.99
Read the thrilling 180-page paperback adventure of 13-year old Matilda Marchmont as she is drawn into a glittering world of intrigue, intense friendship and mortal danger in the court of Henry VIII that takes her from Hampton Court Palace to the Bloody Tower itself. Based on British history and follows curriculum taught in UK schools, the books portray the difficult and sometimes dangerous lives endured in Tudor England during this period. Twice BAFTA-nominated writer and director Sandra Goldbacher wrote Matilda’s Secret.

Add to her wardrobe:
Matilda’s Night Shift • $19.99
Matilda’s Masked Ballgown • $29.99
Matilda’s Velvet Cloak • $39.99
Matilda’s Keepsakes and Secrets • $18.99
This hardcover, spiral-bound activity book was designed and written by P. S. Salmi, a masters graduate of the Royal College of Art and Fulbright scholar at the University of Southern California. It’s an impressive 88 pages of interactive projects and activities, with customizable pages to make the book your own.
Amelia, Your Victorian GirlTM • Ages 7+ • $134.99
Amelia is made from high quality, durable vinyl and is 16 inches tall with articulated elbows and knees. This deluxe doll comes dressed in a historically inspired Victorian school dress of blue cotton, with striped collar and cuffs, ruffled pantalets and undershirt. Sturdy school boots and a straw boater hat complete the outfit.
Amelia’s Inheritance • Ages 9+ • $9.99
This beautifully illustrated 150+ page book tells the story of 13-year-old orphan Amelia Elliot growing up in Victorian London. It’s London 1880 and Amelia Elliot was halfway down the stairs to the school dining hall when her life changed forever. Before the gong sounded for tea she was an ordinary schoolgirl looking forward to her 13th birthday and worrying about her Latin exam. After the gong, she was an orphan sent hurtling into a shadowy world of subterfuge and treachery and unlikely friendship.
Add to her wardrobe:
Amelia’s Party Dress • $49.99
Amelia’s Opera Cloak • $39.99
Amelia’s Stage/Ballet Costume • $59.99
Although based in the UK, the company offers a dedicated checkout for North American customers with US prices and localized shipping from its Chicago warehouse. Order online from their USA Shop at AGirlForAllTime.com and take advantage of their web special — free shipping on all orders over $200 mailed to the lower 48 states. A $25 flat rate applies to Alaska, Canada and Hawaii shipments. For those that live near a select group of US stores, plan an afternoon — with or without your favorite girl — to personally pick a gift for all time. Find the doll collection in Texas at Toy Werks in San Antonio. In New York City the dolls are on display at FAO Schwarz and Kidding Around in Manhattan. They can also be found at LaToys Etcetera in Cedarhurst, NY and at The Strong National Museum of Play in Rochester, NY.
Fans can follow the three historical adventures on YouTube, Facebook and other social media as girls on “this side of the pond” discover these remarkable dolls.
ABOUT A GIRL FOR ALL TIME
Based in London, each character in the A Girl for All Time® family, is descended from the first doll, Matilda, featured in a series of novels set in different eras of the most exciting times in English history from an English viewpoint. The novels encourage girls to explore the past, while the keepsake books bring the character’s world to life with themed activities and adventures. For more information or to purchase online, visit www.AGirlforAllTime.com.
