Ruthie (1934)
Ruthie Smithens is the newest Best Friends doll; she is Kit Kittredge's best friend, and the two dolls are fun to play with together! Ruthie has dark, curly, chocolate-brown hair, smoky gray eyes that open and close, and a playful smile. Ruthie's head and limbs are made of sturdy vinyl, and her body is soft cloth. Her arms and legs are posable and her head can turn from side to side. Ruthie wears an adorable purple floral dress with short, puffed sleeves and lace trimming on the collar, as well as white bloomers (historical underwear), white ankle socks, black Mary Jane shoes, and a purple hair ribbon.
You can purchase extra outfits, accessories, and furniture that's been designed just for Ruthie and Kit, patterned after items from the 1930s. Ruthie's accessory set includes a black purse with two compartments, two lavender rosebud barrettes, a watch with movable hands, and a purple and white floral handkerchief that matches the colors of her dress! Ruthie's other clothing sets include her play outfit, made up of a blue blouse, tan knickers, knee socks, Oxford shoes, and a ribboned hat; and a pale pink satin pajama set, complete with fur-trimmed slippers. Since Ruthie is the same size as Kit, she can wear all of Kit's clothing, too! Ruthie and Kit also have some special furniture items, such as a "day bed" with a green metal frame that can hold both dolls at once. There's also a blue and ivory cookstove for making pretend fruit preserves, a green metal patio table and chairs, and something else that no other American Girl doll has: a tree house! The tree house has a balcony, a stained-glass window in one of the walls, and a rope and bucket for lifting things up from the ground. It's also big enough to hold both Kit and Ruthie inside.
Read All About Ruthie and Her World
You can read about Ruthie and her friendship with Kit in her very own book, Really Truly Ruthie. Ruthie loves princesses and fairy tales, but she's afraid Kit won't have a "happy ending" because her family is in danger of losing their house. Ruthie decides to take matters into her own hands and contact one of Kit's relatives for help. This is the only book written from Ruthie's viewpoint, but she is also mentioned many times in Kit's six-book series. The two girls stay friends through thick and thin, in spite of hard times and the big differences between their lives. Each book has a "Looking Back" section at the end, with historical information about real life during the Great Depression of the 1930s. Ruthie is also a character in Kit's new movie, Kit Kittredge: An American Girl .
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