<P> American Girl opened several temporary locations during the holiday season in 2016 in an attempt to reach more customers . In August of 2016 a temporary location was set up in Novi, Michigan a suburb of Detroit in Twelve Oaks Mall which closed on January 28th 2017 . In July of 2017 a temporary location opened in Raleigh, North Carolina, in the Crabtree Valley Mall; to be opened until January 28, 2018 . </P> <P> The American Girl magazine is run by the American Girl company . It was started by the Pleasant Company in Middleton, Wisconsin in 1992, with the first issue dated January 1993 . Aimed towards girls ages 8 - 14, the bimonthly magazine includes articles, recipes, advice columns, fiction, arts and crafts, and activity ideas . Girls can choose to either get a year of magazines (6 issues), or two years of magazines (12 issues). </P> <P> American Girl launched Innerstar University, an online virtual world featuring the My American Girl contemporary doll line, on July 13, 2010 . Access to the online world is via a Campus Guide, bundled with purchase of a My American Girl doll, which contains an access code for the creation of a doll avatar that then navigates the various games, shops, and challenges of the virtual campus of Innerstar U . In 2015, when My American Girl dolls were changed to Truly Me dolls, this website was closed down . The launch was simultaneous with Shine on Now, a fund - raising effort Kids In Distressed Situations, National Association of Children's Hospitals and Related Institutions, National Wildlife Federation, and Save the Children charities . The company has also donated "almost $500,000" over several years to national non-profit homeless housing group HomeAid . These contributions are mainly through its Project Playhouse program . </P> <P> The company has drawn criticism for the expense of the dolls, which cost $115 without accessories as of December 2014 . Buyers can easily spend more than $600 for a doll, outfits, accessories and lunch in the company's store in New York . Some aspects of the doll's characters and history have also provoked controversy . Some observers questioned why Addy, American Girl's first African - American historical character, was portrayed first as a slave (in later stories Addy and her family gain their freedom after the Civil War), while Cecile Rey, American Girl's second black historical character, was portrayed as a well - to - do black girl in New Orleans . American Girl later went on with releasing their first African - American Girl of the Year, Gabriela McBride, who is portrayed as a dancer, artist, and poet . In 2005, residents of Pilsen (a neighborhood in Chicago, Illinois) criticized a passage in the book associated with the Latina - American doll Marisol, claiming it inaccurately depicted their neighborhood as dangerous . A senior public relations associate for American Girl responded to critics saying: "We feel that this brief passage has been taken out of context in the book ." The 2009 limited - edition release of Gwen, a homeless American Girl character, was also controversial . </P>

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