The much anticipated An American Girl: McKenna Shoots for the Stars will be out this summer – specifically on DVD & Blu-Ray on July 3 and then July 14 at 8pm on NBC right before the Olympics. The trailer for the movie is out and can be on YouTube.

The official movie synopsis:

Meet McKenna Brooks™, a determined and confident young gymnast, in this all-new modern-day adventure. McKenna™ is on track to make the regional competitive gymnastics team but off-track in school, where she’s suddenly struggling to keep up. When her teacher suggests a tutor, she’s embarrassed and desperate to keep it a secret from her friends. Then a bad fall at the gym sidetracks her from her favorite sport. Will she recover in time to make the team? Can she succeed in school, too? McKenna™ needs to focus on her strengths to overcome her challenges – and, with the help of family and friends, find a way to believe in herself again.

Ok, what do you think? I think it is going to be very popular!

Thanks to multiple readers who emailed me this link overnight – it was a nice surprise to wake up to.

So reports are that a flyer for the McKenna movie was in this month’s American Girl magazine which is arriving in subscriber mailboxes this week. Here is a photo of it sent in by a reader:

So, from the photo we know the title is McKenna Shoots for the Stars, it will air Saturday, July 14 at 8pm on NBC and it will also be available on DVD. That is fantastic that it will be on a major network!

And you can see from the photo, the five major characters – McKenna, Josie, Toulane (in leotard) and McKenna’s parents.

Sarah just sent this photo in which is that back of the insert.

This is going to be a fun movie! And as a random side note, I just realized my birthday is on Friday the 13th this year. Hmm….

Megan is back with a new hair how-to video! She is a huge fan of The Hunger Games (I am not, but that’s okay – I can still appreciate it) and saw the movie with her older brother while I was in Ireland.  She decided to recreate the “Katniss” character using an American Girl doll – Kanani was the best fit from our collection – and then create a video on the Katniss braid so you can try it on your doll’s hair or even your own. Click below  to watch video.

And here is the final look:

I think Kanani makes a great Katniss – what do you think?

I just saw the trailer for the movie Brave that is coming out in June and all I could think the entire time was Carpatina, Carpatina, they need to make a doll for the lead character Merida, Carpatina!!

Don’t you think she would make a stunning doll??? I do! I mean, that gorgeous curly red hair – she would be a fabulous doll.

The plot: Merida is a skilled archer and impetuous daughter of King Fergus and Queen Elinor. Determined to carve her own path in life, Merida defies an age-old custom sacred to the uproarious lords of the land: massive Lord MacGuffin, surly Lord Macintosh and cantankerous Lord Dingwall. Merida’s actions inadvertently unleash chaos and fury in the kingdom, and when she turns to an eccentric old Witch for help, she is granted an ill-fated wish. The ensuing peril forces Merida to discover the meaning of true bravery in order to undo a beastly curse before it’s too late.

Here is the trailer – and I am really looking forward to seeing this one in movie theaters this summer.

Don’t you think all these gowns from Carpatina would be perfect for a Merida doll?

Actually, I think Tonner Doll could make an amazing Merida, but I am sure that like Rapunzel and other Disney gals, there will be a variety of sizes and interpretations available for us to buy. Yes, and somehow I missed at Toy Fair, but here are some of the Merida dolls and merchandise already. Again, I think Tonner could make a prettier, more true to the movie version.

If you are looking for a fun, girly movie to watch over the Easter holidays, pick up Sharpay’s Fabulous Adventure (Two-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo) which comes out April 19th on DVD and Blu-Ray! We were lucky enough to receive a preview copy of the movie and I have lost track of how many times my 12 year old and 9 year old have watched it. I haven’t seen any Sharpay’s Fabulous Adventure dolls – YET – but based on the number of Sharpay dolls they made for High School Musical, I am sure there will be.

Scroll down for a printable poster and a movie clip, but first, the overview of the movie – according to my 12 year old:

Sharpay is done with high school and wants to prove to her dad that she can stand on her on own two feet. After doing a performance in her hometown she is asked if she can fly to New York City to audition for a Broadway show. Sharpay convinces her dad that she can handle being on her own and he gives her two months to prove it, otherwise she will have to move back and work for her parents.

After getting to New York, Sharpay arrives at her dream penthouse only to find out that dogs aren’t allowed. That being the deal breaker, she goes out onto the streets and wonders what she will do to prove she is worthy of living on her own. Sharpay has a run in with a mysterious boy and he leads her to a place for her to live. They learn that their moms know each other and soon become close friends. With the help of Peyton, Sharpay soon “pink-i-fys” her new place and gets an audition for a show with her idol Amber Lee Adams. She then learns that the producers only wanted her dog Boi and not Sharpay. She is dissapointed but decides to still audition Boi. She trains him and prepares Boi for his soon to be rivalry with other auditioner Countess. Roger Elliston does not stop short of letting Sharpay know that her and Boi are going to lose the role to him and his dog Countess.

Sharpay is hired as Amber Lee Adams assistant and she figures it will help Boi get the role. Sharpay does everything for Amber Lee and she also hears it all. When Sharpay finds out that Amber Lee Adams isn’t all that she is cracked up to be, Roger and Sharpay decide to find a way to get her fired. Her plan worked, but it got Sharpay fired as well. Peyton shows them footage of Sharpay practicing lines with Boi when they are desperate to find a new lead role. This gets Sharpay the role, and her dream.

Main Characters: Sharpay Evans (Ashley Tisdale), Roger Ellison (Bradley Steven Perry) , Peyton Leverett (Austin Butler),  Amber Lee Adams (Cameron Goodman), Boi, Countess

Who Will Enjoy The Movie:

• Great for girls or guys between the ages of 6-14
• Any girl who enjoys chick flicks or super girly movies
• Anyone interested in drama / theater
• Great family movie
• The movie teaches you that hard work pays off
• It also teaches you that life is a roller coaster and that even with ups and downs things do work out in the end

I love printable poster the PR company sent us for you to download:

Download Sharpay’s Making Your Dreams Come True Poster as a PDF file.

And click on the arrow below to watch a fun clip from the movie:

Let me know if you see the movie – and what you think of it!!

UPDATE NOVEMBER 22, 2010: It looks like Julie: An American Girl Musical is in development according to a very brief page on the NYTimes site. Details we may have:

• Screenplay – Matthew Weiss
• Producer – Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas (the producer of all the previous American Girl movies)
  
• Goldsmith-Thomas Productions – Production Company
• HBO Films – Production Company

We will definitely keep you posted as we get more info!

I have read multiple articles and have had quiet a few readers tip me off to rumors that the next American Girl movie will be about Julie and will be a musical.

Here is a quote from Reelzchannel via the Complete Guide to American Girl Doll Collecting:

At a recent press day for Kit Kittredge: An American Girl, producer Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas confirmed that there are indeed plans for more American Girl movies in the pipeline.

The next American Girl to see her story make it to film? Julie Albright. “We are developing the Julie character,” Goldsmith-Thomas said, “and we’re doing her as a musical, as a high school musical.”

We’re going to have all those great songs from the ’70s,” she continued. “Julie: An American Girl Musical. It’s [set] in San Francisco.”

The movie is just in outline form as of now, so Goldsmith-Thomas was unable to confirm much more about it, but she did say the music will include both original songs written for the movie as well as music from the 1970s, and that they intend to do more open auditions like they did for Kit Kittredge. “Oh, you betcha,” she said.

This should be fun!

The court of Disney Princesses was joined by Anika Noni Rose (“Tiana”) and a host of celebrity guests as Tiana was officially crowned the ninth member of the beloved Disney Princess Royal Court. A magical ceremony took place in the Grand Ballroom at the historic New York Palace in Manhattan. As the newest Disney Princess, Tiana will forever be celebrated and recognized as a Disney Princess across all divisions of the Walt Disney Company and will be included in all Disney Princess merchandise featuring multiple Disney Princess characters.

The event celebrated the arrival of The Princess and the Frog on Disney Blu-Ray and DVD, which releases March 16th. Nominated for three Academy Awards®, The Princess and the Frog transports audiences to glorious, glamorous New Orleans as Tiana, the newest Disney Princess meets her frog prince and gives him the fateful kiss that leads them both on a hilarious adventure through the mystical, magical bayous of Louisiana.

The new princess has opened up a totally new set of activities, Princess Tiana costumes and toys, Princess and the Frog birthday party ideas, Princess Tiana coloring pages and even her own line of beauty Magical Beauty products!

Additionally she has her own cookbook – here is a recipe that is fun to make and tastes so yummy, too.

Tiana’s Famous Beignets

Makes 14 to 16
(pages 6-7 in The Princess and the Frog: Tiana’s Cookbook)

Reprinted from the book DISNEY’S THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG TIANA’S COOKBOOK RECIPES FOR KIDS. Copyright © 2009 Disney Enterprises, Inc. Published by Disney Press, an imprint of Disney Book Group.

INGREDIENTS:
3 cups flour
1/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 cup buttermilk
1/3 cup water
1 egg, beaten
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Vegetable oil, for frying
Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting

DIRECTIONS:
1. In a medium bowl, combine 23/4 cups of the flour with the sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg. Whisk everything together.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, water, egg, and vanilla extract. Stir in the flour mixture from Step 1.

3. Use some of the remaining flour to dust your work surface. Place the dough on it and pat it into a large 1/2 -inch-thick square. Dust the top with more flour if it gets sticky. Next, slice the dough into 21/2 -inch squares.

4. Now it’s time to fry the beignets—be sure to ask an adult to help you! Heat 2 inches of vegetable oil in a heavy saucepan on the stovetop until the temperature reaches 325° on a deep-fat thermometer. Check the temperature every so often while cooking. If it gets too hot, temporarily turn the heat down, or off.

5. Carefully drop 3 dough squares at a time into the hot oil. Fry them for 3 minutes, turn them over, and continue frying for 3 more minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the beignets to a wire rack set atop paper towels to drain. Dust the beignets with confectioners’ sugar, and enjoy!

The first Twilight saga movie was a huge hit and with the second movie in the saga, New Moon tickets on sale now, I’m sure we will see even more Twilight memorabilia being sold. The Tonner doll company has created a Twilight doll line that is geared toward the collector with prices of  $100 or more for each character doll. Barbie is releasing their version of the Twilight characters Bella and Edward at a much more affordable price around $30 each.  Or you can have fun with the Neca Twilight character action figures – oh my! I’m sure that true Twilight fans will find one of the three options to their liking.

Another sign that the Twilight saga has gained a sizable following – they have released Twilight Scene It? Game – perfect for a Twilight movie party!

Here are the different Twilight doll collections – click on the images for pricing and details. Most of the Twilight dolls are limited in stock as everything is going fast!

Twillight BELLA SWAN Doll from the Barbie Pink Label Collection – $ 32.95 From: Bill Bam’s Collectibles

Twillight EDWARD CULLEN Doll from the Barbie Pink Label Collection – $ 32.95 From: Bill Bam’s Collectibles

Twilight New Moon Alice Cullen Tonner Doll Twilight New Moon Edward Cullen Distant Devotion Tonner Doll Twilight Scene It? Game Twilight Breaking Dawn Barbie Collector Doll Set Twilight Jasper Hale Tonner Doll Twilight New Moon Edward Cullen Distant Devotion Tonner Doll Twilight Jasper Hale Tonner Doll Twilight New Moon Alice Cullen Tonner Doll Twilight Jane Tonner Doll Twilight Jane Tonner Doll Twilight Eclipse Jane Barbie Doll Twilight Breaking Dawn Edward Cullen Doll Twilight Breaking Dawn Barbie Collector Doll Set Twilight Jacob Black Barbie Doll Twilight Breaking Dawn Bella Swan Doll Twilight Breaking Dawn Bella Swan Doll Twilight Eclipse Jane Barbie Doll Twilight Breaking Dawn Edward Cullen Doll Twilight Jacob Black Barbie Doll

We recommend buying any Twilight collectibles early – these are definitely some of the hottest items for the holiday season!

With the new Harry Potter Half Blood Prince movie out in theaters I figured there had to be some dolls geared for collectors out there. Of course, there are plenty! Again, the Tonner Doll Company has the most amazing detail and collectibility. The Hermione and Professor Dumbledore dolls are my favorite.

The new Kit Kittredge – An American Girl movie has been released on DVD and it contains the movie trailer for the American Girl of The Year 2009 movie, An American Girl Chrissa Stands Strong. The trailer is in the bonus features.

The movie, which will star Sammi Hanratty, is scheduled to be released January 6, 2009. If you can’t wait to see it on your own Kit DVD, someone has posted the Chrissa trailer on YouTube.