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The Friendship Doll

by Kirby Larson (Goodreads Author)

3.85 of 5 stars 3.85 · rating details · 649 ratings · 155 reviews

I am Miss Kanagawa. In 1927, my 57 doll-sisters and I were sent from Japan to America as Ambassadors of Friendship. Our work wasn't all peach blossoms and tea cakes. My story will take you from New York to Oregon, during the Great Depression. Though few in this tale are as fascinating as I, their stories won't be an unpleasant diversion. You will make the acquaintance of B...more

Hardcover, 208 pages

Published May 10th 2011 by Delacorte Books for Young Readers (first published May 4th 2011)

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Lists with This Book

Newbery 2012

21st out of 136 books — 546 voters

DCL Mock Newbery 2012

6th out of 41 books — 27 voters

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Community Reviews

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Apr 04, 2013 Carol rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: children-s

Sometimes you find good book in a round about way. Sometimes you can't remember exactly how you got there. I think this is how I found The Friendship Doll by Kirby Larson. A conversation with friends on GR regarding stolen treasures or art led me to searching for some new books on the subject. Larson's book came up in the search. Considering this book is meant for young readers, I normally would have passed it by but the subject piqued my interest and the author had won a Newbery Honor Winner to...more

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Nov 12, 2012 Jenna Cohen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya

I read this for the Cybil's assignment. I can see why it won, as it seems excellently researched and is very engaging as Larson takes the liberty to imagine certain things. It is also a Newbery Honor Winner.

I loved this book! I could really sink into it and "escape". I found myself relating to these young girls' experiences, as well as the experience of loving a doll.

It is historical fiction, and even though the stories are from the Great Gepression, I feel they would really resonate with a yo...more

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Aug 27, 2012 Patricia Hruby Powell rated it 4 of 5 stars

For a more advanced middle grade reader, try the novel, “The Friendship Doll” by Kirby Larson (Delacorte 2010) at 200 pages. Miss Kanagawa was one of 57 dolls sent from Japan to the children of the U.S. in 1927 as a diplomatic offering. That part is fact.
Miss Kanagawa begins the story in a haughty voice, but as she changes the lives of four American girls that span the time of the Great Depression, so, too, does her heart change. Each character comes alive on the page, starting with Bunny from N...more

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Jun 11, 2012 Rebecca rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: family-story, children, historical

In 1927, Japanese schoolchildren sent 58 magnificent dolls to the US as a sign of friendship. One of those dolls was Miss Kanagawa, who, over the years, touches the lives of many people, including a wealthy but lonely girl in 1927, a girl attending the Depression-era Chicago World's Fair, a backwoods Kentucky girl and the elderly grouch who hires her to read aloud in the 1930s, and a dispossessed Okie girl whose father is taking them to California. Miss Kanagawa teaches them about friendship, an...more

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Nov 05, 2011 Richie Partington rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

9 May 2011 FRIENDSHIP DOLL by Kirby Larson, Delacorte, May 2011, 208p., ISBN: 978-0-385-73745-6; Libr. ISBN: 978-0-385-90667-8

"I have to say my friends
This road goes a long, long way
And if we're going to find the end
We're gonna need a helping hand."
-- Elton John, "Salvation"

"Though he wasn't like Kurita -- a man whose endless boasts clanged like the chappa cymbal -- he was proud of his efforts. His wife would be too, were she still living. Miss Kanagawa was a doll like none other. The size of a...more

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Jul 31, 2011 Barbara rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: ncbla

This is another satisfying piece of historical fiction from the always-reliable Kirby Larson. I was mesmerized by the story from its opening pages and read it in one installment. I love how history is woven with the creative imaginings of "What if?" from the author. Fifty-eight dolls actually were sent to this country as Ambassadors of Friendship from Japan in response to doll gifts sent to Japan from the United States earlier. Larson imagines the travels and brief enounters one particular doll,...more

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Jul 22, 2011 Dori rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is a delicious book that made me smile many times. Miss Kanagawa, a three-foot-tall doll hand-made in Japan, came to the United States in 1927, along with 57 other dolls, as an ambassador of friendship. That much is a true story. What American children might she have met, and how might she have affected their lives? That is where Kirby Larson’s vivid imagination kicks in.

A rich, spoiled girl in New York City in 1928. A daughter of an unemployed mechanic in Chicago in the early days of the...more

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Jun 15, 2011 Susie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Each of the stories in this book could stand alone; Larson was able to include so much in just 200 pages. At first I would be disappointed that one story was finished and I had to start over again, but each story became very compelling. I really enjoy books that make me want to find out more about their background (if based on fact), and this one encouraged me to find out more about the friendship dolls. I imagine that students reading this book may not have a lot of knowledge about WPA, the poo...more

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Jun 03, 2011 Cindy Hudson rated it 4 of 5 stars

In the 1920s, 58 dolls were sent as ambassadors of friendship from the children of Japan to the children of the United States. About three feet tall, these dolls had human hair and came dressed in kimonos and accompanied by accessories such as tea sets and parasols. The Friendship Doll by Kirby Larson is the fictionalized story of one of them, Miss Kanagawa.

Miss Kanagawa takes her role as an ambassador seriously. Still, she is surprised to find a connection at times with the children she comes i...more In the 1920s, 58 dolls were sent as ambassadors of friendship from the children of Japan to the children of the United States. About three feet tall, these dolls had human hair and came dressed in kimonos and accompanied by accessories such as tea sets and parasols. The Friendship Doll by Kirby Larson is the fictionalized story of one of them, Miss Kanagawa.

Miss Kanagawa takes her role as an ambassador seriously. Still, she is surprised to find a connection at times with the children she comes into contact with. Bunny feels neglected by her family and schoolmates, and her inclination is to lash out and steal glory for herself. Lois gets the chance of a lifetime when her great aunt offers to take her to the Chicago World’s Fair, and she must decide how to spend the precious quarter her dad has given her for the big day. Willie Mae is a mountain girl whose family struggles for food and survival. Yet books buoy her up, and she has a thirst for knowledge. Lucy’s father heads west from his ruined farm in Dust Bowl stricken Oklahoma. They face extreme hardship as they search for a new home. Mason is losing his beloved grandmother to Alzheimer’s, and he longs for the happier days they spent together.

Each child faces issues having to do with friendship and family struggles. In some way, each has to decide how to do the right thing. Times are hard during the Great Depression, and relationships are the one thing that can be counted on, even if those relationships are strained by outside pressures. Larson portrays the yearning that each character feels beautifully, and the places she chooses for the children to live helps paint a picture of what was happening across the country during the late 1920s, throughout the 1930s, and into the 1940s.

Passages that portray Miss Kanagawa’s thoughts didn’t work for me as well, but overall I think the The Friendship Doll is a memorable story that will give mother-daughter book clubs with girls aged 8 to 12 a lot to talk about.
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May 06, 2011 Margo Tanenbaum rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction, japan

Award-winning author Kirby Larson's newest historical fiction novel for children tells the story of four girls whose lives are intertwined with a remarkable nearly life-size Japanese doll. Larson was inspired by a photograph she found while researching her earlier book, Hattie Big Sky. This photo showed a 1920's Montana farm girl dressed in overalls standing next to an exquisitely detailed Japanese doll, dressed in traditional kimono. Larson's research unearthed the true story of 58 dolls sent t...more Award-winning author Kirby Larson's newest historical fiction novel for children tells the story of four girls whose lives are intertwined with a remarkable nearly life-size Japanese doll. Larson was inspired by a photograph she found while researching her earlier book, Hattie Big Sky. This photo showed a 1920's Montana farm girl dressed in overalls standing next to an exquisitely detailed Japanese doll, dressed in traditional kimono. Larson's research unearthed the true story of 58 dolls sent to the United States from Japan in 1927 as Ambassadors of Friendship, a gift from Japanese schoolchildren. The dolls were three feet tall, with real human hair and handpainted faces, dressed in a silk kimono and accompanied by sets of miniature accessories, including chests, tea sets, parasols, and even tiny passports. Sadly, after the bombing of Pearl Harbor and the rise in anti-Japanese sentiment, most of the dolls were removed from public display, and while some have been recovered, others were lost forever.

Larson's tale follows the adventures of Miss Kanagawa, "a doll like none other," from the 1920's to the present day. Miss Kanagawa narrates parts of her own story, and her proud and courageous personality, imbued with true samurai spirit, shines through the narrative. She is honored to be an ambassador, with an important role to play; "I simply happen to be a doll," she writes.

Miss Kanagawa's musings are interspersed with the stories of four girls whose lives she influences, girls from very different backgrounds: Bunny, a rich upper-class girl from New York City, who is part of the contingent to welcome Miss Kanagawa to New York City; Lois, whose grandmother takes her to the Chicago World Fair in the height of the Depression, where Miss Kanagawa is on display; Willie Mae, a small-town Kentucky girl, who finds herself with a job reading to an elderly woman who now owns Miss Kanagawa; and Lucy, an Okie who with her out-of-work father travels to the West Coast in search of work. There Lucy, an aspiring writer, visits a small museum where she, too, encounters Miss Kanagawa.

Each of these stories could easily have become overly sentimental, but I found them charming and moving, as each girl learns what friendship is all about, and Miss Kanagawa herself learns to feel love bit by bit. The stories include rich historical settings, including the Chicago World's Fair, a packhorse librarian who delivers books to Willie Mae, and the plight of the Okies. It's a perfect book for doll-lovers, young and old, although you don't have to be a doll person to appreciate the book's message. For me, it made me remember some of the doll stories I loved as a little girl, particularly Dare Wright's Lonely Doll stories about Edith the doll, and Raggedy Ann and Andy's many adventures. This novel would be terrific fun for mother-daughter book groups to enjoy together.

While the book does not include any pictures of the real dolls, there is an author's note with additional information about the history of these unique ambassadors, as well as historical notes about each girl's story. The author also provides some information on contemporary Americans who are working to keep the spirit of the Friendship Dolls alive. (less)

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Nov 27, 2011 Terri rated it 4 of 5 stars

"The Friendship Doll" by Kirby Larson, a middle grades read, is being discussed as a possible contender for the Newbery (Larson's "Hattie Big Sky" was a Newbery Honor Book). Larson's latest is a wonderful example of a well-researched piece of Historical Fiction. The story was inspired by a photograph Larson found while doing research for "Hattie Big Sky" of a young girl standing next to a Japanese doll that was nearly as tall as she was. Based on a true story, "The Friendship Doll" begins in 192...more

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Aug 04, 2011 Kathy Martin rated it 5 of 5 stars

What a wonderful and touching story about a Japanese doll and the young American girls who were touched by her and who had their lives changed by her. Miss Kanagawa was the final doll made by a famous Japanese dollmaker and begins the story very proud of her role as an ambassador of friendship.

The story ranges in time from 1927 when the dolls arrive in the US to the present day. But the bulk of the story talks about the doll's interaction with four young girls. The first if Bunny. She is a weal...more What a wonderful and touching story about a Japanese doll and the young American girls who were touched by her and who had their lives changed by her. Miss Kanagawa was the final doll made by a famous Japanese dollmaker and begins the story very proud of her role as an ambassador of friendship.

The story ranges in time from 1927 when the dolls arrive in the US to the present day. But the bulk of the story talks about the doll's interaction with four young girls. The first if Bunny. She is a wealthy girl in New York City but she is the lonely youngest child in her family. When a chance to be recognized and thought as important as her older sister is taken away from her by a school rival, she has to decide whether to play a mean prank or react with kindness. Miss Kanagawa encourages kindness.

The next little girl is Lucy who lives near Chicago in 1933. Lucy is a daredevil who wants to fly like her idol Amelia Earhart. When her great-Aunt takes her to the Chicago World Fair, she has to decide if she will spend the quarter her father gave her on a ride about the fair or on buying a gift for her friend who couldn't afford to go to the Fair. After seeing Miss Kanagawa at the doll exhibit, Lucy makes the right choice.

The third little girl is Willie Mae. It is 1933 and deep in the Depression. Willie Mae lives with her mother, sister and baby brother in the Hollers. When she gets a chance to go live with a rich woman and read to her, Willie Mae knows that she has to do it. The rich woman has bought Miss Kanagawa in an auction along with some fossils she really wanted. Miss Kanagawa changes both Willie Mae's life and the life of the older woman.

The final little girl is Lucy. It's 1939. Lucy is from Oklahoma and it is the Dust Bowl. After her mother dies, she and her father head off to California to start a new life. They eventually find their way to a camp in Oregon. Lucy goes to school and a kind teacher takes her to a museum that has a Japanese room and Miss Kanagawa is a featured exhibit. That part of the story ends with the bombing of Pearl Harbor and Miss Kanagawa being packed away again.

The last piece takes place in the current day where Lucy has grown old and suffers from Alzheimer's. When a young boy who doesn't know how to deal with the changes discovers Miss Kanagawa in Lucy's attic, the old Lucy briefly returns and tells the story of her life.

The book is not long but it is very descriptive and really gives a feeling for what it was like to be young children at a very difficult time in our Nation's history. I know that I cried a few times as I was reading it. This would be a great story to share with middle graders as they study the Depression. I don't think I could read it aloud without tearing up though.(less)

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Dec 26, 2011 Wendy rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011-award-possibilities

I don't know quite what it is, but for some reason this book really annoyed me, and I found it more annoying the further along I got. It started off pretty well, and I wondered how much weight I should put to the feeling that it was strongly derivative of Hitty, Her First Hundred Years. (Not just the idea of a doll moving through time, witnessing American history, belonging to and affecting different children, etc--goodness, you'd think that'd be enough, wouldn't you?--but the doll's personality...more

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Jun 06, 2012 Josiah rated it 3 of 5 stars

"It is when we have had our hearts awakened by a child that we can truly call ourselves ambassadors of friendship."

—The Friendship Doll, P. 9

Somehow, this inspiring, imaginative book crept up on me as a surprise. How could that be, when every book I've ever read by Kirby Larson was a resounding artistic success? She never fails to hit her mark precisely, crafting stories filled with beautifully developing emotions and characters that get inside of a person and really make a deep mark there. I...more

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Oct 30, 2011 Sarah rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: childrens, historical-fiction, japan, recommend-me

In 1927, 58 life-sized dolls were created by master dollmakers and sent to the US by Japanese schoolchildren as a gesture of goodwill to the children of America. Kirby’s novel follows the path of one of these dolls, Miss Kanagawa, through her debut in a New York City department store to the Chicago World’s Fair then on to Kentucky and Oregon at the start of the Second World War. Miss Kanagawa’s story is a series of encounters with the girls who awaken her heart as she discovers the true meaning...more

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Apr 06, 2012 Ruby rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is a story about friendship, friendship between nations and friendship between people. While researching Hattie Big Sky, Kirby Larson came across a picture of an American farm girl standing next to a life-size Japanese doll, and a story was born.

In 1927, to strengthen relations with America, 58 life-size, beautifully crafted dolls were made and sent as Ambassadors of Friendship. They toured the country, with many of them eventually ending up in museums where we can see them today. One myste...more

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Mar 28, 2013 Lucas rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013

What took Kirby Larson years to finally put on paper was well worth the wait because this book is fantastic. I think my words will do a poor job at explaining how the book captured my attention and had me wondering where Miss Kanagawa might end up next and who she would help. I found myself turning to the front cover and looking into the eyes of the doll trying to step into the story each time she was taken from her box and displayed for all to see. I found myself rooting for her to end up with...more

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Jun 07, 2011 Bluerose's Heart rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: clean, young-reader-8-12, young-adult-12-and-up

This book is based on actual events and people. Most of it is purely fiction, though. I think Amazon's description sums the story up pretty well:

"I am Miss Kanagawa. In 1927, my 57 doll-sisters and I were sent from Japan to America as Ambassadors of Friendship. Our work wasn't all peach blossoms and tea cakes. My story will take you from New York to Oregon, during the Great Depression. Though few in this tale are as fascinating as I, their stories won't be an unpleasant diversion. You will make...more This book is based on actual events and people. Most of it is purely fiction, though. I think Amazon's description sums the story up pretty well:

"I am Miss Kanagawa. In 1927, my 57 doll-sisters and I were sent from Japan to America as Ambassadors of Friendship. Our work wasn't all peach blossoms and tea cakes. My story will take you from New York to Oregon, during the Great Depression. Though few in this tale are as fascinating as I, their stories won't be an unpleasant diversion. You will make the acquaintance of Bunny, bent on revenge; Lois, with her head in the clouds; Willie Mae, who not only awakened my heart, but broke it; and Lucy, a friend so dear, not even war could part us. I have put this tale to paper because from those 58 Friendship Dolls only 45 remain. I know that someone who chooses this book is capable of solving the mystery of the missing sisters. Perhaps that someone is you"

This book is broken up into sections. Each of the girls has their own story, so other than Kanagawa, they have nothing to do with each other. It makes it much easier if you happen to be reading to a child or children. It doesn't take very long to read each story. As an adult, though, there are a couple of the stories that I would have loved to be longer, especially Willie Mae's.
Lawson does a wonderful job of writing about the Depression. I think this book could help young readers better understand what kids went through during this tough time. It might even teach all of us just how good we have it now. In Lucy's story, she writes a letter to Mrs. Roosevelt. This line just broke my heart:

"I've had breakfast three times in one week! I'll be so fat soon, I won't fit in my overalls."

How sad!

I only have one complaint about the whole book. I didn't really care for this line:

"It wasn't that the Good Lord didn't heed Willie Mae's prayers in general. It was this latest one He paid no nevermind to."

I just don't think God ignores any of our prayers, so some explaining could be in order for children learning about prayer. This isn't a Christian book, though.

The Friendship Doll was a very sweet, but heartbreaking story. It's entertainment and education rolled into one. :)

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Jan 11, 2012 Heidi rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: diversity, great-teaching-books, middle-grade-historical-fiction, middle-grade-fantasy, newbery-contenders-2012

I wasn't sure what to expect when I picked up this book. This is the first book I've read by Kirby Larson and while I've heard great things about her writing and she does have a Newbery Honor book, Hattie Big Sky, to her credit, that doesn't always mean I will enjoy the book. There are plenty of award winning books that I have not enjoyed. But this book presents an interesting concept, similar to Hitty, Her First Hundred Years, except here, the doll in some magical way manages to communicate whe...more

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Feb 01, 2013 SCLS Librarian Miss Jenna rated it 2 of 5 stars

While watching a doll move through time, across hemispheres and from owner to owner throughout time really appealed to me, I just couldn't get into this book. Starting from the artisan who created her in Japan, our doll moves into New York City where initially she is owned by a wealthy, privileged girl in earlier part of the 20th Century. Part of the problem I had with this book is that neither the doll, nor the initial owner particularly appealed to me. I stuck with it, but found the transition...more

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Dec 22, 2011 Amy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult, cln

I do love a good historical fiction book! This is the fictional story of Miss Kanagawa, one of 53 real Japanese dolls sent to the US in 1927 as "messengers of friendship". Over the course of the next 80-odd years, Miss Kanagawa comes in contact with several young girls: Bunny Harnden who participates in the welcoming committee for the dolls and envies her classmate, Belle Roosevelt (President Roosevelt's granddaughter), who is chosen to give the acceptance speech; Lois Brown who visits the World...more

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May 26, 2011 Laurie Thompson rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: middle-grade-kids

Wow. I predict we'll be hearing MUCH more about this book in the coming year! Kirby Larson has done it again with this unique collection of stories about 4 (or 5, depending on how you count them) different children's lives, all woven together by the common thread of one doll's journey. There's so much here for middle-grade girls to soak up, from the individual lessons on friendship, to the different historical periods and multiple geographic locations, to the realistic and charismatic main chara...more

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May 09, 2013 Kathleen Pacious rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: middle-grade, reviewed

As I began The Friendship Doll, I was struck by the similarity in tone to other books I had read as a child. It wasn’t until I read further that it hit me: The Friendship Doll reads like the early days of the American Girl series when historical girls faced very real challenges and grew through them. The Friendship Doll explores how four different girls faced the challenges of the Great Depression and how their lives were impacted when they met Miss Kanagawa, a Japanese “Ambassador of Friendship...more As I began The Friendship Doll, I was struck by the similarity in tone to other books I had read as a child. It wasn’t until I read further that it hit me: The Friendship Doll reads like the early days of the American Girl series when historical girls faced very real challenges and grew through them. The Friendship Doll explores how four different girls faced the challenges of the Great Depression and how their lives were impacted when they met Miss Kanagawa, a Japanese “Ambassador of Friendship” doll.

In 1927, a group of 57 dolls is sent from Japan to the US as a gesture of friendship. Miss Kanagawa is the most beautiful of the set. Cold, haughty, and feeling far superior to the people who come to look at her beautiful costume and accessories, Miss Kanagawa finds her heart beginning to grow as she connects with four different girls who interact with her at various stages. These girls include Bunny Harnden, the daughter of a New York socialite; Lois Brown, who plans to go to the Chicago World’s Fair; Willie Mae Marcum, an avid reader who lives in Kentucky caring for her sickly family; and Lucy Turner, who travels with her dad from the Oklahoma dust bowl to a brighter future in California.

Kirby Larson gives each of these girls very different circumstances, and by changing her tone and voice, she creates realistic and sympathetic characters. Each faces a personal challenge: Bunny seeks revenge for her friend, Lois debates over using a quarter to ride the Sky Ride or bringing back a gift for her even-poorer friend, Willie Mae reads to a cantankerous older woman, and Lucy helps her dad stay optimistic even in unemployment. When they meet Miss Kanagawa, they feel their hearts touched in such a way that it impacts their choices and behavior to their family and friends. At the same time, Miss Kanagawa develops compassion and understanding as she breaks out of her coldness to reach out to these girls. A further treat of The Friendship Doll is its plea to readers to help find the 13 still-missing Ambassador of Friendship Dolls.

For its warm tone, appealing characters, and well-crafted historical context, The Friendship Doll is sure to delight young, and especially female, readers.
Reviewed for www.goodreadingguide.com (less)

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Nov 14, 2011 Jane rated it 4 of 5 stars

As a piece of writing, I found much to love in this book, particularly the multiple vividly rendered main characters, the historical detail, and the thought-provoking nature of some of the author's plot choices. Partial spoiler alert: The death of an important character was shocking to me, and left me thinking (still thinking) about the way most lives do not follow a satisfying narrative structure with closure, as was the case here. They are simply cut off, particularly when young people die sud...more

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Aug 07, 2012 Sandra rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-read-2012, library-books, kindle

I've had this book on my library hold shelf for awhile and I'm sorry I waited so long to read it. It is children literature, but I see several adults have read and enjoyed it as I did. A wonderful story about 58 Japanese dolls that were sent to America as a gesture of goodwill in the 20's, and how they came to be a source of history throughout the years. I know I'm not doing justice to this book, but I can imagine how delighted a young girl would be reading this beautiful story. Its based on tr...more

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Sep 02, 2011 Lorriezm rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: children

In 1927, fifty-eight dolls were given to the US by Japan as Ambassadors of Friendship. Miss Kanagawa, one of the dolls, takes her role seriously and shares the story of her adventure with the reader. Kirby Larson's writing pulls you in and won't let you stop, as you follow Miss Kanagawa's journey through the years, hoping to find out where she is today.

Thirteen of the original fifty-eight dolls are still missing. You will have to read the story to see if Miss Kanagawa is one of them!

I can certa...more

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Apr 14, 2013 Kacie Fincher rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult

This was an interesting story about a Japanese doll that comes to the United States in honor of promoting friendship. At the beginning of the book, I was a little confused as to what was happening. The author did not explain that the dolls could talk so I was confused for a while about some of the dialogue. However, this was a very clever story that had a very important message attached. The only issue with the book was the ending. I thought it wrapped up too quickly and the last story didn’t re...more

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Dec 08, 2012 Chris rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: chapter-book, friendship, multicultural

In 1927, 58 dolls were sent from Japan to America in a gesture of friendhsip. One of these dolls, Miss Kanagawa, helps many children and a few adults, learn lessons of friendship on her way to learning these lessons herself. The book is at times hopeful and others heartbreaking, and is ultimately a tale of the resilience of the human spirit. The author offers historical notes and information leading to further resources on these dolls. Students could write letters to children in Japan. They coul...more

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Jul 14, 2011 Hannah Gold rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: my-favourites, sounds-like-poetry-type, marvelous-plots

About: It tells of the life and experiences of the friendship doll sent from Japan to America, Miss Kanagawa, and how she meets four different girls, each with different stories. Bunny, the mischief-maker, is the first she meets. Then Lois, the dreamer. Then she meets Willie Mae, who, as the book says, not only awakened her heart but also broke it. And Lucy, her truest and most faithful friend.

Pros: The book is very well written. The story is just amazing (it's a Newberry Honor winner, after al...more

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May 01, 2011 Reader rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-read-april-2011

True Fact: In 1927 about 57 three-foot tall doll ambassadors were sent to the children of America from Japan. Our story follows one of those dolls, Miss Kanagawa, who may be proud but is able to help four different girls with their problems. The story follows the doll as she is sent around the country, then to a museum, and finally to a girl who grows up to have a great life. Each chapter is a different girl's story, which is pretty neat, and the tales are fun. Unfortunately, all the girls are w...more

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About Kirby Larson

Kirby Larson went from history-phobe to history fanatic thanks to a snippet of a story about her great-grandmother homesteading in eastern Montana. That bit of family lore inspired her to write HATTIE BIG SKY, a young adult historical novel, which won a 2007 Newbery Honor Award and Montana Book Award.

She's honored that Scholastic has asked her to write the lead title in the re-launch of the Dear...more

More about Kirby Larson...

Books by Kirby Larson

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The Fences Between Us: The Diary of Piper Davis, Seattle, Washington, 1941 (Dear America)

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Quotes from The Friendship Doll

“Our actions make the fragrance of our lives...Would you smell of plums? Or Vinegar?” — 4 people liked it

“The wren and the nightingale sound nothing alike, but think how dull the world would be without the songs of both birds.

—Miss Kanagawa” — 2 people liked it

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