Photograph of Ruth Handler originally published by the Los Angeles Times, 1961
Design by Simona Zaretsky
Nearly sixty-four years ago, Ruth Handler created the iconic Barbie doll. An American Jewish businesswoman and inventor, Handler’s philosophy “that through the doll, a little girl could be anything she wanted to be” remains a powerful tool for children through the decades.
In honor of the Barbie movie, we’re sharing some reading recommendations for you based on Barbies.
(And yes, these are all real Barbie dolls. Check them out here.)
Barbie Fashionista
Isaac Mizrahi by Chee Pearlman and Ulrich Lehmann
Barbie Ballerina
Three Muses by Martha Anne Toll
Barbie Scientist
Hedy Lamarr: An Incredible Life by William Roy and illustrated by Sylvain Dorange
Barbie Pop Star
I Want to Be Where the Normal People Are by Rachel Bloom
Barbie Chicken Farmer
Speaking Yiddish to Chickens: Holocaust Survivors on South Jersey Poultry Farms by Seth Stern
Barbie Lifeguard
The Jews of Summer: Summer Camp and Jewish Culture in Postwar America by Sandra Fox
Barbie Cooking & Baking Chef
Now for Something Sweet by Monday Morning Cooking Club
Barbie Superstar
Barbra Streisand: Redefining Beauty, Femininity, and Power by Neal Gabler
Barbie Malibu
Sizzle Reel by Carlyn Greenwald
Barbie Rewind 80s Edition Workin’ Out Doll
Let’s Get Physical: How Women Discovered Exercise and Reshaped the World by Danielle Friedman
Barbie Fashionista with Wheelchair
Because the World Is Round by Jane Saginaw
Disney Princess Rapunzel Fashion Doll
Happily: A Personal History-with Fairy Tales by Sabrina Orah Mark
Barbie Doctor
The Unseen Body: A Doctor’s Journey Through the Hidden Wonders of Human Anatomy by Jonathan Reisman
Barbie Vet
The Other Family Doctor by Karen Fine
Barbie Dentist
The Museum of Lost Teeth by Elyssa Friedland
