The Doll People: By Ann M. Martin & Laura Godwin

         Do you sometimes feel like a little fish living in a big pond? Well imagine in you were only three inches tall! Welcome to the world of Annabelle Doll, and The Doll People, by Ann M. Marin and Laura Godwin, illustrated by Brian Selznick. Annabelle is a six-year-old doll (she has been six since the day she was "born" over 100 years ago) living with her porcelain doll family in their dollhouse in the room of Kate Palmer. Annabelle and her family had been apart of the Palmer family since they arrived, in their dollhouse from England, as a gift for a girl in the Palmer family, years ago. They had spent over 100 years cooped up in the dollhouse with each other and no one else, that is until the Funcrafts moved in. Annabelle, who longed to escape the dollhouse was ecstatic when she met Tiffany, a new plastic doll, just her age. The two make it their mission to search the Palmer house for Annabelle's Aunt Sarah who has been missing for forty years. Together the pair read Aunt Sarah's journal and plan a search and rescue missions. The two determine that she must be trapped somewhere, and using the clues from the journal, are able to find her and reunite their family once again!
       This work of fiction describes a fantastical world, in which dolls who take the oath, come to life within the world of everyday humans. The storyline, which Martin and Godwin masterfully create, has the reader fully believing that every detail is real, and that everything they say could happen definitely can. The characters are each strongly developed, having their own unique personalities, Annabelle and Tiffany are brave and curious, Mama and Papa Doll are protective and worry a lot, and the list goes on. Each detail of fantasy comes to life throughout the novel, and the words are further enhanced through the inclusion of Brian Selznick's pencil sketches, that provide the reader with visually appealing images of what the characters look like, as well as various scene images.
       Being a child who LOVED dolls more than anything, this book was one of my favorites as a kid. I loved thinking that when I wasn't looking, my dolls came alive and caused mischief, just like Annabelle and Tiffany. This book is written to interest readers grades 3-5, with a little wiggle room up and down, based on reading level. Because the story is based on the life of dolls, I would say the general appeal is to girls, but the story itself is a mystery, full of action and great dialogue, so there is no real reason boys wouldn't enjoy it just the same. This book is the first in a four part series, followed by : The Meanest Doll in the World, The Runaway Dolls, and The Doll People Set Sail. Keep these fiction books in mind for children interested in well constructed mysteries or books about miniature worlds. By the time they finish the book, children will be sleeping with one eye open, watching and waiting to see their toys come to life!

For more books about tiny people living in a big peoples world, check out: The Borrowers By Mary Norton

Picture Source: http://www.amazon.com/The-Doll-People-Ann-Martin/dp/0786812400