(above) Franklin School 2nd grader Alexandra Horvath wrote a letter to the American Girl Doll Company, proposing that the company model its next doll on a child who is living through a public health pandemic.
Westfield Student Pandemic Proposal
Submitted by Mary Ann McGann
An enterprising and thoughtful second grader at Franklin Elementary School in Westfield used what she has learned about persuasive writing and a global pandemic to send a letter to the company that makes the popular American Girl dolls.
“Dear American Girl Doll Company,” writes the 2nd grader in her letter dated April 25. “My name is Lexi Horvath and I have a few ideas for the next doll of the year. I think the doll should be about the quarantine.”
Lexi goes on to propose a name (Alexandra) and a storyline for the doll that includes distance learning, parents who are doctors, and older siblings (including a brother home from college) who are overloaded with schoolwork and unable to play with her. She writes about ways in which the proposed Alexandra doll is keeping busy during the quarantine such as building forts and drawing rainbows and other hopeful chalk art messages on the driveway.
“Her brother got really sick and her 3 best friends are named Lilly, Eliana, and Pippa,” writes Lexi in the letter, which includes ideas for the doll’s accessories such as “a mask to stay healthy, a laptop for distance learning, a notebook, pencil and pen for working at home, Lysol wipes and hand sanitizer to remove germs from everything, and a new puppy named Rudy since everyone is home all day to train him and play with him.”
“Earlier in the year, the second graders in the Westfield Public School District learned about persuasive writing through their Writing Workshop curriculum,” says her teacher Karen Reichel. “During this pandemic, Lexi took it upon herself to use what she learned to write this heartfelt letter to the American Girl Doll Company with her opinion of what the next American Girl Doll should be like. This eye-opening letter shows the pandemic through a child’s eyes.”
Photo by The Horvath Family, Westfield Public Schools
(above) Franklin School 2nd grader Alexandra Horvath wrote a persuasive letter to the American Girl Doll with a proposal for the next doll the company could produce.
