Claudie: An American Girl Party

Planning this event was a new experience for me. Claudie Wells is a relatively new Historical Character from American Girl. She was introduced in 2022. At the time I hosted this event (February 2023), there was only one book out. As a newer character, she didn't have a party kit, craft book, cook book, or welcome to her world book. To plan the event, I did a close reading of Meet Claudie: An American Girl by Brit Bennett. The book was both well written and well researched and featured a committee of historical reviewers. 

I had the following books on display and referred to them during the event 

• Meet Claudie: An American Girl by Brit Bennett
• One Last Word: Wisdom from the Harlem Renaissance by Nikki Grimes
• Legacy: Women Poets of the Harlen Renaissance by Nikki Grimes
• Harlem Renaissance: Art of Black America introduction by Mary Schmidt Campbell, essays by David Driskell, David Levering Lewis, and Deborah Willis Ryan

I always start my American Girl Parties by sharing information about the time. Here's what I shared: 

• Harlem and Harlem Renaissance (see Inside Claudie’s World section on pages 74-81 of Meet Claudie)
• Poems from books by Nikki Grimes
• Art from Harlem Renaissance: Art of Black America
• Selections from The Brownies’ Book
• Miss Kitty Cat and Her New Hat by Minna B. Noyes (August 1921, p. 235)
• The Lament of a Vanquished Beau by Langston Hughes ((August 1921, p. 229)

• Music
• Original Jelly-Roll Blues - Jelly Roll Morton - 1924 (written/published 1915)
• Black and Tan Fantasy - Duke Ellington - 1927

• Books
• The Brownies’ Book (The Brownies’ Book is mentioned on page 4 of Meet Claudie. Archives are available here. Note: The New Brownies' Book: A Love Letter to Black Families inspired by W. E. B. DuBois and the original Brownies' Book periodical published in October 2023)

• Cecily Parsley's Nursery Rhymes by Beatrix Potter
• The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle by Hugh Lofting
• Rootabaga Stories by Carl Sandburg
• The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams
• Food
• Baby Ruth (1921)
• Zero (1920)
• Cheez-Its (1921)

• Cost of Living in 1922 (Image from Reddit)

Game: Poor Kitty (The Brownies' Book, PLAYTIME, Games Arranged by Annette C. Browne, July 1921, p. 200)

Craft: Farm Animal Finger Puppets (Printable from KizClub. Puppets are mentioned on page 11 of Meet Claudie.)

Refreshments: Cheez-It crackers and Baby Ruth bars