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    The Doll People
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    The Doll People
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    The Doll People
    Audiobook3 hours

    The Doll People

    Written by Ann M. Martin and Laura Godwin

    Narrated by Lynn Redgrave

    4/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    The 100-year-old Doll family-beautifully crafted china dolls passed down through four generations of girls in one American family-meet their new neighbors, the Funcrafts, a doll family made completely of plastic and delivered straight from the factory shelves.

    Annabelle Doll is eight years old-she has been for over a hundred years. Not a lot has happened to her, cooped up in the dollhouse, with the same doll people, day after day, year after year…until the Funcrafts move in. Now Annabelle has a friend. Sure she's made entirely of plastic and she's living in the scariest room in the house, but she's an adventurer, and after a hundred years of boredom, that's just what Annabelle needs.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPenguin Random House Audio
    Release dateJan 22, 2008
    ISBN9780739371619
    Unavailable
    The Doll People
    Author

    Ann M. Martin

    Ann M. Martin grew up in Princeton, New Jersey. After attending Smith College, where she studied education and psychology, she became a teacher at a small elementary school in Connecticut. Martin also worked as an editor of children’s books before she began writing full time. Martin is best known for the Baby-Sitters Club series, which has sold over one hundred seventy million copies. Her novel A Corner of the Universe won a Newbery Honor in 2003. In 1990, she cofounded the Lisa Libraries, which donates new children’s books to organizations in underserved areas. Martin lives in upstate New York with her three cats.

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    Reviews for The Doll People

    4/5

    280 ratings26 reviews

    What did you think?

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    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 2/5
      This post has taken me far longer to write than I'd like to admit and I think that's largely because I found this book pretty lukewarm. The Doll People by Ann M. Martin (with pictures by Brian Selznick) was another one of those books recommended as a great book for the kids in your life who are trying to stretch their legs as early and eager readers. I didn't realize at the outset of reading it that it was actually the first in a series which follow the lives of the members of the Doll family. This is like Toy Story but dialed up to 11, ya'll. We follow the adventures of Annabelle Doll who is preoccupied with the mystery of her aunt's disappearance 45 years ago. Like Toy Story, there are certain rules about letting the humans see them moving but they actually have an oath with consequences attached. (We learn about Doll State or Permanent Doll State where they are frozen either temporarily or permanently.) The storyline is slow and rather predictable but suitable for beginner readers who are gaining confidence with chapter books. I guess the most 'interesting' part (if you can call it that) was when a new set of dolls entered the house and the reader can see the difference between the older porcelain toys and the newer plastic ones. 4/10
    • 5/5
      Book that shows us what happens when we go to sleep?. Our dolls come to life. The story is about the Doll family a group of Victorian era doll house dolls. They are really living dolls who move around while we sleep or are away. In this book the Dolls meet a new family, the little sister has gotten a doll house of her own. The house as well as the dolls are all plastic, very different from what the china Victorian dolls are accustomed to. The little girl dolls from both families become best friends and share a few adventures together in this book. They have to rescue Father Doll who got kidnapped by the cat. Also they search for Auntie Doll who has been missing for almost 45 years. Got this as I had seen the sequel first and it looked interesting and my mother is a doll collector.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 4/5
      This was a cute children's novel about dolls coming alive when humans go to sleep. I enjoyed the story thoroughly and the audiobook narrator did an excellent job bringing the characters to life. My students would find, however, that parts dragged a little because their attention spans are a little shorter than mine (though not by much. tee hee). I really enjoyed the adventures and the storyline woven in this book. I'll continue the series even if my students don't.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 3/5
      I think that this is a great book to get young girls interested in reading. I love the mystery and the way the anticipation to know what happened to auntie doll builds throughout the book. Also, the characters of Annabelle and Tiffany are complimentary in ways that really makes you want to root for them in their ventures. I also thought the choice of having Captain the cat being the villain of the story was a very fun choice. The artwork throughout the book is also really well done as it captures the feel of the events described. While this book has many admirable qualities, I just find parts of it to be really boring and anticlimactic every time I read it. Also, I do not feel that the word choice or descriptions are anything special.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 2/5
      I guess it was mostly ok, with some good bits... but did the creators really want to give young readers the impression that their parents might be too afraid to try to rescue them if they go missing? And the message that being careless is better than being careful, w/ careful = timid? Despite a few words to the contrary, those are the themes that come through all too clearly in this.

      I much prefer older doll house stories. Heck, I prefer the movie Toy Story to this.

      This is superficial, an adventure story about a brave little girl, that's all We don't get to know the characters of any of the other dolls (not even the boy, and if Bobby had been developed I could imagine boys liking this book).
    • 5/5
      This book is full of symbols and motifs. For example, on of the symbols that caught my attention while reading was the Christmas tree. It represents a festive object meant to serve a decorative purpose, symbolizes Nora’s position in her household as a plaything who is pleasing to look at and adds charm to the home. There are several parallels drawn between Nora and the Christmas tree in the play. Just as Nora instructs the maid that the children cannot see the tree until it has been decorated, she tells Torvald that no one can see her in her dress until the evening of the dance. Also, at the beginning of the second act, after Nora’s psychological condition has begun to erode, the stage directions indicate that the Christmas tree is correspondingly “dishevelled.” I would definitely recommend this chapter book to my students.
    • 4/5
      This story is extremely engaging and fun. It really enhances the reader’s imagination. I like how this book has a creative plot. I also like how the characters are set up. For example one doll family is new and plastic, and the other one is old and breakable. This leads the reader open to make comparisons on the doll’s different lifestyles and personalities. Overall this story demonstrates what family means, and to be brave and go with your gut feeling.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 3/5
      The Doll People by Ann Martin is a fantasy novel written for younger children. Annabelle Doll is eight years old and she has been for over one hundred years! Her family has lived in the same house with the same family. Not much has changed in the Doll Family except for the disappearance of Auntie Sarah, forty-five years ago. Annabelle becomes curious as to where her Auntie Sarah is and starts a quest to search for her. In the midst of her search Annabelle stumbles upon a new doll family, the FunCrafts. The FunCrafts and the Doll People are very different from one another but they put their differences aside to search for their lost aunt.This would be a great book for a child in third-fifth grade who loves fastasy! The illustrations by Brain Selnick are an excellent aid for your imagination. This book reminded me of Toy Story when the toys come alive at night when the children go to sleep. I would use this in my classroom as an independent reading book.
    • 4/5
      Annabelle and her doll family have lived with their owners for over 100 years. During that time, Aunt Sarah disappeared and has been gone for 45 years. The family chooses not to speak of her, which frustrates restless Annabelle. When looking through the dollhouse library, Annabelle discovers the unknown journal of Aunt Sarah. This sparks Annabelle's curiosity and she begins to search for her long-lost aunt. In the midst of planning for the search, Annabelle's family meet another doll family and they become entwined in the quest for Aunt Sarah.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 4/5
      This was such a cute story I can't begin to gush adequately about it. It follows Toy Story's concept of toys secretly being alive, but adds Night at the Museum's idea that any animated toy that is seen by a human loses its ability to reanimate.Definitely a fun read for younger kids!

      1 person found this helpful

    • 4/5
      When I was much younger, I remember loving this book the first time I read it. The thought of my dolls coming alive when I wasn't watching was really interesting to me. The dynamic of the Doll family is really nice to read about and very heartwarming how close they are. The adventure to find Annabelle's missing aunt is really fun and as a child, kept me on the edge of my seat. I definitely enjoyed it more in elementary school than I did as a college student, but I'd recommend it to any younger kids looking for a fun read. It is a chapter book, but with fairly big type and images on almost every page so it is a good transition book for kids who may not be into reading long novels or are not yet at that reading level.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 4/5
      The Doll People was a book I would read over and over again. It sure did get my attention.
    • 4/5
      A fanciful story about the secret life of dolls. The story is centered around a doll house with a 100 year old family of porcelain dolls, and one member who has been missing for the last 45 years! A new modern plastic family is introduced into the house at 26 Wetherby Lane and a few conflicts arise when the new family doesn't seem to follow the "Doll Code".There are adventures to follow when the two girls of the doll families decide they are going to solve the mystery of the missing doll, Auntie Sarah.This is a fun story to read, with lots of adventure and a little bit of history sprinkled in.
    • 5/5
      Fun story about dolls! Read it over and over agoin.
    • 3/5
      Ann M. Martin's The Doll People is a great book. Annabelle Doll is eight-years old - has been since she was made, over 100 years ago. Part of a family of eight, Annabelle spends her days being played with, avoiding "The Captain" (her owner's cat), and most of all, avoiding being seen as alive by any human beings.When Annabelle discovers the journal of Auntie Sarah, who has been missing for the last 45 years, she decides to find out what happened to her. The fantastic adventures of Annabelle and her new friend Tiffany Funcraft are unique and humorous. The story is imaginative and delightful, and I really enjoyed reading it.
    • 4/5
      How many of us, as children, believed that our toys, dolls or stuffed animals, came to life at night when we were asleep or out of the house? The Doll People takes that childish faith and breathes life into the Doll Family and Funcraft family in this delightful tale.For over 100 years the Doll Family has resided in the antique doll house and been playmates for four generations of young girls. When the family isn't at home or are asleep, the Dolls come to life and experience the same activities over and over. They have sing-along's at the old wooden piano and wonder around their own house. They cannot be caught moving or out of position because if they are, their punishment is 24 hrs of doll state - that's being unable to move. If there is a major offense they could end up in a permanent Doll state, OH NO!Annabelle Doll, 8 years old, has not seen her Auntie Sarah doll in 45 years (these dolls don't age - we should all be so lucky). She finds her aunt's journal one day when she is in the library of the doll house and after reading it decides that Auntie Sarah must be somewhere "blending". She decides that she wants to go looking for Auntie Sarah. Persuading her Uncle Doll to go with her, they sneak out in the night and discover that a new family is moving next door. The story of the two families - one antique dolls and one modern dolls and the cultural differences is just perfect to make the reader smile with delight. The adventures that they get into are truly amusing - just what a child would dream up for their dolls.I have to thank Whisper1 for the recommendation of this book. After the chunky reads I've done this month, I needed something light and playful and this fit the bill perfectly. This story was uniquely imaginative and thoroughly creative for everyone who as a child always imagined that their toys really were alive and had spirit. I still believe that my Teddy Bear talks to me even with the threat of a permanent stuffed state.
    • 4/5
      If you are looking for something in depth and intellectual, this isn't the book for you, but if you are weary, tired and simply wanting something smooth, delightfully creative, imaginative and unique, then by all means, take a journey through doll land where magic occurs.A porcelain family of dolls have inhabited an antique doll house for four generations. They come alive during the day when the house is empty and at night when the house is quiet.There are funny adventures, both inside the doll house where the 100 year old family bangs away at a old fashioned wooden piano singing Aretha Franklin's Respect sockittome. sockitome, sockitome and outside the doll house where they hesitantly wander down the dark halls, sneaking under the sofa, hiding from the family cat who is ever lurking to catch them.The book is uniquely illustrated by Brian Selznick and would not be as wondrous without the stunning creative art work.When the young daughter of the real life people family receives a gift, the 100 year old doll family meet a brand new, modern, adventurous plastic bunch of characters who are not as rigid, up tight or breakable.The author delightfully intertwines the personalities and the cultural differences of the older and modern doll family members.I liked this book for many reasons, primarily for the imaginative wonderment of it all.
    • 4/5
      A chapter book with illustrations by Brain Selznick co-written by the author of the Baby-sitters Club series (which (I haven't read). Dolls can live active lives as long as no people are around to see them moving. Auntie Sarah Doll disappeared 45 years ago; when Annabelle, a child doll, finds Sarah's journal and a new family of dolls moves into their owners' home, adventures ensue. The gray illustrations are well done and capture the emotions of dolls.It finally occurs to Annabelle to worry about why her family never searched for Aunt Sarah and what they would do if Annabelle were to disappear. Her mother reassures her that the circumstances would be different and they would try to find her. The book is fine, but except for a brief discussion about Annabelle's fear of abandonment, not life-changing. Then again, not every book needs to be.
    • 5/5
      The Doll Family has lived at 26 Wetherby Lane for 100 years being passed down from mother to daughter all these years. Forty-five years ago Auntie Sarah simply disappeared and no one speaks of her anymore but Annabelle Doll finds Auntie Sarah's secret journal and decides she will leave the house and start to search for her. Along her searches she finds another doll family that has come to live with the youngest daughter of the family. The Dolls now have some fun neighbours and Annabelle finds a friend with the Funcraft Family.This book was pure delight! It was very reminiscent to me of The Borrowers, though the little people here are dollhouse dolls. The characters are simply charming and this is really a wonderful, fun, adventurous story to read. Brian Selznick's illustration bring the characters and setting to life as they decorate every third or forth page and sometimes the text stops for a whole two page spread illustration. Highly recommended for Grades 4 to 6, or as a read aloud for youngers. I wish I had daughters to read this too, but I, who am well past Grade 6 age, loved the story and will read the next two books in the series.
    • 5/5
      The Doll People by Ann M. Martin is a wonderful read for ages 10 and up. This book is easily enjoyed by the younger and older readers. It combines the fantasy of a child's imagination with the real "lives" of the dolls. The dolls are motion and lifeless when any human is around, as soon as the humans are no longer there, they become alive, and go on journeys throughout their homes. Annabel Doll, the porcelain doll, who has lived in her doll house for 100 years, life is shook up when a family of new plastic dolls (The Funhouses) move into the real human house that Annabel's doll house lives in. The plastic dolls do not live the same lifestyle as the proper porcelain doll family lives. They grow to become friends, especially Annabel Doll and Tiffany Funhouse. The two dolls go on a mission together, to find Annabel Dolls' missing Auntie Sarah, after they uncover Auntie Sarah's missing journal. The Doll People ends with the two doll families living happily in peace.
    • 4/5
      Annabell Doll, a china doll, finds her lost Aunt's journal and sets out with her new friend Tiffany Funcraft, a plastic doll, to find Auntie Sarah. The story has doll characters that are well developed and easy to imagine and human characters who are left to the reader to decide exactly what they are like. The plot is full of adventure and surprises along the way with a happy and complete ending. The setting takes place mostly in a doll house built in the late 1800s as well as the human house that is home to the doll house, when the dolls leave the house the enormity of human things is apparent and helps the reader to feel what Annabell and the other dolls are experiencing. The women that reads the audio book is wonderful and helps to bring the story to life. Overall this is a great book for a public library.
    • 4/5
      The first paragraph of this book grabbed me and held me: It had been forty-five years since Annabelle Doll had last seen Auntie Sarah. And forty-five years is a very long time, especially for an eight-year-old girl.The story is a hilarious and charming look at how Annabelle searches to find her missing aunt, and how her antique family copes with the arrival of plastic neighbours.
    • 5/5
      The book is the best book I ever read. The book is about a family of dolls living in a doll house. This is the best book EEEEEEEEEEVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVEEEEEEEEEERRRRRRRRRRRRR!
    • 4/5
      This book is not for people who dislike kids books. The Doll People is about dolls who come to life. They have to battle every little thing because they are so small. I was bored at some points but it got better as i read on.
    • 4/5
      This book was pretty cool because I was in a dolls point of view. But it didn't really catch my attention.
    • 3/5
      I liked the illustrations in this book: they can cover the whole page at times.