Chrissa Maxwell is American Girl’s 2009 Girl of the Year. Her books, her movie, and the Chrissa doll all help you get to know her. This special Web site is another great way to learn more about Chrissa. It also helps show how to deal with one of the biggest challenges that Chrissa faces in her stories—and that real girls face today: bullying.

	What makes bullying such an important topic to address?
	Chrissa’s story is told by author Mary Casanova in two fiction books, Chrissa and Chrissa Stands Strong.

Changes for Chrissa
Ten-year-old Chrissa is a creative, friendly girl who has just moved with her family to Minnesota to live with her grandmother, affectionately called “Nana.” Chrissa is happy to be living with Nana on the lake, where she’ll be able to swim and dive as much as she likes come summertime, but she’s a bit worried about starting at a new school mid-year, when everyone else has already made friends.

Taking a stand
But Nana has good advice for her: “If you want to have a friend, be a friend. Just introduce yourself and say hello.” Chrissa does just that, but she is greeted with icy silence by the three girls she is assigned to sit with. This is just the beginning of mean pranks and teasing from the three “Mean Bees,” who set out to make Chrissa’s life miserable—at school, at swim club, and even online. When their teasing turns to serious bullying, Chrissa must find the courage to stand strong and speak out.