Maryellen had polio when she was seven years old during the Polio Epidemic of 1952. This resulted in one of her legs being weaker than the other, and she also has cold-sensitive lungs. Despite her disability, she is a fast runner and excellent swimmer, and also enjoys roller skating. She is very skinny for her age[7] and has a nose like her sisters.[8]
Maryellen is a great artist--her friends compare her to Grandma Moses--and loves to draw and make gifts for her family. She's also highly interested in science, especially rocket science and medicine due to her history of having polio. Maryellen is open-minded and doesn't judge people by appearances or align with popular sentiment. Examples include continuing to be best friends with a boy even after being told that girls "don't do that" by Joan, and while many of her friends looked down on Italians (due to Italy being aligned with Germany and Japan during WWII) Maryellen befriends an Italian girl.
Her favorite subject is geography; she's interested in foreign lands, history, and languages. Her least favorite subject is handwriting because she is left-handed and so doesn't write as well, and created her own "cursive" style to suit her. Maryellen also loves to do mental math. She had been a Brownie Girl Scout prior to the series start, and has recently graduated to Girl Scouts when she entered into fourth grade.[9] However, she has a hand me down from her sisters (like most of her clothes) and so it is the "older" version with long sleeves.
- A black quilted skirt featuring a pink poodle with a stitched leash
- A pink blouse with a cute Peter Pan collar and contrast polka dots on the sleeves. A polka-dot kerchief that can be worn in her hair or around her neck. White bobby socks. Black-and-white saddle shoes
Maryellen is one of my favorites. I absolutely love her books and they remind me of classic juvenile fiction by greats like Beverly Cleary and Lois Lowry. She's a fun, intelligent girl always getting into shenanigans. I enjoyed reading them so much and will read them again. She also has a fabulous collection I love every single piece in her wardrobe and it is exactly my taste. It also actually suits her character and what she would like to wear, which isn't always the case for the historicals. And the doll is absolutely beautiful. She's not blonde. She's a redhead.
Do you like the pics of me with Maryellen at the gardens?