Mattel Reveals First Adult Barbie Novel
Mattel Publishing will release its first young-adult Barbie novel, Barbie: Dreamscape, on July 28, marking the imprint’s debut in the teen market three years after its launch.
At a Glance
- Barbie: Dreamscape releases July 28 as Mattel Publishing’s first YA title
- Alex Aster, million-selling author of the Lightlark series, wrote the fantasy adventure
- The story casts Barbie as a “Fateless” graduate who must cross magical lands to claim her destiny
- No tie-in to the 2023 Barbie movie is planned
Why it matters: The move signals Mattel’s push to turn toy brands into multimedia franchises for older readers.
A New Chapter for Barbie
The 256-page novel opens at Swancrest Academy, an enchanted boarding school where every graduate receives a pre-written fate-except Barbie. Labeled “Fateless,” she is exiled until she can find the mysterious beings who control the Heartland’s destinies.
Aster’s plot summary promises “treacherous, magical lands” and “buried truths that could change her world forever.” Mattel describes the book as a coming-of-age tale that urges Barbie to “step out of the box … and into the unknown.”
The Author Behind the Book
Alex Aster, a social-media favorite with more than a million books in print, said Barbie fueled her childhood storytelling.
> “I spent countless hours making up stories starring each of my dolls,” Aster said in a statement released Thursday. She cited the excitement of “opening a new box, adding another character to my tales, marveling at each accessory.”
Aster’s Lightlark series, a TikTok phenomenon, has spent multiple weeks on The New York Times best-seller list. Her adult debut, Summer in the City, released last year.
Publishing Strategy
Mattel Publishing launched in 2021 to develop original books around its toy portfolio. The division previously focused on picture books and early readers tied to Hot Wheels, Polly Pocket, and Barbie.
Dreamscape is the first title aimed at teens and the first to carry a novel-length narrative. A Mattel spokesperson confirmed to Cameron R. Hayes that no film or streaming adaptation is currently in development, keeping the project separate from the $1.4 billion-grossing 2023 Barbie movie.
Broader Inclusion Push
The novel announcement follows this week’s reveal of an autistic Barbie doll. Mattel developed the new Fashionistas doll over 18 months with input from the Autistic Self Advocacy Network. The doll wears noise-reducing headphones and a chewable necklace, accessories chosen to reflect real-world autistic traits.
Together, the two initiatives show Mattel expanding Barbie’s reach beyond traditional fashion play into both neurodiversity representation and older-age storytelling.
Key Takeaways
- Barbie: Dreamscape becomes the first young-adult novel from Mattel Publishing
- Fantasy author Alex Aster writes the adventure, citing personal childhood ties to Barbie
- The book launches July 28 with no planned screen adaptation
- Mattel continues diversifying the brand through inclusive dolls and age-up literature
