Step aside, ladies of the sizzling summer hit Sex and the City. Another long-awaited summer chick flick opens nationwide this week, and this one’s for the tweens — girls 7 to 12 years old. Kit Kittredge: An American Girl, is the first theatrical release connected to the American Girl phenomenon. American Girl is a hugely popular line of products that center around fairly pricey dolls of various ethnicities who come of age at turning points in U.S. history. Each doll comes with period-specific clothes and some accessories, and there is a book about her life that involves triumph over adversity with humor, grace and loyal friendships. Though the tone is gentle, American Girl tales touch on child abuse, child labor, slavery, war, and much more. Beyond the dolls and the books, the wildly successful line comes with more clothing, accessories and furniture for additional dollars. The movie, produced by Julia Roberts, revolves around the American Girl character Kit, who lives in Cincinnati at the dawn of the Great Depression, and wants to be a “girl reporter.” Get Kit and her best friend Ruthie (on sale for $205) and the tree house ($250) where they spend much of their time. Kit pounds furiously on a typewriter ($22), that “dings” like the real thing when she gets to the end of a line. Her roll top desk ($70) has a pullout writing board. The top rolls down to hide clutter, and the set includes a swivel chair so she can take a little spin to get her ideas moving. Like all the other American Girl dolls, Kit has her own online games and downloadable computer wallpaper. American Girl also has its own magazine, line of custom Just Like You dolls, Bitty Baby for ages 3 and older, and Doll Hospital. The dolls have become such popular collectibles on eBay.com that the site offers a buyer’s guide. American Girl does have its naysayers, but most film critics, such as Roger Ebert, give Kit and her cohorts a big thumbs up. This much I know: American Girl – I was a Julie — is an improvement over the Barbie of my youth.