Mattel announces worldwide August 2026 publication of Barbie: Dreamscape, a young adult novel by Alex Aster, expanding the Barbie brand into original fantasy fiction.

Mattel said Barbie: Dreamscape would be available across 237 countries and territories beginning August 18, 2026, via its Mattel Press platform and major publishing partners. The company described the book as its first original Barbie young adult novel.

The novel followed teenage Barbie in a magical world called Heartland, where she was declared “Fateless” at graduation and sent on a journey across dangerous, magical lands to seek the beings controlling destinies. Mattel said the story explored Barbie confronting an uncertain future and uncovering buried truths that could alter her world.

Mattel listed initial publication details, including an August 18, 2026 release from Mattel Press for ages 12 and up, with ISBN 9781640366008, and separate editions from Penguin Random House UK and Hardie Grant. All editions were available for preorder, according to the company.

The company highlighted Alex Aster as a #1 New York Times bestselling author known for the Lightlark series, with books sold in more than 30 countries and multiple bestsellers across young adult, romantasy, and adult fiction. Mattel said Aster’s Lightlark series had sold over 4 million copies in the United States and spent more than 140 weeks on New York Times bestseller lists.