The best Christmas I ever had was when I was eight years old. No one gave me my first Christmas wish: a Samantha doll. But then, a holiday miracle! My uncle and his husband had just come from another party and came to my house just as I was getting ready for bed. I still remember tearing open the bell-themed paper and seeing the American Girl logo staring at me from the box, and before I knew it, Samantha was in my arms. After that, I was hooked. I chased this high by saving up hard and buying Kirsten, Molly, and Felicity. Even though I outgrew the dolls by the time subsequent characters were released, I was still excited to learn about the new dolls American Girl would be releasing into the world. So even as a 40+ mom, I was delighted to learn that the company announced today that the 2025 Girl of the Year will be Summer McKinny!
Summer is a 10-year-old girl growing up in Columbia, Maryland. Her aunt, a store owner, inspired Summer to turn two of her life’s great passions – baking and dogs – into her own business. When she attended the Young Entrepreneurs Expo, she gained new skills and learned that patience, compassion, and hard work are necessary not only in business but in life.
The doll has light blue eyes and strawberry blond hair, with light pink hair tied into two micro braids at the end. She wore her favorite color—rainbow…which totally counts as a color, by the way—and accessorized with a pair of pink and purple ombre glasses, a beaded bracelet, and platform sandals. Other accessories include her dog-themed purse and ice cream cone cup. Summer’s product line also includes two of her favorite animals: her dog Crescent (adopted from a shelter, naturally) and her aunt’s sassy cat Fettuccine.
“With her fierce entrepreneurial spirit, our 2025 Girl of the Year, Summer McKinny, will resonate with today’s kids who are equally determined to pursue their dreams,” said Jamie Cygielman, general manager of American Girl. “Like all of our favorite characters, Summer McKinny “The story of persistence and self-discovery will inspire young fans to believe in themselves and remind them that every setback is a stepping stone to achieving their dreams.”
Summer Story, a novel, called Start working in summerwritten by best-selling author Clare Hutton Summer, will be available in January 2025.
“I can’t wait for fans to meet Sweet Summer and learn more about her love of pets and baking, as well as her motivation for starting her own small business,” Hutton said. “While being a young entrepreneur was challenging, Summer learned valuable lessons on how to manage her business and relationships (on two legs and four!) with creativity, empathy, and logic. I want all readers to leave knowing that, just like summer, anything is within reach when they set their mind to making their dreams come true!
We love a good pet pun.
The Summer doll will be available online and in American Girl retail stores starting September 12th.
