The American Girl of the Year 2025!

Meet Summer McKinny: the 2025 American Girl of the Year!

Fans of American Girl are in for a sweet surprise with the early arrival of the Girl of the Year 2025 Summer McKinny. Growing up with her family in Columbia, MD, 10-year-old Summer is a dog lover and baker who is turning her two passion projects into a budding business. Kids of all ages are sure to love Summer, her animal friends, baked goods, and entrepreneurial spirit.

Ssummer joins the modern-day characters of American Girl who inspire kids to make a positive difference in the world. Parents will love that this cCharacters represent a wide range of backgrounds and interests to reflect what it means to be an American girl today. Fans of American Girl can bring Summer’s stories to life with the beautiful 18-inch doll. The doll has light blue eyes and strawberry blonde hair with light pink tips. Summer wears a signature outfit in rainbow, her favorite color, and is dressed in a rainbow-patterned dress, pink and purple ombre glasses, two matching bracelets, and platform sandals. Summer also comes with themed, adorable accessories like a dog-themed bag and an ice cream cone-shaped travel mug.

“With her strong entrepreneurial spirit, Summer McKinny, our 2025 Girl of the Year, will resonate with today’s kids who are just as determined to pursue their passions,” said Jamie Cygielman, General Manager of American Girl. “Like all of our beloved characters, Summer’s story of perseverance and self-discovery will inspire young fans to believe in themselves and serve as a reminder that every setback is just a stepping stone to achieving their dreams.”

Some fun facts about Summer are that she is a budding entrepreneur and has started her own dog walking business, where she shares a portion of her profits with a local animal shelter. As an avid animal lover, Summer adopted her dog, Crescent, from her local shelter. Summer also enjoys baking and decorating is her favorite part. She can often be found in the kitchen learning many techniques and tips from her aunt and sister. Lastly, Summer spends a lot of her summers with her grandparents in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware.

American Girl teamed up with bestselling author Clare Hutton to create Summer’s story. According to Hutton, “I can’t wait for fans to meet the sweet Summer and learn more about her love of pets and baking, as well as her motivation to start her own small business. While it’s challenging being a young entrepreneur, Summer is learning valuable lessons about managing her business and her relationships (the two- and four-legged varieties!) with creativity, empathy, and logic. I hope all readers walk away knowing that, like Summer, when they set their minds to a dream, anything is possible.” legs-bar!”

American Girl is donating more than $100,000 in retail value of American Girl books to Save the Children’s U.S. education programs to celebrate the summer and further American Girl’s longstanding commitment to literacy and developing strong readers. Working with local schools and other organizations, Save the Children has provided early education to millions of children in underserved areas across rural America.

There is already a complete line of Summer products to shop and plan events. The summer product collection has everything a budding entrepreneur needs, including plush versions of her two favorite animals, Crescent and Fettuccine, and pet- and baking-inspired products like the Treat Cart for her dog-walking and pet-treating business, Waggy Pup Tails. They’re sure to provide hours of imaginative play. Fans can also enjoy Summer salon styles, special Girl of the Year brunches, summer menu items and other activities.

Fans can further explore the new world of Summer through digital content such as AG’s YouTube And YouTube Kids Channel. They include an animated summer music video and several digital shorts, plus other summer-inspired features (and get ready for more social content throughout the year).

The Girl of the Year 2025 is now available at americangirl.com and at American girls stores.

Psst… Check out the best places to pick pumpkins near New York City.