The greatest Christmas I’ve ever had was back when I was 8. After unwrapping all the gifts under the tree, I was left disappointed. No one had given me my No. 1 Christmas wish: a Samantha doll. But then, a holiday miracle! My uncle and his husband, fresh from another party, came to my house just as I was going to bed. I can still remember tearing the bell-themed paper to see the American Girl logo staring back at me from the box, and before I knew it Samantha was in my arms. After that, I was hooked. I chased that high by arduously saving up and buying Kirsten, Molly, and Felicity. Though I’d outgrown dolls by the time subsequent characters were released, I was still always excited to learn about the new dolls American Girl would be unleashing onto the world. So, even as a 40-something mom, I was excited 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 shop owner, inspires Summer to turn her two passions in life — baking and dogs — into a business of her own. When she participates in a youth entrepreneur fair, she gains new skills and learns that patience, compassion, and hard work are not only necessary in business but in life.

The doll has light-blue eyes and strawberry-blonde hair with light-pink ends styled in two microbraids. She wears her favorite color — rainbow… which totally counts as a color, by the way — and sports a pair of pink-and-purple ombre glasses, beaded bracelets, and platform sandals. Other accessories include her dog-themed purse and ice cream cone-shaped tumbler. Summer’s product line also features her two favorite animals: her dog, Crescent (adopted from a shelter, naturally), and Fettuccine, her aunt’s sassy cat.

“With her strong entrepreneurial spirit, Summer McKinny, our 2025 Girl of the Year, will resonate with today’s kids who are equally determined about pursuing their passions,” says 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 simply a stepping-stone toward making their dreams a reality.”

Summer’s story, a full-length novel called Summer Gets to Work, was written by bestselling author Clare Hutton Summer and will be available in January 2025.

“I can’t wait for fans to meet sweet Summer and discover more about her love of pets and baking, as well as her motivation to start a small enterprise of her own,” Hutton says. “While being a young entrepreneur is challenging, Summer learns valuable lessons about managing her business and her relationships (the two-legged 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 paws-ible!”

We love a good pet pun.

The Summer doll will be available online and at American Girl retail stores starting Sept. 12.