Girl of the Yearâ„¢ 2025: My Thoughts on American Girl's Summer McKinnyâ„¢
Image and "Girl of the Year™ 2025: Summer" logo belong to American Girl®.
In June 2001, American Girl introduced Lindsey Bergman, widely recognized as the first Girl of the Year (commonly called GOTY). Kailey Hopkins succeeded Lindsey in 2003. In 2005, Marisol Luna established the standard of a one-year availability of these dolls. Over 24 years, American Girl has welcomed a new Girl of the Year each year, accompanied by her collection and a series of books whose stories aim to teach today’s girls valuable lessons about hope, patience, and perseverance.
I remember five Girls of the Year from my childhood. I caught the farewell of McKenna Brooks, a gymnast facing the challenges of dyslexia and a broken leg. Then came Saige Copeland, an artist who organized a "Day of Beige" at her school, followed by Isabelle Palmer, a ballerina. I have the most vivid memories of Grace Thomas, a baker who worked to save her grandparents' patisserie in Paris, starring Olivia Rodrigo as Grace in her 2015 movie. The only Girl of the Year doll I owned was Lea Clark from 2016, but honestly, I can't remember her story. Shortly after I got Lea, I set my dolls aside due to the peer pressure of high school, and I hadn't thought about the line until early this December.
The four most recent Girls of the Year are Corrine Tan, who sold out during American Girl's End-of-Season Sale, a snow-bound sportsman; Kavi Sharma, the theater kid of my fourteen-year-old dreams; Lila Monetti, a gymnast; and Summer McKinny, the Girl of the Year for 2025.
As we enter the new year and welcome the reign of American Girl's Summer McKinny, here is my analysis of the doll and her collection.
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Summer McKinny is an ambitious ten-year-old who loves animals, especially dogs. Her pet dog, Crescent, holds a special place in her heart, and she dreams of starting her own dog-walking and dog-treat-baking businesses. However, Summer can be quite stubborn, sometimes refusing to see that she may be taking on too much at once.
When her Aunt Olivia comes to visit and brings her cat, Fettuccine, Summer makes it clear that she is "Team Dog" and isn't fond of Fettuccine. Throughout her book series, Summer learns valuable lessons about asking for help without demanding it, managing her responsibilities, and ultimately discovering that cats might not be so bad after all.
Summer McKinny is sold in 18" doll form featuring vinyl limbs and a cloth body. She has long golden hair with pastel pink streaks, vibrant blue eyes, and delicately feathered eyebrows. Summer arrives in a colorful rainbow dress with puffed sleeves, a wide belt adorned with a bow, and a ruffled skirt.
I’ll admit that I initially held Summer in contempt. I was largely uninterested in the doll or her story and had little intention of giving her a second look. However, after reminding myself that I’m not Summer’s target audience of ages 6 and up (as indicated on her box) and recognizing that the world doesn’t revolve around me, I approached her with an open mind. As a result, I reached the following constructive criticisms.
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The most substantial issue with Summer's collection is its overall design and aesthetic. Summer is a self-proclaimed rainbow fanatic, which is typical for a young girl—unless you were like me, insisting for several months that your favorite color was clear. However, this noncommittal approach to her color palette weakens the doll's branding.
Unlike previous Girls of the Year, such as Grace Thomas from 2015 or Corinne Tan from 2022, who featured specific color schemes and motifs to distinguish themselves and their accessories from other characters or lines offered by American Girl, Summer's collection lacks this clarity. Grace was defined by a vibrant red and girlish pink, accented with Parisian motifs, while Corinne’s aesthetic revolved around electrifying teal and hot pink, inspired by snowy mountains and skiing.
Summer's identifying design element is her small business logo, Waggy Pup Tails, which only appears on Summer's Treat Cart. Overall, the absence of a cohesive aesthetic makes Summer's collection feel less distinct.
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Among her collection, Summer features several animal motifs. Summer's Accessories include a shoulder bag shaped like her dog, Crescent, and Summer's Baking Accessories with a tray of animal-shaped cookies. Summer's Dog Accessories needs little explanation. Although these elements should enhance the doll's design, they camouflage with animal-inspired pieces from the Truly Me line, unrelated to Summer.
This blending is so effective that American Girl includes three non-Summer items on her shop page. These items are the Gourmet Kitchen (likely added since no kitchen space is available in her collection), the All Set for Sleepovers Canopy Bed (which seems odd since Summer has her own branded sleeping bag), and the Pet Spa & Daycare. Each of these items seamlessly fits into Summer's collection. The Gourmet Kitchen is rather nondescript, but the All Set for Sleepovers Canopy Bed features pink and purple details with animal-themed pillows, and the Pet Spa & Daycare has an animal-inspired design with a rainbow across the front.
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Could this lack of a specific aesthetic and the ability of Summer's collection to camouflage with unrelated pieces have some benefits? It's possible. However, from a marketing perspective, it appears to reflect poor branding.
On a much smaller note, I wish Summer's Treat Cart had a more homemade feel. I would say the same for the Pet Spa & Daycare, but since it is not an official part of her collection, I’ll skip over that. However, her cart appears far too professional for a ten-year-old. From what I understand, Summer's treat business is similar to the lemonade stands from my childhood, and I wish her cart reflected that more accurately.
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The second critique of Summer McKinney focuses on her storyline. A brief look at each Girl of the Year illustrates that American Girl tends to recycle storylines. I can’t argue with their decision. From what I’ve noticed, storylines tend to repeat approximately every ten years, which is just long enough for girls the age of the line's target demographic, ten, to forget earlier versions.
Summer's story blends those of previous characters, leading to a sense of déjà vu. The storylines of Grace Thomas from 2015 and Blair Wilson from 2019 revolve around baking. Almost every Girl of the Year story features animals in some capacity, with the most animal-focused stories—like those of Lea Clark in 2016 and Kira Bailey in 2021—centered on wild animals such as turtles, sloths, and koala bears. Although Summer's narrative is a unique combination of these themes, it doesn't give her or her collection a distinct identity.
American Girl might have fared better by dropping Summer's baking aspects altogether and instead focusing on dog washing as Summer's second occupation. This would allow them to reimagine the Pet Spa & Daycare in the style of metal wash tubs, old rags, and childhood entrepreneurship while maintaining the lessons of patience and responsibility outlined in "Why Summer Matters," an article for parents on their website.
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I'm dissatisfied with two aspects of the newer American Girl Girls of the Year, unrelated to, but including Summer. In 2017, with the release of Gabriela McBride, American Girl introduced a new doll box featuring a full-body window and purple sides. However, in 2018, with the release of Luciana Vega, they reverted to the original box design, which has a small circular window at the doll's eye level. They began to personalize the front of the box to correspond with each Girl of the Year: a space theme for Luciana, snowy mountains for Corinne Tan, and tie-dye for Lila Monetti.
Summer's box introduced another change: it removed the window entirely. Instead, a life-sized image of Summer is printed over a rainbow confetti background. I believe that removing the window was a mistake. Many American Girl fans use the box windows to quality-check the dolls, and having a solid lid makes this process much more difficult.
The design quality on the front of the box has declined. While Corinne Tan featured a snowy mountain scene, Summer McKinney showcased something more akin to a stock photo.
I'm also not a fan of the early release and late retirement approach for the Girls of the Year. With Gabriela McBride in 2017, dolls were available for two years, still launching around January 1st. Lila Monetti was released in October 2023, and Summer followed that pattern. Now, three or four Girls of the Year are available at once, diminishing the excitement surrounding the line. I remember staying up on December 31st, not to welcome the new year, but to discover who the new Girl of the Year would be. That sense of magic has been lost and continues to fade with these extended run times for the dolls.
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I have nothing but goodwill for Summer McKinny. My initial snap judgment of dislike has transformed into an appreciation for her as a doll, particularly through the lens of her intended audience. She is a beautiful doll, and I appreciate that she comes with glasses—especially since O.G. Molly McIntire is the only other. While Summer may not be my favorite Girl of the Year, I am still excited to see her flourish.
The Summer McKinny Doll, Journal, and Accessories retail for $130 on the American Girl® website.
