There's only one American Girl "Girl of the Year" released annually, so learning the details thrills a fan (and toy editor) like me. Past dolls have appeared in our annual best-toys list, like Summer, Girl of the Year 2025, who was among the Best Toys of 2024.
American Girl announced the 2027 girl exceptionally early by revealing the cover to her book today. Here's everything I know!
Daisy Davenport is 2027's Girl of the Year
Orders places through AmericanGirl.com will ship by September 17, according to the brand, and I suspect that the matching doll will become available then or soon after. Amazon says that the book releases September 15. Daisy looks to have long, straight hair, and green eyes. On the book cover, she wears a shirt for her sleepaway camp, Camp Gowonagin. You can already preorder the book now for $8.
Author Megan Wagner Lloyd made the book announcement on social media this morning, using Molly McIntire's help. Molly and seven other historical dolls have been rereleased for the American Girl brand's 40th anniversary.
In part of the anniversary celebration, the brand has been rolling out surprise announcements all year, including a collab with Fisher-Price for American Girl Little People and American Girl Polly Pockets as well as a collection of $90 Modern Era Dolls that are smaller versions of some of the original historical characters, in current clothing.
What "Girl of the Year" means
Girl of the Year is different than the historical dolls. Each year's doll has a modern-girl backstory, and intends to mirror the struggles of current girlhood. Past girls have had relatable problems. For instance, 2022's girl, Corinne, got a new stepdad; 2026's girl, Raquel, was learning about her own ancestry and her cousin's adoption. The goal is not so much to teach American history—but to reflect modern childhood values and challenges.
Some of what might make Daisy relatable will be her love of soccer (with FIFA games in the USA this year, it's expected to be a big year for soccer fans), her homesickness while at camp, and her love of playing guitar. Perhaps most importantly, Daisy has to navigate a squabbling friend group, something I know my own young nieces have talked about dealing with IRL.
We'll keep an eye out for news about the Daisy doll being available for preorder as well. In the meantime, if you love reading about the brand, The Making of American Girl coffee-table history book is currently on Amazon. I've got it here in my office and have loved learning about how American Girl was founded with a focus on the emotional truths of girlhood through the ages. It's super inspirational!
