Thanks to American Girl for sending BabyCake the 2017 Girl of the Year for our review! All opinions expressed here are my own. 

Meet American Girl 2017 Girl of the Year: Gabriela McBride

Every year, American Girl debuts a limited edition Girl of the Year, but this year’s girl Gabriela McBride will be available all year long and beyond! Gabriela is a true inspiration for girls because she has the strength to overcome a personal challenge of hers, which is stuttering. Gabriela uses spoken word poetry to help her speech flow more freely which gives her the confidence to find her voice to help her community. 

Gabriela not only enjoys poetry, but she also loves dance. She comes from a family of artists which are introduced in her first book “Gabriela” by author Teresa E. Harris. To inspire both boys and girls with Gabriela’s message, American Girl has partnered with Scholastic, whom we all know to be the world’s largest publisher and distributor of children’s books and educational materials, to create “Express Yourself.” Express Yourself is a custom curriculum that teaches 3rd-5th Graders how to use spoken word poetry as a tool for self-expression. This free curriculum will be available March 1, 2017 on www.scholastic.com, just in time for National Poetry Month in April. It will include teacher lessons, corresponding classroom activities, a poetry poster, as well as tips for parents and learning ideas to do at home. I certainly will be utilizing these resources in my homeschool! 

 Gabriela has beautiful curly brown hair, brown eyes, and she’s wearing an outfit that reflects her creative side. Currently on americangirl.com you can find Gabriela as well as the first pieces in her collection. Her additional outfits, books and accessories will be available Spring 2017 and you’ll be able to purchase them forever, unlike the previous Girl of the Year dolls.  

BabyCake has already fallen in love with Gabriela McBride! She’s read her first book multiple times and can tell me all about Gabriela, and her family and friends. Gabriela has even inspired her to write her own spoken word poetry and read her pieces aloud to the family. 

Gabriela McBride is an inspiration to all girls to find their creative voices to use to speak out and make a difference! Head to americangirl.com/girloftheyear for free book excerpts, videos, activities, wallpaper, e-cards and more. Gabriela’s collection is available to purchase at americangirl.com and at all American Girl retail locations nationwide.

Ashley