Up Close with McKenna Brooks: American Girl’s 2012 Girl of the Year

Since 2009, I have often joked that I have more children than I really do…specifically, daughters.   My daughter Emily, now 7, received her first American Girl Doll in ’09 and has played with her so much that she has become another member of the family.  Rebecca comes everywhere with us.  A year later, we added the 2010 Girl of the Year Lanie to her collection, and we are beyond thrilled to now have the 2012 Girl of the Year, McKenna Brooks!

McKenna stands at 18 inches tall and comes dressed in a sporty outfit for her on-the-go lifestyle as she is a terrific gymnast.  The McKenna paperback book accompanies her.  You will fall in love with her pretty blue eyes and long, silky, caramel-colored hair that will lend itself to many different hairstyles!  McKenna loves practicing and performing her gymnastics routines, her goldendoodle Cooper, and her teammates Toulane and Sierra.

Playing with her American Girl dolls is a daily routine for Em.  She adores setting them up to have tea, play school, or play with the many pets that are available.  She can’t get enough of the adorable outfits American Girl offers, and loves changing their clothes to suit where we are going!  Emily’s best friend has three American Girl dolls as well, and whenever she comes over they play for hours.  I love how the dolls offer a great avenue for creativity and imagination.  I also love how the books teach little girls wonderful life-lessons, such as how to overcome adversity and problem-solve.  No meek and mild girls here!  All of the American Girls are smart, resourceful, and excellent role models.

McKenna has a wide variety of outfits and accessories to suit her every need.  Emily had to check it out (with McKenna of course) to see what she might like to add next to her ever-growing collection.  The beam and bar are adorable and McKenna can really “grip” the bar to perform her practice routine!  Her outfits are adorable, my favorite being the school outfit that we HAVE to have, complete with rain gear, of course.  Last but not least, McKenna’s Loft Bed Set is like no other American Girl bed I’ve seen before!  The loft bed has a built-in desk, shelves, and a ribbon board to display keepsakes.  The bed set includes an adorable quilt and bedding, pet hamster, books, a gymnastics trophy, and much more.   In fact, Santa just came to our house and Emily already has the Loft Bed Set on her next Christmas list!

If your daughter doesn’t have an American Girl yet, 2012 is the time to start!  McKenna is simply beautiful and her collection is fabulous!  If your daughter has already started her American Girl collection, McKenna will be a great new friend for the dolls she already has!  American Girl has done it again with McKenna…..a beautiful, smart, and courageous Girl of the Year!

This post is the opinion of Jennifer of Experimental Mommy.  Others may have a differing opinion of the product.  While a product sample was received to facilitate this review, all opinions remain 100% honest.