American Girl launched its 2027 Girl of the Year doll on September 17, a fictional camper from Madison, Wisconsin, priced at $135 and arriving during the brand's 40th anniversary year.
The 18-inch doll, named Daisy Davenport, went on sale at AmericanGirl.com and in American Girl retail stores across the country. She is the first American Girl character from the state of Wisconsin, USA Today reported, and her backstory centers on a summer spent at a fictional sleepaway camp called Camp Gowonagin.
The character's story, first teased in May 2026 with the release of a companion book, follows Daisy as she heads to camp expecting her best friend to join her, only to learn the friend cannot attend. Left on her own, Daisy contends with homesickness, a fear of the dark, friction with cabinmates, and the challenge of making new friends.
American Girl and its parent company, Mattel, described the Girl of the Year line as an effort "to bring relatable stories to life and give voice to a diverse range of backgrounds." The collection has run for more than 25 years, making it one of the brand's longest-running product lines.
A news release from the company summarized the character's arc:
"Along the way, Daisy learns to step outside her comfort zone and discovers that being a great teammate is about more than being the star player."
Daisy's favorite pastimes include spending time outdoors, playing soccer, and strumming the guitar. The broader product collection features accessories tied to those interests, a camp cabin, a soccer set, and a campfire set, though the company did not disclose individual accessory prices. The accompanying book, Daisy Davenport Saves the Day, was written by author Megan Wagner Lloyd and released in May.
American Girl's 40th anniversary in 2026 caps a stretch of moves aimed at broadening the brand's appeal. Back in 2017, the company introduced its first-ever boy doll, Logan Everett, a drummer with side-swept hair, plaid button-up, and jeans. The New York Post reported at the time that a company spokesperson called adding a boy doll "a No. 1 request" from consumers "for a very, very, very long time." That same year's lineup included Z Yang, a Korean-American YouTube star character, and Gabriela McBride, a Black poet.
More recently, the brand leaned into nostalgia. American Girl released twin dolls named Nicki and Isabel, set in 1999, complete with a Tamagotchi, inflatable furniture, and a portable CD player, accessories that Fox News noted prompted millennials on social media to joke about their own childhoods being classified as "historical."
Daisy Davenport's launch follows that pattern of keeping the brand current while tapping into wholesome, recognizable childhood experiences. A summer camp story, with its built-in lessons about independence, teamwork, and resilience, fits squarely in that tradition.
At $135 for the doll alone, the price tag is not trivial for families. American Girl has never been a budget brand, and the accessory collection will push the total cost higher. Whether parents see value in a character who learns to handle adversity without a screen in her hand is, for this market, probably the pitch.
In an era when toy companies chase trends measured in TikTok cycles, a brand betting on a girl with a guitar, a soccer ball, and a fear of the dark she has to face on her own still sounds like something worth rooting for.