MIDDLETON, Wis., Dec. 29, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- American Girl is
ringing in the New Year with the debut of Gabriela McBride™, the company's
new 2017 Girl of the Year™! Gabriela is a true creative
talent who uses the power of poetry to help her break down barriers
and overcome a personal challenge with stuttering. Gabriela comes
to life for girls via a beautiful 18-inch Gabriela™ doll
featuring curly dark-brown hair and warm brown eyes, an exclusive
outfit that reflects her creative side, and a book chronicling her
story. Gabriela also comes with several performance-inspired
outfits and accessories, including a dance barre, rehearsal and
dance outfits, plus pretend headphones and a microphone. Additional
Gabriela products and books will be available starting in spring
2017, and—for the first time—the new Girl of the Year collection
will be available for a full 12 months and beyond.
Gabriela's story will be told in a series of three books
published by Scholastic and written by Teresa E. Harris. The first book
Gabriela, hits shelves in January and tells the story of a
quiet and creative girl growing up in a family of artists. Gabriela
inherited a love of the arts from her parents, especially her
mother, but spoken word poetry is becoming her own passion.
Although Gabriela often finds herself in a battle with her own
words because of her stuttering, she discovers that her poetry,
filled with wit and honesty, helps her speech flow more easily and
gives her the confidence to find her voice to help save her beloved
community arts center from being torn down.
To connect both boys and girls with Gabby's inspiring message,
American Girl is partnering with Scholastic, the world's largest
publisher and distributor of children's books and leader in
comprehensive educational materials, to create and distribute
Express Yourself, a custom curriculum program
that teaches 3rd-5th grade students how to
use poetry as a tool for self-expression. The free materials will
be available on www.scholastic.com starting March 1, 2017, and include teacher lessons and
corresponding classroom activities, a poetry poster, plus parent
tips and learning ideas to do at home. In addition, to celebrate
National Poetry Month, the program also features a poetry contest
for students that will run throughout the month of April. The
Express Yourself program will encourage all students to find
their creative voices and share their own personal stories, while
building confidence along the way.
Other Gabby-related initiatives being held throughout the year
include the following:
- Gabriela Online Play: Girls can visit the
Gabby-dedicated site at americangirl.com/girloftheyear for
free book excerpts, videos, activities, wallpaper and e-cards, and
much more.
- Gabriela Retail Events: On January 1, American Girl stores are hosting
Gabriela's Debut Event, where girls will get a first look at her
full product collection, plus enjoy in-store activities, colorful
crafts, giveaways, and a fun photo opportunity. For more details on
the in-store events, visit americangirl.com/stores.
The Gabriela collection is available on January 1, 2017, through American Girl's
catalogue; at americangirl.com; at all American Girl retail
locations nationwide; at American Girl specialty boutiques at
select Indigo™ and Chapters™ in Canada and El Palacio de Hierro locations
in Mexico City; and at Toys "R" Us
stores starting in March. The Gabriela books can also be
purchased through retail and online booksellers.
To learn more about Gabriela and the Girl of the
Year™ line, go to americangirl.com, Facebook at
facebook.com/americangirl, Twitter at
twitter.com/american_girl, Pinterest at
pinterest.com/agofficial, and American Girl's Instagram page
at instagram.com/americangirlbrand. To request an American
Girl catalogue, call 1-800-845-0005.
ABOUT AMERICAN GIRL
American Girl is a premium brand
for girls and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Mattel, Inc.
(NASDAQ:MAT, www.mattel.com), a creations company that
inspires the wonder of childhood. Headquartered in Middleton, WI, American Girl offers an
inspiring world of dolls, content, and experiences that nourish a
girl's spirit and help develop her strength of character.
Best-selling lines include Truly Me™, Girl of the Year™, Bitty
Baby™, WellieWishers™, and the classic historical character line
BeForever™. The company sells products through its award-winning
catalogue, on americangirl.com, in its proprietary U.S.
experiential retail stores, and at select specialty retailers
nationwide. Outside of the U.S, American Girl products are sold in
specialty boutiques at select Indigo™ and Chapters™ in Canada and El Palacio de Hierro locations in
Mexico City. By inspiring girls to
be their best, American Girl has earned the loyalty of millions and
the praise and trust of parents and educators.
ABOUT SCHOLASTIC
Scholastic Corporation
(NASDAQ: SCHL) is the world's largest publisher and distributor of
children's books, a leading provider of print and digital
instructional materials for pre-K to grade 12, and a producer of
educational and entertaining children's media. The Company creates
quality books and ebooks, print and technology-based learning
materials and programs, classroom magazines and other products
that, in combination, offer schools customized solutions to support
children's learning both at school and at home. The Company also
makes quality, affordable books available to all children through
school-based book clubs and book fairs. With a 95 year history of
service to schools and families, Scholastic continues to carry out
its commitment to "Open a World of Possible" for all children.
Learn more at www.scholastic.com.
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SOURCE American Girl