American Girl’s girl of the year doll for 2017 is a poet and dancer named Gabriela McBride, who as a “true creative talent” uses poetry to help “break down barriers” and overcome her “personal challenge” of stuttering. 

• The 18" doll has brown eyes and curly dark brown hair


• Gabriela comes with a book and performance-inspired outfits, plus a microphone and pretend headphones. 

Meet GABRIELA

Gabriela lives in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

She has a stuttering problem, and is using spoken word poetry to help with the situation along with speech therapy. She dances tap, hip-hop, and ballet at her community center, Liberty Arts.

She loves poetry, and is very good at writing. She also becomes a member of the Student Council in Gabriela Speaks Out. Gabriela often tries to work hard and impress others, though she can be insecure about her stutter. She doesn't like backing down from her beliefs, and tries to speak from the heart.

In Gabriela (book), she is in fifth grade at Thomas Jefferson Elementary School; in both Gabriela Speaks Out and Gabriela: Time for Change, she is in sixth grade at Kelly Middle School.

She lives with her parents and her cousin Red, who is staying with them while his mom is overseas. Her best friend is Teagan, a computer coder, and she is also friends with Isaiah, a Shakespeare lover. She used to be antagonized by Aaliyah, but eventually befriended her by reaching out and telling her that she liked her confidence, and the two of them are co-councilors for the sixth grade at school.