Meet Gabriela

Jem has fallen deep into the world of American Girl. 

And this former American Girl groupie turned mama couldn’t be happier :)

Jemma is reading the books, dreaming of visits to the store, watching the movies (Grace is currently on Netflix!), saving her money for dolls (retired ones, help me, Lord!), and unearthing my collection from keepsake boxes (so happy I saved them all!).

So, you can only imagine her delight when I told her she was going to help me share about the 2017 Girl of the Year, Gabriela McBride! It truly made her week, well, more like year!

I’ll confess that Jemma sped read Gabriela’s whole book on her own! I thought we were going to read it together but before I knew it she was asking when/if book 2 would be coming out! She shared with me that Gabriela is a girl who loves dancing, theater, music, and poetry. In her story she particularly enjoys poems because she struggles with stuttering and poetry helps her speech. Jem thought this was really cool because in the Fall she took a poetry class at homeschool coop and learned quite a bit about different variations of poetry. So, you know, “me and Gabriela both really like poems!” In her story, Gabriela uses her talents to help save her community center which explains why Jemma described Gabriela as brave, kind, and creative when I asked about her personality. 

When I mentioned to Jemma that I wanted to catch a few photos of her and Gabriela together she told me she knew just the outfit and instructed me to give my hot rollers a try in her hair so she and Gabriela could match. “Bestie twins!” she said, “I even have a pink headband just like hers!” 

We love Gabriela’s brown curly hair, dark skin, soft body, and hip (but modest) outfit. She’s a real beauty and the perfect girl to represent 2017! As soon as I finish up my current library book you just might find me delving into Gabriela’s story myself. After all, once an American Girl fan, always an American Girl fan!

You can shop for Gabriela at your local American Girl store or online. 

Thank you American Girl for sponsoring today’s post! As a parent, I love that my daughter has the opportunity to connect with quality dolls who have admirable qualities. Keep the good things coming!