McKenna is the Middleton, Wis., company's Girl of the Year doll for 2012, to be released Sunday. In books about the character, McKenna is described as a fourth-grade gymnast in the Seattle area who has trouble with reading comprehension. A wheelchair-bound tutor helps her deal with the problem.
"One issue that came to our attention was something called the fourth-grade slump. … It affects many children as the focus in the classroom switches from learning to read to reading to learn," said Julie Parks, American Girl spokeswoman.
"This character is about focusing on your strengths and using your strengths to get over some difficult challenges. That's a life skill that's good to learn early and continue to use throughout your life," Parks said.
The 18-inch McKenna doll comes with one book and costs $105, up $5 from the 2011 Girl of the Year doll, Kanani. An activity book and related accessories will also be sold, and a movie about McKenna will be released on DVD in mid- to late 2012, Parks said.
An online quiz related to McKenna is aimed at helping girls discover their strengths and offers them a trophy for completing 10 offline challenges. For each trophy, American Girl says it will donate 25 cents, up to a maximum of $50,000, to Save the Children's U.S. literacy program.
Parks said American Girl has been providing books to Save the Children since 2010 "to help kids who are in poverty learn to read."
The Girl of the Year doll is available for one year only. Initiated in 2001, it has been a popular feature. In the 2010 year-end earnings release for parent company Mattel, the Girl of the Year doll was cited as one reason for American Girl's 8 percent revenue increase for that year.
— Wisconsin State Journal
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