2024 American Girl Doll of the Year Has Minnesota Backstory

For nearly 40 years, American Girl has been using dolls to help educate children about the American Experience using a variety of ethnicities, faiths, nationalities, and social classes throughout the history of the country.

It's turned out to be a very lucrative endeavor for the company, which was originally founded in Middleton, Wisconsin in 1986. Just a dozen years later, Mattel acquired the line of dolls for $700 million. The collection has been so iconic that it was inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame in 2021.

Shortly after Mattel took over the brand, they launched the 'Girl of the Year', which features one doll all year around, with her own backstory, specific accessories, and merchandise.

The 2024 Girl of the Year hails from Minnesota.

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Lila Maria Monetti is depicted as a ten-year-old from St. Paul with a love for two things: gymnastics and her horse, Hollyhock.

You can accessorize the 18-inch doll with no fewer than 19 different items, ranging from her dog, Mighty Mae, ($20) to a six-item gift set ($270).

Lila's backstory was created by Madison, Wisconsin author Erin Falligant who has previously written eight books in the American Girl series.

This marks the second time that the Girl of the Year hailed from the North Star State.

In 2009, Chrissa Maxwell, from the fictional town of Edgewater, Minnesota, was the featured doll. She later was the first Girl of the Year to have her own movie, Chrissa Stands Strong.