American Girl of the Year: Jess

Ah, Jess. I really almost caved and got this doll in 2006. I ended up starting my adult AG collecting in 2007, once I moved to NYC and had access to the store, but I just missed Jess. My first doll was Ivy, who shares the same mold, and my second was a Girl of Today that looked almost exactly like Jess (who's still my favorite).

Loving the doll aside, Jess is one of my favorite GotYs, because her parents are archaeologists and her entire book takes place in Belize, some in the jungle and some on a dig site.

Jess is part Japanese and part Scottish/Irish. She wouldn't be the first multiracial Asian AG character. Kanani and Nanea, the Hawaiian American girls, are both part white as well. Ivy and Z are the only fully Asian AG characters. Ivy's a best friend and Z wasn't an official GotY. So as of yet, we have no full Asian Girl of the Year. I'm still waiting, AG.

Jess is a fun character. She's one of those that reacts more to what happens to her than shows a lot of her personal character. Like we know she likes soccer, but she doesn't show us that much of herself when it comes to personal details. We know nothing about her friends, for example. Which is fine, because going along with her on her adventures is great by me. She's certainly in a more interesting setting than California or Chicago, so I like seeing her react to her environment and its experiences. And boy, does she ever have experiences!