American Girl of the Year: Kailey

Kailey was the Girl of the Year in 2003. I'd apparently completely forgotten that the earliest ones were not every year! Marisol is next in 2005 and then after that it becomes annual.

Anyway, Kailey is our first sporty GotY, as well as the first activist. Lindsey's book was very slice of life, even if it was a bit overly chaotic a life. Kailey's is about solving one particular problem.

Kailey is a surfer and beach-lover. Her favorite thing are the tide pools in her local cove. Her father paints seascapes and her mother is a marine biologist, so the entire family is on the same page. When a development project threatens to ruin the cove, Kailey is determined to save it, though she has to struggle against rude adults who don't think kids can do anything, people who prefer shopping to sealife, and her best friend, who's not the most likeable person. This is not the first annoying best friend we will meet in the GotY series.

Kailey's book is good, but not nearly as fun as Lindsey's. It certainly never made me want her doll or anything.