What you need to know about American Girl’s 2016 Girl of the Year Lea Clark

She’s a mystery to thousands of girls who desperately want to know everything about her. What is her name and what does she look like? And equally as important: What makes her special and what are her talents? Her full identity is not unveiled until Jan. 1 each year, though American Girl teases its customers with clues leading up to the big reveal of its Girl of the Year doll each year.

The first video hint was posted on AmericanGirl.com on Sunday, and it showed Agoverseasfan (the YouTube handle for an unnamed girl who features all aspects of the dolls on her popular channel that has almost 1 million views). The hint revealed the doll’s name — Lea Clark — and her image. This hint confirmed what fans have speculated about since details about the doll leaked a month ago.

Each American Girl of the Year comes with a book that tells her story. For Lea Clark, it’s “Lea Dives In” by Lisa Yee. The summary on the back cover of the paperback posted on Amazon.com gives us insight in the doll’s story: “Lea is ready for adventure on a family trip to Brazil, where her big brother Zac is studying the rainforest. She can’t wait to see the ocean — but quickly realizes she’d rather take photos of it than swim in it. Disappointed in herself, Lea longs to show Zac that she’s as bold and brave as he is. She finds inspiration in a new friend, who encourages her to embrace the excitement and beauty that Brazil offers. But when the fun turns to danger during a hike, Lea must prove to Zac — and herself — that she has what it takes to face adventure head on.”

From the images on the book cover, it appears that turtles play a big part in Lea’s beach adventures. Another promotional video for the 2016 Girl of the year shows a tween squealing her excitement while holding a snorkel and a camera in each hand — presumably more clues about what happens in the story and merchandise that could be offered. And websites dedicated to American Girl news have posted what they claim are photos of Lea’s outfits that will be sold initially. These unofficial images show clothes with a tropical flair, including an outfit specifically for hiking in the rainforest. Additional video hints will be posted on AmericanGirl.com this week.

Want to get your hands on the first batch of Lea Clark dolls? They will be for sale online and in stores on New Year’s Day. The advantage of going to a store to make your purchase is that participating stores, such as the one in Orlando, will have themed activities and crafts and a Lea Clark giveaway only available during the debut events. Orlando’s American Girl store is located at Florida Mall, close to the theme parks and other tourist attractions. The Girl of the Year events are from noon to 4 p.m. Jan. 1, 2 and 3 and are free and open to the public.

The Orlando American Girl store opens at 10 a.m. each day, which is when the Girl of the Year sales begin. Last year, there was an unprecedented number of customers at the Orlando location, and the dolls were sold out within a couple hours each day, according to store employees who had worked at other Girl of the Year launch events. This year, the store is better prepared for such crowds, managers told me. They do expect customers to line up outside the store before it opens, but they do not anticipate shortages of the doll, they said.

Are you planning to attend or have you attended a Girl of the Year welcoming party at the American Girl store in your city? Tell us about it in the comments.

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