American Girl's 2016 Girl Of The Year™ Dives Into Adventure And Helps Girls See Life Through A New Lens

MIDDLETON, Wis., Jan. 1, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, millions of girls are going wild for Lea Clark^™, American Girl's 2016 Girl of the Year^™! Lea, a talented photographer with a love for animals, discovers a wide world of possibilities when she embarks on a faraway adventure to Brazil. Available for only one year, Lea's collection includes a beautiful 18-inch Lea^™ doll featuring long wavy hair and warm hazel eyes, plus several tropical-inspired outfits, accessories, and toys that reflect her Brazilian travels—including Lea's Rainforest House with over 30 pieces! To further expand Lea's world for girls, an all-new, action-adventure film will debut on DVD from Universal Studios Home Entertainment in summer 2016.

Written by award-winning author Lisa Yee, the 2016 Girl of the Year books—Lea Dives In, Lea Leads the Way, and Lea and Camila—introduce girls to a curious ten-year-old girl with an adventurous spirit. On a family trip to Brazil to visit her older brother, Zac, who is studying the Amazon rainforest, Lea is excited to capture everything she sees with her camera. Soon Lea makes some incredible discoveries, but she also faces unexpected challenges, including a fear of the ocean, tension with Zac, and finding a baby sloth that has been gravely injured. With the help of her family, her new Brazilian friend, Camila, and her late grandmother's guiding inspiration, Lea finds the inner strength and confidence to live her new adventures to the fullest.

Giving Back with Lea
To show girls that, together, they can make a difference in helping protect animals and their habitats, American Girl has created Wild at Art, a year-long fund-raising campaign in support of World Wildlife Fund (WWF). Starting January 1, American Girl is encouraging girls to use their artistic abilities to host an art sale and donate the proceeds to WWF. To launch the campaign, American Girl has made a $50,000 donation to WWF and also invites customers to contribute at American Girl retail stores and americangirl.com. Parents can visit americangirl.com/wildatart to learn more and register for Wild at Art, plus get animal-themed craft ideas, and be entered into a sweepstakes for the chance to win one of 17 Lea prize packages.

In addition, from January 1 through December 31, 2016, for every purchase of one of the three plush animals in Lea's collection—the margay, sea turtle, or sloth—American Girl will donate $1 (up to a maximum of $100,000) to WWF.

Other Lea-related initiatives being held throughout the year include the following:

• Lea^™ Born for Adventure Paid App and Online Play: Girls can join Lea in Brazil for an adventure of a lifetime with this paid app, featuring beautiful graphics, exclusive content, and endless play. The app retails for $1.99 and is available for download on americangirl.com/girloftheyear. Girls can also visit the Lea-dedicated site for book excerpts, movie-related content, games and quizzes, wallpaper and e-cards, and much more.
• Lea Retail Events: On January 1, American Girl stores are hosting Lea's Debut Event, where girls will get a first look at her full product collection, plus enjoy in-store activities, colorful crafts, giveaways, and a fun photo opportunity. Girls can also take part in free and paid Lea-related events throughout the year. For more details on the in-store events, visit americangirl.com/stores.

The Lea collection is available on January 1 through American Girl's catalogue; at americangirl.com; at all American Girl retail locations nationwide; and at American Girl specialty boutiques at select Indigo^™ and Chapters^™ in Canada and El Palacio de Hierro locations in Mexico City. The Lea books can also be purchased through retail and online booksellers.

To learn more about Lea and the Girl of the Year^™ line, go to americangirl.com, Facebook at facebook.com/americangirl, Twitter at twitter.com/american_girl, Pinterest at pinterest.com/agofficial, and American Girl's Instagram page at instagram.com/americangirlbrand. To request an American Girl catalogue, call 1-800-845-0005.

ABOUT AMERICAN GIRL
American Girl is a premium brand for and about girls and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Mattel, Inc. MAT (www.mattel.com), the worldwide leader in the design, manufacture, and marketing of toys and family products. Headquartered in Middleton, WI, American Girl offers an inspiring world of dolls, experiences, and entertainment to empower and unite girls of all ages. Best-selling lines include Truly Me™, Girl of the Year™, Bitty Baby™, and the classic historical character line BeForever™. The company sells products through its award-winning catalogue, on www.americangirl.com, in its experiential retail stores nationwide, and in specialty boutiques at select Indigo™ and Chapters™ in Canada and El Palacio de Hierro locations in Mexico City. American Girl's mission is to fuel belonging and connection among girls, a goal that has already earned the loyalty of millions and the praise and trust of their parents and educators.  

ABOUT WORLD WILDLIFE FUND^®
WWF is one of the world's leading conservation organizations, working in 100 countries for over half a century. With the support of almost 5 million members worldwide, WWF is dedicated to delivering science-based solutions to preserve the diversity and abundance of life on Earth, halt the degradation of the environment and combat climate change. Visit www.worldwildlife.org to learn more and keep up with the latest conservation news by following @WWFNews on Twitter. 

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SOURCE American Girl