American Girl Is Officially 40 Years Old

American Girl is one of those brands that just came at the perfect time — and it has stayed just as empowering 40 years later as it was on day one (honestly, maybe even more so). Those of us who grew up with the stories of perseverance and resilience and hope can still feel it echoing through everything we do, and American Girl is honoring that with its 40th anniversary.

And when I say honoring it, I really mean it — while the brand has a few different things planned for its 40th birthday, the one I’m most excited about is American Girl’s first novel for adults — Samantha: The Next Chapter. With the recent nostalgic twist of the 2026 American Girl Girl of the Year being related to Samantha, the brand clearly knows this OG gal is one of our favorites. In this new novel, written by author Fiona Davis (known for her historical fiction based in New York City), Samantha Parkington will be an adult, exploring everything the world has to offer her in the 1920s, including the right to vote. But when her inheritance is stolen in a scheme, Samantha has to interact with a very different version of the world than she’s been used to — and honestly, I think we can all relate in some way.

Samantha: The Next Chapter is available for pre-order now and will be released in the U.S. and Canada on Oct. 13, 2026.

Along with the novel, American Girl will also be publishing a book titled The Making of American Girl. This is going to be a must for fans of the brand as it dives into the back story of how the brand came to be, how the original three dolls (Samantha, Kirsten, and Molly) were created, and how the brand expanded to include Addy, Felicity, and Josefina. This book is available for pre-order now, but will release on May 12, 2026.

And finally, American Girl will also be introducing a new line of dolls — the American Girl Modern Era Collection. Featuring historic characters Samantha, Addy, Kirsten, Josefina, Molly, and Felicity, the line will give a fun, contemporary update to your favorite girls. The dolls will be 14.5 inches and still honor their heritage and story, just with a little bit of a fresh update. They’re seriously so cute, but still totally recognizable as their OG selves. It feels very much like a nod to us original American Girls and how we’ve changed as we’ve grown, but still cling to our own 10-year-old selves inside.

You can purchase from the American Girl Modern Era Collection starting Feb. 13.

It’s hard to believe American Girl has been around for 40 years. The years I spent looking through catalogues, reading the American Girl magazine, poring over the books, and begging Santa every year for my own doll were completely formative for me. The late ‘80s and ‘90s were such a time of girl power, of finding the joy and strength in girlhood, and American Girl really felt like a brand that believed in that — and in all of us who loved it so much. I can’t wait to read about adult Samantha Parkington, who feels like as much an extension of me as my real-life childhood friends, and I truly just want to fall into this 40th anniversary like it’s my own birthday.

May we all be this confident and empowering and strong forever.