She’s a Jersey girl.
The popular American Girl brand has launched its 2023 Girl of the Year doll, Kavi Sharma—and she hails from the great state of New Jersey, specifically Metuchen in Middlesex County.
“We are so excited that American Girl chose Metuchen. Our Borough is a diverse, vibrant community with residents and programming that reflect the world around us,” Metuchen Mayor Jonathan M. Busch tweeted following Thursday’s announcement. “Kavi is a welcome addition to the ‘Brainy Borough’ and we can’t wait for the children in our community to share her and their Metuchen stories with the rest of the country.”
As American Girl notes, theater enthusiast Kavi lives “a short train ride” from New York City and her beloved Broadway. The ride from Metuchen takes about an hour. Photo courtesy of American Girl
Each year, American Girl releases a Girl of the Year doll, all of which are contemporary characters “that represent a wide range of backgrounds to reflect what it means to be an American girl today,” according to the company. American Girl famously crafts detailed back stories and books to accompany its dolls, who represent various time periods in history as well as modern-day life.
Kavi’s story is of an Indian-American girl growing up in a close-knit family in New Jersey. She loves singing, dancing and performing, and her dream is to one day be on Broadway.
A paperback journal and a hardcover Kavi novel are being released in collaboration with author Varsha Bajaj. “Kavi’s story is important to all the young readers who will see parts of their lives represented. I took immense delight in showcasing slivers of Indian culture, including dance, yoga traditions, food, clothing, and magical festivals like Diwali and Holi,” Bajaj said in a statement released by American Girl on Thursday.
According to reports, Kavi is the brand’s first South Asian Girl of the Year.
Kavi seems to already have a lot of fan love, garnering positive comments on social media after the doll’s release was announced. Photo courtesy of American Girl
To celebrate Kavi’s release, Metuchen is hosting a Bollywood block party at Metuchen Town Plaza on December 30 (5-7 pm).
Kavi already seems to have a plethora of local support. After the news of the doll’s release, social media was flooded with fan love.
“I am so excited for this doll!” one local parent wrote on Instagram. “My soon to be 2 yr old daughter is named Kavi. We’re an Indian American family living in NJ and my little one practices yoga with her grandma. It feels like this doll was made for her and I cannot wait to purchase it for her. I can’t explain how big this is. Growing up I would never see my name anywhere. Now my daughter has a doll with the same name as her. This is huge!!!”
Kavi is available online now and in American Girl stores and other select shops beginning January 1.
No one knows New Jersey like we do. Sign up for one of our free newsletters here. Want a print magazine mailed to you? Purchase an issue from our online store.