Grace Thomas is American Girl Of The Year 2015

While sales of Mattel-owned Barbie continue to plummet over the years, the American Girl range has seen phenomenal growth year after year.

This year the latest doll, Grace Thomas, went on sale on the American Girl website after it was revealed on Good Morning America on ABC in the presence of several young girls on Dec. 31.

Last year, Isabelle the aspiring dancer was announced as girl of the year. But this year the distinction went to Grace Thomas who is described as an "avid baker" who has plans to launch her own business.

Describing Grace, American Girl says she was inspired to start a French bakery when she made a trip to Paris. After she came home she started the business with the help of her friends.

As part of the collection around Grace a standard 18-inch doll with blue eyes and brown hair will be sold at a price of $115. In addition, the doll will be available on American Girl's online store and in its brick and mortar stores as well. Also available for purchase for a year will be French-inspired dresses for the doll, accessories for doll care, and animal companions such as a French bulldog.

The company is also planning to produce a movie on Grace's story and release it on DVD sometime in the summer. American Girl has also revealed plans for a" Goodness, Bake!" fundraising program to support the "No Kid Hungry" campaign which aims to end hunger among children in America. The company has likewise made a donation of $50,000 to the campaign. American Girl has asked girls to participate in bake sales and donate their earnings to the campaign.

Last year saw, American Girl, which was launched by Pleasant Company in 1986, saw a record 11 percent increase in sales over the previous year . As new stores for American Girl open, sales are expected to rise further.