When Katy is given the opportunity to attend a secular high school outside her Mennonite community, she is ecstatic. But as she begins to adjust to...
read full description
reviews
Jul 24, 2011
Jennifer
rated it: 
This was such a sweet book that I bought on a whim because it was on sale for the Kindle. And now I'm addicted to Katy and her world. I cannot wait to read the next book in the series. It is such innocent, wonderful reading. I hope to find copies in paperback for my classroom for the students that are into or want to know more about religion.
Katy is a very brave young girl who loves learning so much she obtains permission from her Mennonite group to attend a public high school. This More...
Katy is a very brave young girl who loves learning so much she obtains permission from her Mennonite group to attend a public high school. This More...
Sep 11, 2010
Laura
rated it:
Title: KATY’S NEW WORLD
Author: Kim Vogel Sawyer
Publisher: Zondervan
ISBN: 978-0-310-71924-3
January 2010
Genre: Inspirational/young adult
Katy Lambright is Mennonite, and her schooling is supposed to end when she finishes ninth grade, but Katy has special permission from the Elders to attend a public high school in Salina, Kansas, to finish her high school education.
Many of the community is unsure about this decision, after all, Katy’s mother a More...
Author: Kim Vogel Sawyer
Publisher: Zondervan
ISBN: 978-0-310-71924-3
January 2010
Genre: Inspirational/young adult
Katy Lambright is Mennonite, and her schooling is supposed to end when she finishes ninth grade, but Katy has special permission from the Elders to attend a public high school in Salina, Kansas, to finish her high school education.
Many of the community is unsure about this decision, after all, Katy’s mother a More...
Mar 16, 2010
Susan
rated it:
This review was written by my 14-year-old daughter and is her very first book review.
I was excited about the release of Katy’s New World, the first in the Katy Lambright Series, by Kim Vogel Sawyer. It sounded like an excellent book and I wasn’t disappointed! The book is not only well written, but is totally engaging. I didn’t want to put the book down after I started reading it. I give this book “a two-thumbs up“ and recommend it highly.
In Katy’s New World Katy str More...
I was excited about the release of Katy’s New World, the first in the Katy Lambright Series, by Kim Vogel Sawyer. It sounded like an excellent book and I wasn’t disappointed! The book is not only well written, but is totally engaging. I didn’t want to put the book down after I started reading it. I give this book “a two-thumbs up“ and recommend it highly.
In Katy’s New World Katy str More...
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Feb 27, 2010
Amydeanne
rated it: 
I loved the main character in this book. These are the kind of books I read as a youth and could have downed one of these a day! The relatablity to Katy was high, and the desire to fit in is something I think every girl deals with through her teen years.
I loved that Katy had self-control in this book; often we get examples of girls with run-away mouths and I really appreciated that about this main character. I think she does a better job than most adults do, but that’s the joy of More...
I loved that Katy had self-control in this book; often we get examples of girls with run-away mouths and I really appreciated that about this main character. I think she does a better job than most adults do, but that’s the joy of More...
Feb 07, 2010
Kathleen
rated it:
Katy Lambright Series book one.
This was a departure in my personal reading as a book targeted for young adults. I am a historical fiction lover at heart, but this quick read captured and held my attention for many reasons. The ever-popular Amish and Mennonite fiction has so far eluded my reading shelf, but I admit, I've been curious. This is about a young Mennonite girl, Kathleen Lambright, who has been given special permission from the deacons of her congregation to attend public high sch More...
This was a departure in my personal reading as a book targeted for young adults. I am a historical fiction lover at heart, but this quick read captured and held my attention for many reasons. The ever-popular Amish and Mennonite fiction has so far eluded my reading shelf, but I admit, I've been curious. This is about a young Mennonite girl, Kathleen Lambright, who has been given special permission from the deacons of her congregation to attend public high sch More...
Jan 27, 2010
Ruth
rated it: 
Katy's New World is YA Mennonite fiction (as opposed to Amish romance). The Mennonites are religious cousins to the Amish, and like the Amish, the Old Order Mennonites eschew many modern conveniences, have strong community ties and dress in a manner most modern Americans would consider odd. Katy has finished ninth grade at her Mennonite school in rural Kansas, but she wants to go to the pubic high school. No other child from their community ever has, but the elders allow Katy to go, warning h
More...
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Feb 05, 2010
Crystal
rated it:
Katy's New World is a delightful and fun read. It lures you in from the beginning and you find yourself so caught up in Katy's World that you don't want to put the book down.
Ms. Vogel does a wonderful job showing the two groups, the Mennonites from which Katy comes and the public school kids. She also does a great job showing how both societies can mix and how sometimes they don't but people with the same beliefs don't always agree too.
I like Shelby as her "worldly More...
Ms. Vogel does a wonderful job showing the two groups, the Mennonites from which Katy comes and the public school kids. She also does a great job showing how both societies can mix and how sometimes they don't but people with the same beliefs don't always agree too.
I like Shelby as her "worldly More...
May 01, 2010
Mandy
rated it:
BOOK OVERVIEW:
Katy's New World is about a Mennonite girl who longs to continue her education past the tradition of 9th grade. She receives the permission of the church elders to do so, but the bigger question is will she be able to balance the two worlds?
MY REVIEW:
The author, Kim Vogel Sawyer, has written a contemporary story of a teen girl caught in the middle of two very different worlds. Or are they really that different?
I enjoyed the simple s More...
Katy's New World is about a Mennonite girl who longs to continue her education past the tradition of 9th grade. She receives the permission of the church elders to do so, but the bigger question is will she be able to balance the two worlds?
MY REVIEW:
The author, Kim Vogel Sawyer, has written a contemporary story of a teen girl caught in the middle of two very different worlds. Or are they really that different?
I enjoyed the simple s More...
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Feb 05, 2010
Clockstein
rated it:
Katy's New World by Kim Vogel Sawyer is the first book in the Katy Lambright series about a Mennonite girl attending a public high school. I just have to get this off of my chest before I get into my review: I don't think that this book will actually appeal to the audience the author and publisher is hoping for. While bonnet fiction is extremely popular right now, I don't see teenage girls who listen to Ke$ha and Lady Gaga being interested in a Mennonite girl's life. That said, it's the kind of
More...
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Feb 05, 2010
Renee
rated it:
I've read a lot of books by Kim Vogel Sawyer but this is the first YA book of her's that I've read but it won't be the last. Even though it is a book about a young Mennonite girl I think a lot of teens will be able to relate to what she has to deal with in this book. Some of the themes include, making new friends, fitting in, and standing up for your beliefs while accepting people whose faith may be a bit different from yours.
Katy Lambright, the main character has to grow up in a sin More...
Katy Lambright, the main character has to grow up in a sin More...
Mar 20, 2010
Angelc
rated it:
I won this book in a Goodreads First Reads contest from Zondervan Books.
Katy is the only teenager in her Mennonite community who wants to extend her education past the required 9th grade. She is given special permission to attend the public high school, but will she be able to keep her faith while exposed daily to "worldly" things and experiences? Katy's mother left the Mennonite faith when she was little, and that meant she left Katy and her father too. Katy worries that b More...
Katy is the only teenager in her Mennonite community who wants to extend her education past the required 9th grade. She is given special permission to attend the public high school, but will she be able to keep her faith while exposed daily to "worldly" things and experiences? Katy's mother left the Mennonite faith when she was little, and that meant she left Katy and her father too. Katy worries that b More...
2 comments
like
(2 people liked it)
Jul 31, 2010
Theresa
rated it:
It's hard enough being on the outside of a normal group of people, but take a girl in her sophomore year, make her old order Mennonite, and put her in a new school - a secular school when all she's known is the Mennonite school in her community. Katy wants to fit in, but she struggles with what she's grown up learning, what is right, and wanting to fit in.
Katy's struggles with being the new girl make this for an interesting read. She not only has problems with her new school, but now More...
Katy's struggles with being the new girl make this for an interesting read. She not only has problems with her new school, but now More...
Jan 07, 2012
Tracy
rated it: 
Ok, ok I totally picked this one up because I almost peed my pants when I saw the cover. Seriously, just look at that doe-eyed Amish girl who gets permission to attend a, wait for it, public high school and the supposed to be popular girls behind her. giggle, giggle. Some librarian at Moon has a wickedly funny sense of humor.
But really the book wasn't bad. The characters are all really sweet and Katy is a total good girl who isn't even partially tempted to watch Tv at her first Englis More...
But really the book wasn't bad. The characters are all really sweet and Katy is a total good girl who isn't even partially tempted to watch Tv at her first Englis More...
Sep 14, 2010
s0nicfreak
rated it:
Several times I have began reading a book that seemingly had nothing to do with religion only to have God shoved down my throat near the end. This book, surprisingly (I thought I'd have God shoved down my throat the whole time), did not do that. I'm not Christian but I do love and strive to emulate the Menonites' self-sufficient way of life. Katy is a normal girl from this way of life with flaws she must overcome. Her family realizes that she must learn to overcome these flaws on her own, that s
More...
May 16, 2010
Jamie
rated it:
I won this book as my first goodreads giveaway and was really excited to get my hands on it and start reading. I am a middle school teacher constantly on the lookout for books to recommend to my students - and I found one in Katy's New World.
The book centers on Katy's attempt to reconcile her desire for an education with her community's commitment to working at home. While the book was a bit predictable (Katy gets into just the slightest bit of trouble and alienates both her communi More...
The book centers on Katy's attempt to reconcile her desire for an education with her community's commitment to working at home. While the book was a bit predictable (Katy gets into just the slightest bit of trouble and alienates both her communi More...
May 04, 2010
Sarah
rated it:
I won this book on the giveaway part of this site. I am so glad I did! I might never have picked this if I had seen it at the bookstore, and I would have missed an amazing find.
The book was a great insight into the Mennonite life style. I learned a lot about the Mennonite's through the course of the book, and since I enjoy learning about different religions this was great. This was my first taste at a Mennonite story, and I am hungrey for more, I cannot wait to go find some more book More...
The book was a great insight into the Mennonite life style. I learned a lot about the Mennonite's through the course of the book, and since I enjoy learning about different religions this was great. This was my first taste at a Mennonite story, and I am hungrey for more, I cannot wait to go find some more book More...
Mar 23, 2010
Michelle
rated it:
I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway. I really enjoyed this book! It's not life-changing literature, but it was a good, wholesome, enjoyable read. The target audience is clearly pre-teens/young teenagers, and I think this is a wonderful book for girls in that age group. Katy is a strong, independent girl who is able to hold on to her values. I love her fiesty nature! I also really like that there is nothing overtly sexual in this book. I do think it's not appropriate for my 8 year old
More...
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Mar 27, 2010
Brooke
rated it:
I received a free copy of this through giveaways and I think it is one of the first books I've received here that I am able to give a good review to. It is a quick young teen read that I thought was very well written. I liked the storyline and the idea of a young teen trying to hold to her values and break out of her mold. It has a good message and is very entertaining. I thought the secondary characters were a bit stereotypical, but so many in this genre of books are!! Thanks for the free
More...
Sep 19, 2011
Camille
rated it:
Katy's New World by Kim Vogel Sawyer
This is the first book in Kim Vogel Sawyer's Young Adult Amish fiction series, the Katy Lambright Series.
In Katy's New World we meet Katy Lambright, who is a young girl, a devout member of her Mennonite community. The only difference between Katy and other members of her community is she desires to go further in school than Mennonite schools usually go. So, Katy gets special permission to attend a nearby Englisch school, but not More...
This is the first book in Kim Vogel Sawyer's Young Adult Amish fiction series, the Katy Lambright Series.
In Katy's New World we meet Katy Lambright, who is a young girl, a devout member of her Mennonite community. The only difference between Katy and other members of her community is she desires to go further in school than Mennonite schools usually go. So, Katy gets special permission to attend a nearby Englisch school, but not More...
Jan 10, 2011
Lynn
rated it:
I enjoy all of Kim Vogel Sawyers books very much and this one is just as great. It is so hard for a child to go to a new school especially a teenager where they do not know anyone. Now take this same teenager, a young lady who is a Mennonite and has never left the confines of her community, who has no mother and no siblings.Receiving permission to attend the public high school can Kathleen(Katy be a normal teenage without turning to the ways of the world.
I really like Katy in thi More...
I really like Katy in thi More...
Jul 23, 2010
Lola4
rated it:
This was a kindle freebie that I downloaded because I'd never read any of this author's books before and was glad for a free sample. This sweet, but not sickening, YA book was a pleasant surprise. The characters and situations are well thought out and realistically drawn. I liked the main character. Although she was sheltered, the circumstances of her difficult, motherless life gave her a believeable maturity, yet she was still far from perfect.
Dec 20, 2011
Jean
rated it:
Katy's new life in a public high school is so different that her previous nine years of school in a conservative Mennonite community. This is Katy's story of how she adjusts and learns to accept her new friends while keeping her old friends and way of life. A good book to recommend to immigrant or new students. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian could be another title to use in a discussion about living in two worlds.
Jul 25, 2010
Sarah
rated it:
3.5
In Katy's small Mennonite community, most people finish school after 9th grade, but Katy has been given special permission to attend the local public high school. Will she be able to stay true to her faith and lifestyle once she is surrounded by worldly things?
The story was pretty typical, but Katy is a spunky, likable heroine & the information about Mennonite life was interesting.
In Katy's small Mennonite community, most people finish school after 9th grade, but Katy has been given special permission to attend the local public high school. Will she be able to stay true to her faith and lifestyle once she is surrounded by worldly things?
The story was pretty typical, but Katy is a spunky, likable heroine & the information about Mennonite life was interesting.
Mar 19, 2010
N.L.
rated it:
Amish & Mennonite fiction is a bit of a guilty reading pleasure for me. I read a considerable amount of it and for the first time, I found myself wanting more from the characters and storyline. I found the characters' personalities very flat. The writing style struggled to adequately show the emotions in their actions and words. The storyline and the characters did start improving as the story came to an end so I will probably read the next book in the series. All in all, it was a decent quick r
More...
Sep 08, 2010
Stephanie
rated it:
I think that any young woman trying to go to high school and adhere to her standards should read this book. I had Kyrie read it and then we discussed the strength it takes to be different in a world that tells you you're wierd. It was a good, sweet book. I look forward to reading the other books in the series. (Thanks Brooke.)
Oct 10, 2010
Michelle
rated it:
Did you know that you could turn around the life of a troubled foster teen from an abusive home by skipping school with her for part of a day and making her a quilt? Me either. But apparently in Katy's world you can. Good for her.
This book goes along with my theory that Amazon is secretly trying to convert me to the Amish ways through their free ebooks, so of course I had to read it. I guess for a free book, this certainly could've been worse. And I guess it teaches good morals More...
This book goes along with my theory that Amazon is secretly trying to convert me to the Amish ways through their free ebooks, so of course I had to read it. I guess for a free book, this certainly could've been worse. And I guess it teaches good morals More...
Aug 23, 2010
Kristine
rated it:
I won this book in a Gooodreads giveaway. It is a wonderful book for preteens & teens. I thought it was well written, and even though it focuses on a teen of a specific faith, anyone who reads it will understand the message of belonging and understanding.
Sep 06, 2010
Melissa
rated it:
A new twist on a Mennonite book. (The Amish and Mennonites are everywhere these days.) It is about a Mennonite girl who wants to and is allowed to continue her education and go to high school. I really enjoyed it.
Jun 24, 2010
Sam
rated it:
young adult book, a light read. very Christan writing, all morals all the time. i read it before my kid, she will start it now. it was a cute book for young adults, it was very "cutesy", not my cup of tea, but hey, not bad.
Sep 04, 2010
Doofenshmirtz
rated it:
I liked the premise better than the other two Christian YA novels I've tried to read, but the language was... weirdly old-fashioned. It was like the main character lived in the Old West, or something.
