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227th out of 2,636 books
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4,869 voters
What Katy Did (Carr Family #1)
Katy is injured while playing heedlessly and, bedridden, learns self-control while maintaining her lively and fun personality. Set in the late 1800s.
Paperback, 136 pages
Published
December 22nd 2000
by Roberts Brothers
(first published 1872)
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"Becoming the Heart of the House"
This quaint story about a large family of motherless children is something of a sleeper; one suspects that the author was sharing/reliving her own childhood memories. Perhaps the events depicted are too naïve—the pleasures too simple--to appeal to modern girls who are used to teenage lingo and fast-paced action. Also it is somewhat confusing to sort out the many Carr children, whose names do not always indicate their gender. Our protagonist, Katy, grew up in a...more
This quaint story about a large family of motherless children is something of a sleeper; one suspects that the author was sharing/reliving her own childhood memories. Perhaps the events depicted are too naïve—the pleasures too simple--to appeal to modern girls who are used to teenage lingo and fast-paced action. Also it is somewhat confusing to sort out the many Carr children, whose names do not always indicate their gender. Our protagonist, Katy, grew up in a...more
Nov 06, 2012
Delicious Strawberry
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
susan-coolidge,
historical-fiction
I read this many years ago, but I still remember it fondly. It's a wonderful old classic like Anne of Green Gables, but it is shocking how underrated this book is. It's one of these books filled with the adventures (and misadventures) of a spirited girl named Katy Carr, though her siblings also play a part in this book (albeit smaller)
One can only wonder how Katy would have fared today after her accident. With today's medical technology, she probably would have been on her feet a LOT more quickl...more
One can only wonder how Katy would have fared today after her accident. With today's medical technology, she probably would have been on her feet a LOT more quickl...more
It's... very moralistic. In a 19th-century, Christian fashion. HOWEVER, I still love it. It's such a ridiculous story and the bit about the School of Pain made me want to vomit (in fact, it reminded me of a stupendous article that appeared in Lupus UK about how chronic illness is really a "beautiful beast within" which is actually the most offensively stupid thing I have ever had the misfortune to see in my entire life, including that film where Jack Black is a luchador) but otherwise there is s...more
I loathe this book.
I'll concede that it's enjoyable for the first few chapters. Katy Carr is a tall, rambunctious tomboy who's constantly getting into "scrapes". Her prissy and dignified Aunt Izzy despairs of her wild, messy, nature, but her younger brothers and sisters all think she's the greatest thing ever. Katy is a writer and storyteller with zillions of great ideas, and she's the ringleader of the family, and Papa's favourite.
If Coolidge had just kept the story like that, it would have be...more
I'll concede that it's enjoyable for the first few chapters. Katy Carr is a tall, rambunctious tomboy who's constantly getting into "scrapes". Her prissy and dignified Aunt Izzy despairs of her wild, messy, nature, but her younger brothers and sisters all think she's the greatest thing ever. Katy is a writer and storyteller with zillions of great ideas, and she's the ringleader of the family, and Papa's favourite.
If Coolidge had just kept the story like that, it would have be...more
7 likes · like · see review
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I remember having this when I was little, simply because my name is Katie too (although note the different spelling) and I don’t think I ever read it. That all changed when I decided to read some of the Wordsworth Children’s Classics. I liked this book and I will read the next two, although this has not been my favourite from the classics.
The story follows Katy Carr as she does some serious growing up. At the beginning of the book she is carefree, and although not inconsiderate, she thinks more...more
The story follows Katy Carr as she does some serious growing up. At the beginning of the book she is carefree, and although not inconsiderate, she thinks more...more
1 like · like · see review
Twelve year old Katy Carr and her five brothers and sisters have all kinds of fun adventures. A thicket becomes "Paradise", a hayloft a place for a "feast", and the entire house a playground for games invented by Katy. Katy means well, but is impulsive and irresponsible and is constantly getting into scrapes and trouble. After the Carr's Cousin Helen visits, Katy vows to be more like Cousin Helen, who is saint-like despite the fact that she had a bad accident and hasn't been able to walk for yea...more
3 likes · like · see review
Ini juga buku kenangan dari masa kecil duluu, terbitan Gramedia and beberapa waktu lalu gua baru tau bahwa nih buku itu ada sekitar 5 seri, tapi kenapa si Gramedia cuman mandek di seri pertama aja yaa?
Apa penjualannya kurang menggembirakan?! *hmm*
Anywayy.. ngga terlalu inget detailnya tapi kalo ngga salah sih si Katy ini jatuh dari ayunan yang menyebabkannya lumpuh.
Huaa.. dari tadinya seorang gadis yang aktif tiba2 aja harus duduk di kursi roda, kebayang ngga seeh betapa sengsaranya si Katy ini?...more
Apa penjualannya kurang menggembirakan?! *hmm*
Anywayy.. ngga terlalu inget detailnya tapi kalo ngga salah sih si Katy ini jatuh dari ayunan yang menyebabkannya lumpuh.
Huaa.. dari tadinya seorang gadis yang aktif tiba2 aja harus duduk di kursi roda, kebayang ngga seeh betapa sengsaranya si Katy ini?...more
This is a charming pre-1905 novel of a young girl's growth as a person in the wake of a horrible accident.
Katy Carr, oldest of 6, is a tall tomboy in the household of her widowed father, Dr. Carr, and her aunt-housekeeper. Like all kids she is sometimes heedless of the feelings of others but she does have a big heart. She makes friends easily and visits people her aunt cannot approve... like the sick woman whose husband might be a crook.
All of the children are ecstatic when invalid Cousin Helen...more
Katy Carr, oldest of 6, is a tall tomboy in the household of her widowed father, Dr. Carr, and her aunt-housekeeper. Like all kids she is sometimes heedless of the feelings of others but she does have a big heart. She makes friends easily and visits people her aunt cannot approve... like the sick woman whose husband might be a crook.
All of the children are ecstatic when invalid Cousin Helen...more
When I say I liked this book. That's what I mean, "liked" nothing more. I read it when I was a child. I won't probably read it again, unless in dire, short-of-reading-material, extreme boredom, circumstances. Unlike most, I thought the first half was boring, except for their little game, which I wanted to play (kikkeriki? was it?).
The second half was better. It showed how she matured into womanhood. But I've read better.
Cousin Helen... I didn't like that part of the story, but not for the same r...more
The second half was better. It showed how she matured into womanhood. But I've read better.
Cousin Helen... I didn't like that part of the story, but not for the same r...more
So this book was sorta weird, in as much as I'm not really sure what I think of it. I started out really liking it. The antics of Katy and her siblings made me laugh out loud several times. Katy is a tomboy, impulsive, always getting into some scrape, saying the first that pops in her head...in other words, fun. The kind of girl most of us would have loved for a friend when we were that age.
~*~*~*~SPOILERS TO FOLLOW~*~*~*~*~*~
The problem, though, is when Cousin Helen comes in half way through th...more
~*~*~*~SPOILERS TO FOLLOW~*~*~*~*~*~
The problem, though, is when Cousin Helen comes in half way through th...more
Obviously this book is of another time, but I really enjoyed it. I loved Katy from beginning to end. I understand others' issues with the hefty moralistic overtones and pious lessons, but I still enjoyed the book. I have lately been on a venture to read YA literature and find so many falling short in character development and believable plot. I often put the book down and think I've missed something. This book truly flushed out the characters; Katy was so real to me and I loved her. She was pass...more
Sep 25, 2009
Nikki
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
classics,
children-s-and-ya
I used to love this book so much when I was little. I'm pretty sure I had an abridged edition, because this seemed longer than the one I read, and I kept coming across things that were new to me. I reread this one as an ebook, though, so it was a little hard to judge the length and compare it.
Anyway, it's obvious now what this book was trying to do -- how it was trying to get girls to learn to be patient and kind and content, and to be what everyone else wants/needs them to be, and all of that....more
Anyway, it's obvious now what this book was trying to do -- how it was trying to get girls to learn to be patient and kind and content, and to be what everyone else wants/needs them to be, and all of that....more
So firstly, because I have this in Kindle version and there is no spiel on the Amazon page (or I couldn't be bothered to find one prior to downloading), I did not realise this was a children's book until I began reading it. I enjoyed the first bit before Katy was a moron and broke herself (thou shalt not disobey thy elders!), but then it became a little too moralistic for my liking. Of course this was written in a different time for an audience with different sensibilities, but I still think the...more
Synopsis:
12-year old Katy Carr is the oldest of the six motherless Carr siblings. She is spunky, confident, and spirited. She's full of lofty dreams on becoming "beautiful and beloved, and amiable as an angel" when she grows up. An accident renders her invalid - and she's suddenly in bed seeing her future crash down around her. What will Katy now do? That is the question the book aims to explore in this 19th-century coming-of-age story.
Thoughts:
This book had many things going for it. The six chi...more
12-year old Katy Carr is the oldest of the six motherless Carr siblings. She is spunky, confident, and spirited. She's full of lofty dreams on becoming "beautiful and beloved, and amiable as an angel" when she grows up. An accident renders her invalid - and she's suddenly in bed seeing her future crash down around her. What will Katy now do? That is the question the book aims to explore in this 19th-century coming-of-age story.
Thoughts:
This book had many things going for it. The six chi...more
As a young child I was obsessed with the Katy Carr books. I loved the whole 'rebellious girl makes good' idea. But re-reading the first book as an adult is a rather jarring experience. The main story is pretty straightforward - Katy is a tearaway girl, the oldest daughter of a large family, but one day she injures her back and is confined to one single room in the house for several years. Aside from me thinking it's a little cruel to keep the girl locked away in the Blue Room alone for so long,...more
I like this book!
The main character, Katy Carr (12), is a great role model. both at the begging and end of the book. She is very imaginative, adventurous and fun to begin with. But after she suffers an accident (Which i wont tell you too much about) she becomes a happy, grown up figure and almost takes on the role of "Mother" to her younger brothers and sisters after their real mother and their aunt both sadly die.
The only thing i dislike about this book, is the fact that Katy Carr is the favo...more
The main character, Katy Carr (12), is a great role model. both at the begging and end of the book. She is very imaginative, adventurous and fun to begin with. But after she suffers an accident (Which i wont tell you too much about) she becomes a happy, grown up figure and almost takes on the role of "Mother" to her younger brothers and sisters after their real mother and their aunt both sadly die.
The only thing i dislike about this book, is the fact that Katy Carr is the favo...more
From the back cover: "Katy was a tomboy who was often naughty and rebellious...One day she had a bad accident because she was disobedient. It was two years before she was able to walk again...in the interval she learned to be as loving and patient as her beautiful invalid cousin Helen." Originally published in 1872 this book is laughable today, but think of all the little girls given this over the years and encouraged to model themselves on Katy. The really interesting character, I thought, is H...more
Oct 16, 2012
Sharon Cataldo
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Shelves:
family-eccentric-and-real,
childhood-memories
I think 40 years must have passed since I last read What Katy Did. As a child I read it several times, and although not tall like Katy, in many other ways, being the eldest, a bit of a story teller, and often trying so hard to be good but often failing, I felt I WAS Katy. Reading it now as an adult I can see the strong moral overtones that underlay the story... virtues of patience, tolerance and kindness, that I half realised were in the story, but as a young reader, I think I glossed over them...more
I reaaallllyyy love this book.
My friend once gave me this as a souvenir for her birthday party. Yep, a souvenir. How generous she was, right?
And i'm so glad she gave me this book. This is the first novel i read and after that i started to like reading novels. I was on elementary school at that time.
The story was easy to understand and really interesting. Katy Carr was the oldest daughter and she had a lot of sisters and brothers. Her mother already died and aunt Izzie was replacing mother figure...more
My friend once gave me this as a souvenir for her birthday party. Yep, a souvenir. How generous she was, right?
And i'm so glad she gave me this book. This is the first novel i read and after that i started to like reading novels. I was on elementary school at that time.
The story was easy to understand and really interesting. Katy Carr was the oldest daughter and she had a lot of sisters and brothers. Her mother already died and aunt Izzie was replacing mother figure...more
This book was given to me back in the 70's, but it was such a great book filled with multiple messages of inspiration that I chose to hold onto it, and occasionally revisit it.... it is the story of a young girl who has a moment of defiance that leaves her severely injured with the potential that she might never walk again...
Who would have guessed that many years later I would have an accident where one of the primary messages I received from this book would grant me insights into how to be the...more
Who would have guessed that many years later I would have an accident where one of the primary messages I received from this book would grant me insights into how to be the...more
My favourite in the trilogoy was always What Katy Did at School which I read many times (I would read anything set at a school, though) and I know I found this one terribly dull. I remembered What Katy Did as overly pious and hard work - but, having said that, it must have been fifteen years since I read it last. At least!
Well. I recently read it for free on my phone Kindle app and I wouldn't call it dull now, exactly - and pious is not the word either. Or, at least Katy is not. Cousin Helen is...more
Well. I recently read it for free on my phone Kindle app and I wouldn't call it dull now, exactly - and pious is not the word either. Or, at least Katy is not. Cousin Helen is...more
This is one of my childhood's book.
Luckily, I've found it again in the JBF 2011, with only IDR7000 :D
I've not know that the book actually a series, because when Gramedia published it, it was only one book.
The Carr Family's daily life was awesome. Live at a small village with an awesome neighborhood and friends. I was read this book firstly, when I was at elementary. It was hard to understand, because this book also told about DEATH *what a hard subject for a child, huh?* :D No wonder I can't un...more
Luckily, I've found it again in the JBF 2011, with only IDR7000 :D
I've not know that the book actually a series, because when Gramedia published it, it was only one book.
The Carr Family's daily life was awesome. Live at a small village with an awesome neighborhood and friends. I was read this book firstly, when I was at elementary. It was hard to understand, because this book also told about DEATH *what a hard subject for a child, huh?* :D No wonder I can't un...more
I've grown up reading this book, and still have the original in my bookcase that included all three of the stories. It was written for a younger crowd, so if you are an adult reading it for the first time, you may be disappointed. However, because I remember reading this book from childhood, I still pick it up and read it from time to time.
It's the story of Katie Carr and her brother's and sister. She's the eldest and she gets into all sorts of scrapes, being a tomboy, in a household without a...more
It's the story of Katie Carr and her brother's and sister. She's the eldest and she gets into all sorts of scrapes, being a tomboy, in a household without a...more
I really like this kind of 19th century didactic children's book, full of angels of the house and 12-year-olds responsible for families and that sort of thing. Katy is (horrors!) a tomboy and not ladylike and doesn't do a good job taking care of her siblings after her mother dies, and so of course (spoiler!) she falls off a swing she was told not to swing on and is bedridden for approximately forever, where she learns to bear pain without complaining and take care of her household and be so goo...more
I absolutely abhor this book -- and that's not something I say very often. The message of this book -- that a tomboyish girlhood in the 19th century was something not only wrong, but something punishable amd that the ideal woman is one who subordinates her own desires and feelings to that of the man in the house and yet always looks pleasant and pretty -- makes me cringe. I'm not a fan of censoring what children read, but this is a book that I would never give a child of my own volition. It's va...more
This book was good. When I found it on my bookshelf I thought to myself "This book is going to be boring but I'll give it a try!" It was worth it. I loved this book. Even though it is old-fashioned it was really good. It was really touching and I could picture everything that was happening to the main characters in my head. The decriptions were vivid and the details were in depth. It was the perfect read. It made me laugh and cry throughout the book. I would recommend it to anyone of any age. Th...more
I don't know how I missed this in childhood, when I read most of the Victorian/Edwardian "good invalid" books -- Little Women, The Birds' Christmas Carol, Pollyanna -- but I guess I've read it now. Too bad about the super-preachy moralism in the last third, because the first part of the book is about real children behaving realistically, reminding me of the best of L.M. Montgomery or Laura Ingalls Wilder. The children are charming and fun, kind of like the Five Little Peppers except not poor, an...more
I had an illustrated hardback version of this book as a child in the 1970s and I read it over and over again. So when I got my Kindle it was one of the first free downloads I did. I still love the book and remembered much more about it than I would have thought possible. Yes, it's didactic, sometimes sickly-sweet and its attitudes to women are very much of their time, but there's something so touching about the Carr family and how they all get on.
Have downloaded the sequels too, so I look forwar...more
Have downloaded the sequels too, so I look forwar...more
I came across What Katy Did while browsing bookshelves at The Works (and I also bought What Katy Did Next & What Katy Did at School and Little Women & Good Wives, all Wordsworth Classics editions). I knew nothing about What Katy Did, which seems to be a relatively unknown children's classic. I thought it would be similar to books such as Betsy-Tacy and Milly-Molly-Mandy but for a slightly older age group, which it is. At first.
Katy Carr is a spontaneous and playful 12-year-old who is the...more
Katy Carr is a spontaneous and playful 12-year-old who is the...more
1 like · like · see review
I first read this as a very little kid, I think maybe 6 years? I loved it then and still do now, although I know see the flaws. First off the story tends to ramble a bit in the first few chapters, and doesn't really serve much of a purpose. It shows Katy's character and her family dynamics, for example how they treat Elsie. But it doesn't seem directly linked to the central plot. Like Katy's friendships with several characters around the neighbourhood, especially Imogen Clark.
Furthermore, it do...more
Furthermore, it do...more
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Sarah Chauncey Woolsey was an American children's author who wrote under the pen name Susan Coolidge.
Woolsey was born January 29, 1835, into the wealthy, influential New England Dwight family in Cleveland, Ohio. Her father was John Mumford Woolsey (1796–1870) and mother was Jane Andrews. She spent much of her childhood in New Haven Connecticut after her family moved there in 1852.
Woolsey worked a...more
More about Susan Coolidge...
Woolsey was born January 29, 1835, into the wealthy, influential New England Dwight family in Cleveland, Ohio. Her father was John Mumford Woolsey (1796–1870) and mother was Jane Andrews. She spent much of her childhood in New Haven Connecticut after her family moved there in 1852.
Woolsey worked a...more
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“She read all sorts of things: travels, and sermons, and old magazines. Nothing was so dull that she couldn't get through with it. Anything really interesting absorbed her so that she never knew what was going on about her. The little girls to whose houses she went visiting had found this out, and always hid away their story-books when she was expected to tea. If they didn't do this, she was sure to pick one up and plunge in, and then it was no use to call her, or tug at her dress, for she neither saw nor heard anything more, till it was time to go home.”
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7 people liked it
“To-morrow I will begin," thought Katy, as she dropped asleep that night. How often we all do so! And what a pity it is that when morning comes and to-morrow is to-day, we so frequently wake up feeling quite differently; careless or impatient, and not a bit inclined to do the fine things we planned overnight.”
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4 people liked it
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