by Susan Coolidge (Author), Addie Ledyard (Illustrator)
Published in 1872, this classic coming of age book tells the story of twelve-year-old Katy Carr, an impish tomboy who is forever getting into scrapes and bending the rules to suit herself. Katy lives with her three younger sisters and two brothers in the American countryside; their mother has died and their father, a Doctor, is constantly busy, leaving the youngsters under the control of their fastidious Aunt Izzie, who vainly attempts to direct Katy's energies into more conventional channels. But Katy's carefree, irresponsible existence takes a turn for the worse when she injures her back after a fall from a swing she had been forbidden to play on. Confined to her bed, she gradually learns self-control, but without losing her lively personality and joy of life, and returns to full health as a capable young women who can care for her younger siblings. Susan Coolidge was born Sarah Chauncey Woolsey, a scion of the wealthy Dwight family. She served as a nurse is the American Civil War and began writing after the conflict, producing the five 'Katy' books, (of which 'What Katy Did' is the first) over a period of 14 years. She never married.