What Katy Did

A series of novels written by Susan Coolidge in the 1800s about the life of Katy Carr and her family.

The books are:

• What Katy Did - Katy is a girl on the cusp of adolescence. She has all kinds of plans for what she wants to do when she grows up and ways she can be a good person and a credit to her family, but when it comes to implementing them in her day to day life she generally just gets into trouble. After an accident leaves her bed-ridden, Katy is forced to rethink her ambitions and her relationship with her family.
• What Katy Did At School - A convalescent Katy is told by her aunt that her accident has made her grow up too fast. She and her sister are sent away to boarding school for a chance to continue their education and just spend some time being normal teenagers.
• What Katy Did Next - After doing a favor for a neighbor, Katy is given the chance to go on a grand tour of Europe. She's happy just to be seeing the places she spent her childhood reading about and then a dashing young naval captain shows up...

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Tropes used in What Katy Did include:

• Alpha Bitch: Lilly.
• Author Avatar: Katy.
• Big Eater: Dorry. His journal only seems to consist of what he ate during the day.
• Blithe Spirit: Cousin Helen.
• Boarding School: Hillsover
• Bookworm: Katy
• Brother-Sister Team: Johnnie and Dorry.
  • Clover and Phil have their moments in Clover
• Can't Get Away with Nuthin'
• Coming of Age Story: For Katy in the first three books, and arguably Clover and Elsie at the same time.
• The Captain: Ned
• The Glorious War of Sisterly Rivalry: Katy and Clover versus Elsie
• Daddy's Girl: Katy is very close to her father, but all the Carr girls could qualify for this one.
• Death by Childbirth: It's implied Mrs Carr died giving birth to Phil.
• Defrosting Ice Queen: Aunt Izzie in What Katy Did really warms up to the children and Katy throughout the story.
• Girl Next Door: Cecy in What Katy Did
• Green-Eyed Monster: Katy initially gets jealous when Elsie becomes close to Cousin Helen.
  • Elsie herself is jealous of Katy, Clover and Cecy.
• Have a Gay Old Time: The Carr children get up to all manner of 'gay' things.
  • From What Katy Did At School;

She (the baby) was used to it, and submitted with perfect good nature to being kissed, trotted, carried up and down, and generally made love to.

• Heroic BSOD: Katy has one when she first becomes sick in What Katy Did
• Huge Schoolgirl: Katy is described as being this; she comes up to her father's ear when she's just fourteen.
• I Am Not Pretty: Katy has shades of this in What Katy Did; the author does mention that once Katy grows into her features, she will look stunningly pretty.
• Ill Girl: Katy becomes one in What Katy Did when she falls from a swing and damages her back.
  • Cousin Helen has been one for years, and is even described as a 'cripple'.
  • Amy in What Katy did Next becomes very sick while traveling around.
• Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Aunt Izzie comes across like this at times.
• Les Yay: Tons of it, given that the girls are constantly showering one another with kisses. Of course things were different back then, but the implication remains.
  • Between Katy and Cousin Helen

Then she (Katy) tumbled down by the sofa somehow, the two pairs of arms and the two faces met, and for a moment or two not a word more was heard from anybody.

• Lethal Chef: Katy in book one
• Lies to Children: Averted, Mr Carr is extremely against lying to his children and sugar coating the truth.
• Little Professor Dialog: From the precocious Daniel D'Aubigny in What Katy Did At School
• Massive-Numbered Siblings: The Carrs, with two boys and four girls.
• Middle Child Syndrome: Elsie
• Missing Mom: We only hear about Katy's mom in flashbacks as she died just after Phil was born.
• Mood Whiplash: In What Katy Did, Katy is starting to get better from her accident and can move about using her chair. Then Aunt Izzie dies.
• New England
• No Sparks: Katy and Ned's relationship develops between books, and comes across like this.
• Parental Favoritism: Aunt Izzie likes Elsie best
  • Understandable, given that at the time poor Elsie is left out by the older girls, and too proud to play with the younger children.
• Pet the Dog: Clarence's love for his mutt.
• Promotion to Parent: Katie (and later Elsie)
• Proper Lady: Cecy Hall is this in comparison to Katy Carr.
  • Though Katy does become one when she grows up.
• Romantic Two-Girl Friendship: Between Katy and Cecy. Katy and Clover shows signs of this too, despite being sisters.
  • Rose Red and Clover.
• Sadist Teacher: Miss Jane
• Scenery Porn: The author has a talent for describing the various buildings and rooms Katy and her family find themselves in, it's really easy to picture them, despite the books being written so long ago.
• Shallow Female Love Interest: Lily
• Shrinking Violet: Mary Silver, from What Katy Did At School
• Sibling Rivalry: While there's initial spats here and there, the six Carr children get on very well. Elsie is left out at the start of What Katy Did as she is too young for Katy and Clover to play with, yet too old to join in with the younger children.
• Spirited Young Lady: Clover. Johnnie could also count.
• The Thing That Would Not Leave: When she was younger, Katy had a habit of bringing home 'new friends' with her. One such friend was a girl from school, who while was very nice in class, put on airs and graces at the Carr household which made her come across as selfish and petty. Katy and Clover even comment that it felt like ages before she left.
• Tomboy: Johnnie (Joanna)
• Tomboy and Girly Girl: Katy and Cecy.
• The Unfavourite: Clarence.
• When She Smiles: Elsie.