Katy
Publisher: Penguin
A new reimagining of the original children's classic What Katy Did by Susan Coolidge.
With their widowed father having re-married, 11 year-old Katy and her sisters now share the house with his second wife Izzie, her daughter and three new young additions to the blended family. The first half of the book sets the scene - a lively, chaotic and often factious family environment. Katy herself is adventurous, enthusiastic and eager to try to get things right. However she's also strong-willed, clumsy and impulsive, and has a tendency to get things wrong - frequently coming to blows with Izzie. It's one such quarrel that indirectly leads to the fateful accident which leaves Katy in hospital with a spinal injury. The second half of the book follows Katy, her family and friends as they all slowly adapt to her new life as a wheelchair-user.
As a child, author Jacqueline Wilson had loved Coolidge's 1872 book. However, as an adult she started to notice the flaws - the wildly implausible 'recovery' and the saccharin depiction of the saintly 'invalid' Helen. It was this realisation which led to her to try to share the beauty of the original story but minus the more negative (and less realistic) messages about disability.
The result is indeed a far more convincing picture of life adjusting to permanent spinal injury, with powerful new messages about the accessibility of buses, the legal obligations on schools, independent mobility and the attitudes of society. Readers see Katy starting to find pleasure in inclusive sports and wheelchair dancing. And along the way, we also see other stereotypes subtly challenged - including a delightfully 'cool' young librarian. Perhaps most successful is the absence of traditional extremes all too often associated with disabled characters, such as as being either evil or angelic - and nothing in-between. 'Helen' still makes an appearance in the book, but she's no longer a saint, just a particularly likeable and independent young wheelchair user who befriends the whole family. Katy herself is a very 'real' personality, surrounded by a cast of equally plausible characters, each dealing with their own set of foibles, challenges, weaknesses and strengths. Katy can sometimes be grumpy, angry, cruel, bitter or intimidating but that is not because she is in a wheelchair, but rather because (as a her friend Ryan reminds her), that is the way she has always been.
It's a long read (470 pages) but an absorbing and accessible one. Wilson's much-loved style of writing and distinctive voice (children who endearingly call each other 'wicked' and 'horrid') somehow also manages to seem suitably contemporary whilst also feeling very much 'at home' in this semi-familiar story.
All in all, a fascinating alternative to the original, with just as much emotion and action, but rather more realism where disability is concerned.
What you thought...
Average rating:
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Charlie, 6 Gorffennaf 2021
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I think Katy is a really good book, Me and my daughter have watched the Katy tv series on CBBC on BBC Iplayer .
Alice, 18 Mawrth 2018
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WOW!!!! Katy is my all-time favourite books. There are happy moments and sad ones too, but all-in-all an amazing novel!
Izzy, 16 Ebrill 2017
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I absolutely loved this book. It has a sad but realistic ending which I liked. I havent read what katy did but I do not like the sound of the ending. For me the ending is the most important part. If I don't reach the end then it's boring if I don't like the ending then the whole book was a waste of time but I'm this book the ending worked spectacularly well.
Rose, 7 Ebrill 2017
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My favorite book! such a heart-warming story, and it brought me to tears! i recommend it for ages 10 and up. A really beautiful and touching story! xx
Angelica, 23 Chwefror 2017
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Perfection and really helps you understand things like disability.
Josie, 20 Tachwedd 2016
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This book is amazing. It really made me feel happier inside and got me thinking that my life could be much worse.
Anne, 19 Tachwedd 2016
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I ABSOLUTELY LOVED THIS BOOK! I rate it a 5 star it just got me so hooked to find out what happened 2 Katy, I really think she should make a follow on to this.
Lauren, 19 Awst 2016
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I LOVE this book so much!!! I bought this as soon as it came out and read it straight away! I wouldn't recommend this book if you get bored of storylines super easy
littlereader, 12 Mai 2016
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I loved this book and I have to take my favourite book into school for world book day and I'm taking Katy because it's my favourite book and I loved the book to bits I could read it my whole life it's that good every night I was sat there reading Katy and my sister was like will you play with me and I said no because I was reading Katy and she was like oh you will never play with me then she would say will you go to the park with me please but I said no so she was upset and just went on he...
Jasmine, 2 Mawrth 2016
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A good book by Jacqueline Wilson ! Makes it realistic and although it is a long read it us very absorbing and gripping !
Book brain, 25 Hydref 2015
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A book that deals with disabilities in a extremely good way! A great book by Jacqueline Wilson !
Book brain, 18 Hydref 2015
I loved Katy and even did a book review at school with it. If you haven't read it yet, please do because it is just such a awesome book.