The story of Katy Carr's adventures has delighted generations of readers since its first publication in 1872. Katy, the eldest of an endearing family of five, is determined to overcome her habitual mischievousness and untidiness and become' beautiful and beloved, and amiable as an angel '. Katy's childhood exploits growing up in a small, late 19th-century American town, and her subsequent battle to come to terms with a debilitating injury are written with great compassion and humour and continue to hold much appeal for young readers today.