Katy Carr is not who she wants to be. She is a twelve-year-old tom boy who yearns to be a charming and beloved young lady when she grows up. It s another thing that she seldom cares how she will realize her dream. Having a penchant for mischief, she is getting into scrapes all the time. But when a terrible accident leaves her bedridden for four years, she has enough time to reflect on her life. She is now thinking the way she d never have otherwise done. She is slowly but steadily becoming the person she d always wanted and still wants to be. What Katy Did is a timeless children s novel. Its popularity lead Coolidge write its four sequels of which What Katy Did at School and What Katy Did Next are equally famous.