History Literature / WhatKatyDid

* OnlyKnownByTheirNickname: Applies to Katy, Johnnie and Dorry of the Carr children, and also to Imogen Clark, whose real name is Elizabeth. Lampshaded in ''What Katy Did Next'' about Rosamund Redding, who signs herself as Rose Red even after she gets married.

%%* {{Bookworm}}: Katy.
* BrotherSisterTeam: Johnnie and Dorry.

# ''What Katy Did At School'' - A covalescent 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.

* OnlyKnownByTheirNickname: Imogen's real name is Elizabeth. Katy's younger sister Johnnie's real name is Joanna but the number of times she's called by it throughout the whole series could probably be counted on one hand. Dorry too is almost never referred to as Theodore and Katy's real name, Katherine, is only mentioned once or twice. Lampshaded in ''What Katy Did Next'' about Rosamund Redding who signs herself Rose Red even after she marries.

* OnlyKnownByTheirNickname: Imogen's real name is Elizabeth. Katy's younger sister Johnnie's real name is Joanna but the number of times she's called by it throughout the whole series could probably be counted on one hand. Dorry too is almost never referred to as Theodore and Katy's real name, Katherine, is only mentioned once or twice.

* OnlyKnownByTheirNickname: Johnnie's real name is Joanna but the number of times she's called by it throughout the whole series could probably be counted on one hand.

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 covalescent 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 neighbour, 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...
* ''Clover'' - Phil, the youngest Carr child, falls ill and it's decided that he should go to Colorado to recover. As Katy is now married, Clover is the one to accompany him and finds herself falling in love with both the location and a certain young man there.
* ''In the High Valley'' - Siblings Imogen and Lionel Young move out to Colorado from England, and find themselves living alongside Clover and Elsie, who have since settled down there with families of their own.

----

* AlphaBitch: Lilly.

* AuthorAvatar: Katy.

* BlitheSpirit: Cousin Helen.
* BoardingSchool: Hillsover.
* {{Bookworm}}: Katy.

* CantGetAwayWithNuthin

* TheCaptain: Ned.
* TheGloriousWarOfSisterlyRivalry: Katy and Clover versus Elsie.

* InspirationallyDisadvantaged Very much Type C, too. Helen makes it clear that it's contemptible for disabled women ''not'' to be this.
* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Aunt Izzie comes across like this at times.

* LargeHam: Rose Red.
* LethalChef: Katy in book one.

* MaidenAunt: Aunt Izzie.

* MiddleChildSyndrome: Elsie.

* NewEngland
* NoSparks: Katy and Ned's relationship develops between books, and comes across like this.

* PetTheDog: Clarence's love for his mutt.
* PromotionToParent: Katie (and later Elsie).

* SadistTeacher: Miss Jane.

* ShrinkingViolet: Mary Silver, from ''What Katy Did At School''.

* {{Tomboy}}: Johnnie (Joanna).
* TomboyandGirlyGirl : Katy and Cecy.
* TheUnfavourite: Clarence.

* WhenSheSmiles: Elsie.

* SpiritedYoungLady: Clover. Johnnie could also count.

* DeathByChildbirth: It's implied Mrs Carr died giving birth to Phil.

* IncorruptiblePurePureness: Cousin Helen. When she first become sick, however, she was bitter and withdrawn until her father gave a WhatTheHellHero? speech that she herself gives to Katy later.

* WhatTheHellHero?: Cousin Helen gives a gentle version of this speech to Katy, after Katy falls into despair after her accident. Helen tells Katy that an invalid's life need not be an empty one if one makes an effort to be useful and doesn't push others away.

Creator/JacquelineWilson wrote a modernised version of ''What Katy Did'' called ''Literature/{{Katy}}''.

* BoardingSchool: Hillsover
* {{Bookworm}}: Katy

** Clover and Phil have their moments in ''Clover''

* ChineseLaborer: In Clover and In the High Valley], Clarence Page, Geoff Templestowe and their wives hire a Chinese cook, Choo Loo. While the Christian protagonists don't quite agree with his use of joss sticks, and "the ways and means of his mysteriously conducted kitchen", he is a "capital cook", and the ladies appreciate the way he likes to decorate the food he serves.

* TheCaptain: Ned
* TheGloriousWarOfSisterlyRivalry: Katy and Clover versus Elsie

* GirlNextDoor: Cecy in ''What Katy Did''

** From ''What Katy Did Next'';

* HeroicBSOD: Katy has one when she first becomes sick in ''What Katy Did''
* HugeSchoolgirl: Katy is described as being this; she was "up above Papa's ear, and half a head taller than poor Aunt Izzie" when she's just twelve.
* IAmNotPretty: 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.

* LargeHam: Rose Red
* LethalChef: Katy in book one

* LittleProfessorDialog: From the precocious Daniel D'Aubigny in ''What Katy Did At School''

* MaidenAunt: Aunt Izzie

* MiddleChildSyndrome: Elsie

* ParentalFavoritism: Aunt Izzie likes Elsie best

* PromotionToParent: Katie (and later Elsie)

* SadistTeacher: Miss Jane

* ShrinkingViolet: Mary Silver, from ''What Katy Did At School''

** Later, Mrs. Worrett an obese, talkative neighbor who settles into a rocking chair and stays the entire afternoon.
* {{Tomboy}}: Johnnie (Joanna)

** Amy in ''What Katy did Next'' becomes very sick while travelling around.

* TheLoad: ''Amy''. When she's not being [[BrattyHalfPint a spoilt brat]] who demands everything her way she's [[IllGirl sick]] for months on end.

* TheUnfavourite: Clarence.

* HugeSchoolgirl: Katy is described as being this; she comes up to her father's ear when she's just fourteen.

** From ''What Katy Did At School'';

* TheThingThatWouldNotLeave: 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.

* IncorruptiblPurePureness: Cousin Helen. When she first become sick, however, she was bitter and withdrawn until her father gave a WhatTheHellHero? speech that she herself gives to Katy later.