Katie Kittenheart – Summer of Vintage Kidlit Week #4
My friend Faith Elizabeth Hough (who blogs HERE) and I decided to create a fun reading challenge called Vintage Kidlit Summer. If you missed any of the details on how this challenge works, just go here and you can catch up! Basically, we’re doing 12 categories over 12 weeks, and each week has its own theme. All you have to do is choose a vintage/classic book that fits that week’s theme, read it, and share about it! You can write about it on your blog, or you can post your thoughts on Instagram (or Twitter) as well, by using the hashtag #vintagekidlitsummer. And if you’re in need of recommendations for each week’s theme, check out this blog post!
Our fourth week’s theme was Everyday Adventures, and for this theme I chose to read Katie Kittenheart by Miriam E. Mason. It’s from 1957, and my copy is a somewhat battered Scholastic paperback. (Really, is there anything much more fun than old Scholastic books? I have found so many wonderful stories in those editions.)
Katie Kittenheart is the story of 10-year-old Katie Kattenhart, who is often informed that her kindhearted nature ends up causing problems (such as when she wants to adopt a homeless kitten that the housekeeper most definitely does not want). But over the course of the book, Katie realizes that her tenderness is a blessing, and others in her life come to realize this too. I like the fact that Katie loves helping people, and that’s what she most wants to do when she grows up–she would like to be a teacher or a nurse.
This book was contemporary to the 1950s and features a very endearing heroine, which was delightful. I hadn’t read this book since I was ten years old. It’s a very quiet and gentle story, which I appreciate—I just might have preferred (both then and now) a bit more happening in the plot. 🙂
As far as “everyday adventures” go, this book fit the bill perfectly. Even when more unusual things happen to Katie (and they do!), they fit within the very ordinary framework of the setting.
I’d been hoping to re-read this for a while now, and I’m glad I did!
What did you read for the Vintage Kidlit Summer this week? Let me know in the comments!
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I reread “Mary Jane, Her Visit” – one of the first series books I ever read. Mary Jane, age 5, goes to visit her great-grandparents who live on a farm. During the visit she gets to know the farm animals and chores, learns to cook, goes to the circus and a strawberry social, makes a good friend and meets a nasty one, and has a lovely time being with her great-grandparents.
The book is definitely aimed at younger readers, but the relationship between Mary Jane and her GGs is wonderful and she has many little girl adventures that I found thrilling at that age and very sweet to read now. I particularly loved her experience at the strawberry social – I’ve always wanted to go to one as a result!
Oh, that sounds like such a fun story! I’ll have to try and find it. 🙂
What Katy Did was my choice. By Susan Coolidge Katy is the oldest of six children who are being raised by their Father And Aunt Izzie. Katy plays with her siblings and Cecy the neighbor. Katy is mean sometimes to her sister Elsie. She,and Clover the next oldest run away from their little sister . After an accident Katy is confined to her bed unable to walk. She plays with the others in her bedroom. When Cousin Helen comes who is an invalid,she tells Katy to use this time to grow up and be tolerant of the younger ones. Father tells her that now that Aunt Izzie has died you must be the head of the house. Katy turns the corner and becomes loving and in charge of the whole house hold.
Marion
I love What Katy Did too! Such a good book 🙂
Anne Of Green Gables is my choice. Anne Shirley is my choice. Anne’s life is an adventure the moment she arrives on Prince Edward Island. Adopted by Marilla and Matthew they are disappointed because they wanted boy. A boy could help around the farm. Anne eventually wins them over. At school she gets into trouble when she hits Gilbert over the head with a slate. Anne finds a kindred spirit in Diana. At Diana’ house Anne mistakenly puts the wrong ingredient in the cherry cordial. They all get a little tipsy. It seems Anne’s adventures turn into disasters.
Marilyn
Anne is so good! I just re-read it in April. 🙂