Katie John (original 1960; édition 1969)

So interesting, but be warned rotten eggs are thrown ( )

I would have loved this when I was 8 or 9. I would have identified very strongly with Katie's friend Sue, who is more sensible & more feminine, but not a 'fraidy cat. The adventures are mostly pretty simple & tame, but Calhoun makes them sound exciting. Perhaps that's because this is a memoir, as the dedication implies?

I think that this could still be enjoyed today if re-packaged (think of the appeal of [b:The Penderwicks: A Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits, and a Very Interesting Boy|266904|The Penderwicks A Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits, and a Very Interesting Boy|Jeanne Birdsall|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1320508900s/266904.jpg|2564478]), and I would like to read the sequels. ( )

Re-read. I love this book. Katie John c'est moi! Goofy, ham-handed, good-natured and well-meaning, she blunders her way through her 10th year in this sweetly nostalgic story. The supporting characters are a joy, too. ( )

I read this book again and again as a child. Katie John is so real that I felt I knew her. The story is simple but never dull, the illustrations (by Paul Frame) are just right, and the ending is satisfying and believable. There are three sequels. ( )

This was one of my all time favorite books of childhood. My mother read it aloud to me and I can still remember every bit of what it felt like to be in the world of Katie John.