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Europe beckoned more brilliantly now that they were fairly embarked on their journey. The sun shone, the lake was a beautiful, dazzling blue, and Katy said to herself, "After all, a year is not very long, and how happy I am going to be!"'When Mrs Ashe discovers that her visiting nephew has scarlet fever, she sends her young daughter Amy to stay with the Carr family. There, Amy develops a strong attachment to Katy, who treats her like a little sister. Mrs Ashe, grateful for the kindness Katy has shown, invites her to join them on a year-long trip around Europe. Katy is at first reluctant - a year is a long time to be away from her family - but soon she gets swept up in the adventure, which takes her from the historic (but rainy) London streets to the beautiful cities of Nice, Paris and Naples. And perhaps Katy, now a young woman, will discover love.A collection that will be coveted by children and adults alike, this list is the best in children's literature, curated by Virago. These are

The What Katy Did trilogy was first published in the late 1800s. One of the first realistic portraits of a child in literature, the character was groundbreaking and the book is as enjoyable today as when it was first published.'One of my all-time favourite books . . . It's a very lively funny story' JACQUELINE WILSON'A girl's journey from sweltering midwestern plains to the freezing east coast suggests cold can spark an intellectual awakening' SARAH CROWN, GUARDIAN'Katy speaks with a charm and directness that remains as fresh as when it was written' AMANDA CRAIGWhen Katy Carr and her sister Clover leave for boarding school, they are weighed down by worry. How will their father manage without their help? Can they ever hope to fit in and make new friends? When the Carr girls arrive, they meet the principal, Mrs Florence, who is tall, dignified and very strict: there are no less than thirty-two rules that students must adhere to! And with Miss Jane always on the prowl to discover the slig

The 'What Katy Did' trilogy was first published in the late 1800s, but was there ever such a modern girl as wild, irrepressible Katy? What makes this novel so groundbreaking is Coolidge's realistic portrait of a childhood, with the high spirits, temper tantrums and naughtiness you'd expect to see in any 'normal' child. Coolidge is not interested in sermonising and morals, and her characters aren't in a continual quest for perfection; she's interested in the people, their imperfections, a family and its dynamics. Which is why these books are so enjoyable to a modern audience, and why they deserve to be championed.This was one of my favourite books as a child. The children felt real enough to touch, and I fell head over heels in love with Katy. It's a book with an unstoppable heart - Katherine RundellOne of my all-time favourite books . . . It's a wonderful book, very easy to read, even though it was published in the 19th century. It's a very lively funny story - Jacqueline WilsonKaty sp