Kat, Incorrigible

Burgis, S. (2011). Kat, incorrigible. New York: Atheneum. Twelve-year-old Kat simply doesn't know what has gotten into her family, especially her older sisters. Their strict stepmother has arranged for Elissa to be married off to a wealthy--extremely wealthy--older man who has a blot on his past. Her other sister Angeline has become all too secretive and won't include Kat in anything. Her brother Charles has gambled away the family's fortune, and his debts must be paid in some way, which is why Elissa must make a good financial match. Things might turn out fine for the family if Kat will just stay out of the way. But Kat is hardly one to leave matters in the hands of others, and her investigation of Angeline's room reveals that she has been dabbling in magic. It turns out that Kat has inherited her mother's affinity for magic, and a gold compact of her mother's takes her to a different place whenever she opens it.

There is great mischief afoot as Kat learns to harness magic while causing havoc around her. With her unquenchable spirit and determination to set things right, she persists in her plans to do things her way. No matter the peril to herself or the inconvenience to others, she is determined to save her sister from the marriage to a man she doesn't love while helping her other sister find true love. This title kept me smiling until the appearance of a highwayman intent on taking the riches of the house guests in the Yorkshire estate where the Stephenson family is visiting. Eventually, things turn into a comedy of errors when there turn out to be two highwaymen.

Favorite Lines:
"I was twelve years of age when I chopped off my hair, dressed as a boy, and set off to save my family from impending ruin. I made it almost to the end of my front garden" (p. 1).