A Prickly Problem (Calpurnia Tate, Girl Vet #4)

by Jacqueline Kelly (Author) Jennifer L Meyer (Illustrator)

Reading Level: 4th − 5th Grade

In this story in the Calpurnia Tate, Girl Vet chapter book series, Callie must help the family dog out of a prickly situation.

When the Tate family dog, Ajax, has a run-in with a porcupine, things get prickly--and dangerous--quickly. It'll take Callie's quick thinking and doctoring, along with a little help from Dr. Pritzker, to make things right. Will Ajax learn to leave other critters alone?

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School Library Journal

Gr 2-5--It's early autumn in 1901 in Fentress, TX, and the Tate family is getting ready to go back to school. After a trip into town, the Tates notice that Father's prized bird-dog Ajax had slipped his leash. When he comes home, he has a snout full of porcupine quills. Dr. Pritzker is called for, and Ajax is soon put to rights. Most dogs would learn from a snout full of quills, but Ajax is not most dogs; when Calpurnia is out one morning with Ajax he manages to once again get into a scuffle with a porcupine--this time getting a mean dose of quills numbering in the hundreds. With no adults around to help, Calpurnia must rely on her own knowledge and instincts. As with previous installments, this title embeds scientific and veterinary terms, time and place are set out clearly, and Calpurnia is shown as a strong and independent girl who stands up for her friends and tries to do the right thing. This series could benefit from a glossary for the more challenging vocabulary. VERDICT Another strong entry in this well-written and engaging series. Purchase where the previous titles circulate well or for collections in need of historical fiction for young readers.--Stacy Dillon, LREI, New York City

Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
Jacqueline Kelly
Jacqueline Kelly is the author of the Calpurnia Tate, Girl Vet series; the Newbery Honor Book The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate; its sequel, The Curious World of Calpurnia Tate; and Return to the Willows. Born in New Zealand, she now lives with her husband and too many cats and dogs in Austin, Texas.
Classification
Fiction
ISBN-13
9781627798754
Lexile Measure
720
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Henry Holt & Company
Publication date
April 20, 2018
Series
Calpurnia Tate, Girl Vet
BISAC categories
JUV016150 - Juvenile Fiction | Historical | United States - 20th Century
JUV002000 - Juvenile Fiction | Animals | General
Library of Congress categories
History
Dogs
Families
Family life
Texas
Naturalists
Veterinarians
Porcupines
1846-1950

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