The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate

by Jacqueline Kelly (Author)

The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate
Reading Level: 6th − 7th Grade
Series: Calpurnia Tate
As 11-year-old Callie Tate explores the natural world around her in 1899 Texas, she develops a close relationship with her grandfather, navigates living with six brothers, and comes up against just what it means to be a girl at the turn of the century.
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Hardcover
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Publishers Weekly

Starred Review
Life at the turn of the century is not easy for a girl who loves books and science. Kelly's first novel presents spirited heroine Calpurnia (Callie) Virginia Tate, a middle child with six brothers, growing up in the isolation of Fentress, Tex., in 1899. To her family's dismay, Callie is stubborn, independent and not interested in darning socks or perfecting her baking skills like a lady. I would live my life in a tower of books, she thinks to herself. She spends most of her time with Harry, the one brother who could deny me nothing, slowly befriending her Granddaddy, a mysterious naturalist who studies everything from pecan distillation to microscopic river bugs. Together they dream up experiments and seek answers to backyard phenomena, discovering something new about the invisible world each day. Callie follows her passion for knowledge, coming to realize her family had their own lives. "And now I have mine". Callie's transformation into an adult and her unexpected bravery make for an exciting and enjoyable read. Kelly's rich images and setting, believable relationships and a touch of magic take this story far. Ages 10up. "(May)" Copyright 2009 Publishers Weekly Used with permission.

School Library Journal

Starred Review
Gr 58A charming and inventive story of a child struggling to find her identity at the turn of the 20th century. As the only girl in an uppercrust Texas family of seven children, Calpurnia, 11, is expected to enter young womanhood with all its trappings of tight corsets, cookery, and handiwork. Unlike other girls her age, Callie is most content when observing and collecting scientific specimens with her grandfather. Bemoaning her lack of formal knowledge, he surreptitiously gives her a copy of "The Origin of Species" and Callie begins her exploration of the scientific method and evolution, eventually happening upon the possible discovery of a new plant species. Callie's mother, believing that a diet of Darwin, Dickens, and her grandfather's influence will make Callie dissatisfied with life, sets her on a path of cooking lessons, handiwork improvement, and an eventual debut into society. Callie's confusion and despair over her changing life will resonate with girls who feel different or are outsiders in their own society. Callie is a charming, inquisitive protagonist; a joyous, bright, and thoughtful creation. The conclusion encompasses bewilderment, excitement, and humor as the dawn of a new century approaches. Several scenes, including a younger brother's despair over his turkeys intended for the Thanksgiving table and Callie's heartache over receiving "The Science of Housewifery" as a Christmas gift, mix gentle humor and pathos to great effect. The book ends with uncertainty over Callie's future, but there's no uncertainty over the achievement of Kelly's debut novel."Jennifer Schultz, Fauquier County Public Library, Warrenton, VA" Copyright 2009 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Review quotes

"The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate" is the most delightful historical novel for tweens in many, many years. ...Callie's struggles to find a place in the world where she'll be encouraged in the gawky joys of intellectual curiosity are fresh, funny, and poignant today." —The New Yorker, "Book Bench" section

"In her debut novel, Jacqueline Kelly brings to vivid life a boisterous small-town family at the dawn of a new century. And she especially shines in her depiction of the natural world that so intrigues Callie... Readers will want to crank up the A.C. before cracking the cover, though. That first chapter packs a lot of summer heat." —The Washington Post

"Each chapter of this winning...novel opens with a quotation from 'On the Origin of Species'—a forbidden book that her own grandfather turns out to have hidden away. Together they study Darwin's masterpiece, leading to a revolution in Callie's ideas of what she might accomplish on her own." —New York Times Book Review

"Callie's transformation into an adult and her unexpected bravery make for an exciting and enjoyable read. Kelly's rich images and setting, believable relationships and a touch of magic take this story far." —Publishers Weekly, Starred Review

"Interwoven with the scientific theme are threads of daily life in a large family—the bonds with siblings, the conversations overheard, the unspoken understandings and misunderstandings—all told with wry humor and a sharp eye for details that bring the characters and the setting to life. The eye-catching jacket art, which silhouettes Callie and images from nature against a yellow background, is true to the period and the story. Many readers will hope for a sequel to this engaging, satisfying first novel." —Booklist, Starred Review

"Readers will finish this witty, deftly crafted debut novel rooting for "Callie Vee" and wishing they knew what kind of adult she would become." —Kirkus, Starred Review

"A charming and inventive story of a child struggling to find her identity at the turn of the 20th century... there's no uncertainty over the achievement of Kelly's debut novel." —School Library Journal, Starred Review

"Narrator Calpurnia's voice is fresh and convincing, and Granddaddy is that favorite relative most readers would love to claim as their own. Historical fiction fans are in for a treat." —BCCB

"That rare book that will appeal to child and adult alike." —Austin American-Statesman

"Introduces a turn-of-the-20th-century heroine for modern times." —Shelf Awareness

"Kelly, without anachronism, has created a memorable, warm, spirited young woman who's refreshingly ahead of her time." —The Horn Book Review

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
9780805088410
Lexile Measure
830
Guided Reading Level
Z
Publisher
Henry Holt & Company
Publication date
May 12, 2009
Series
Calpurnia Tate
BISAC categories
JUV029000 - Juvenile Fiction | Nature & the Natural World | General
JUV013030 - Juvenile Fiction | Family | Multigenerational
JUV039000 - Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | General
Library of Congress categories
History
19th century
Family life
Nature
Grandfathers
Texas
Naturalists
Newbery Medal
Honor Book 2010 - 2010
West Virginia Children's Book Award
Nominee 2011 - 2011
Indies Choice Book Awards
Honor Book 2010 - 2010
Children's Book Committee Award
Winner 2010 - 2010
Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children's Book Award
Nominee 2011 - 2011
Texas Lone Star Reading List
Commended 2010 - 2010
Beehive Awards
Nominee 2011 - 2011
Capitol Choices: Noteworthy Books for Children and Teens
Recommended 2010 - 2010
Massachusetts Children's Book Award
Nominee 2011 - 2012
William Allen White Childens Book Award
Nominee 2012 - 2012
Volunteer State Book Awards
Nominee 2011 - 2012
Young Reader's Choice Award
Nominee 2012 - 2012
Golden Sower Award
Nominee 2012 - 2012
Flicker Tale Children's Book Award
Nominee 2013 - 2013
Iowa Children's Choice (ICCA) Award
Nominee 2012 - 2013
Rebecca Caudill Young Readers Book Award
Nominee 2012 - 2012

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