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Loading... The Evolution of Calpurnia Tateby Jacqueline Kelly
 librarian1204 | Apr 27, 2013 |  During the last year of the 19th century, Calpurnia Tate, aged 11, apprentices to her naturalist grandfather in his study of local plants and animals. She may have dreams of a future devoted to science, but her mother has other plans to make her a lady. Calpurnia cannot concentrate on her lessons in knitting, cooking and darning. She would rather be with grandfather in his library reading Darwin, or at the river tagging insects. Calpurnia is the only girl in a family of seven children. Her relationship with her brothers is comic, warm, and believable. (  ) paakre | Apr 27, 2013 | read by a classmate -main character does not fit in with the times, traditional female roles are challenged -very easy read, can be lighthearted for younger children -still touches on potentially deep issues for older children -suggested age: 4th - 6th grade micsanchez | Apr 11, 2013 | The old-fashioned cover didn't grab me, but I was hooked from the first paragraph in the book. 11 (almost 12) year old Calpurnia is one of my favorite heroines of all time, and the bond she forms with her grandfather as they explore the world of science in 1899 Texas is a special one, indeed. This is the type of book that you don't want to end. When it does, you close the book and just sit for a minute, savoring the realization that you've just read something very special. (  ) KimJD | Apr 8, 2013 | A nice little book about the only girl in a large family living in Texas at the end of the 19th century. This was a well written coming of age story with a very well designed cover. I don't read a ton of YA books but the good reviews and the cool cover made me want to pick it up. walterqchocobo | Apr 8, 2013 |
 In her debut novel, Jacqueline Kelly brings to vivid life a boisterous small-town family at the dawn of a new century. Readers will want to crank up the A.C. before cracking the cover, though. That first chapter packs a lot of summer heat.  Phyllis Kennemer, Ph.D. (Children's Literature) Calpurnia is an active, inquisitive eleven-year-old girl, living in a small Texas town in 1899. She takes no interest in cooking or sewing and is, in fact, inept in all household duties. Calpurnia is the only girl in a family of seven children, so her mother keeps trying to domesticate her, but Calpurnia consistently resists. She has developed a special relationship with her eccentric grandfather, a scientist and naturalist. They explore the nearby river and woods and are excited about the possibility of having discovered a new plant. Granddaddy loans her his copy of Darwin’s The Origin of Species, and a quotation from the book appears at the beginning of each chapter. Calpurnia reads this book and others, records her findings and questions in a journal, and aspires to become a scientist. Other than her grandfather, her family does not support her in this quest. Her future is left uncertain, but readers will be rooting for her to achieve her goal. This book presents an engaging piece of historical-fiction depicting the roles and expectations for women at the turn of the twentieth century. 2009, Henry Holt and Company/Macmillan, $16.99. Ages 9 to 12.
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(retrieved from Amazon Thu, 03 Jan 2013 15:12:27 -0500)
In central Texas in 1899, eleven-year-old Callie Vee Tate is instructed to be a lady by her mother, learns about love from the older three of her six brothers, and studies the natural world with her grandfather, the latter of which leads to an important discovery.… (more)
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Lots of ways to bring curriculum into this book, both science and history. (