The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate

Bibliography: Kelly, J. (2011). The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate. Square Fish. ISBN 978-0-8050-8841-0


Plot Summary: Calpurnia (or Callie as she prefers to be called) is an almost 12 year old girl in Texas, 1899.  Though her mother tries to encourage traditional education (cooking, cleaning and sewing), Callie’s interests are in the scientific world.  These interests are soon fostered by her grandfather, who gives her access to the science world through books and their various shared outings in nature.  Callie must reconcile this love of science with turn-of-the century expectations of what a woman should be with not only herself, but her family as well.


Critical Analysis:  Kelly does a great job of depicting Texas in the late 19th century.  Historically, she is fairly accurate in her details.  Women were beginning to challenge traditional roles, Coca-Cola and automobiles had only been recently invented, and telephones were not yet available in every household.  In her acknowledgements, she does note that she takes some liberties with Texas history for the benefit of the story, but none that were blatantly obvious. The characters are well developed, especially Callie and her grandfather who are both intriguing to watch.  The Origin of the Species by Darwin is interwoven with Callie’s own evolution as each chapter begins with a quote from the book.  Though I found it difficult to get into initially, once you work through to the developing relationship between Callie and her grandfather, the story becomes more engaging. 


Reviews:


Kirkus Reviews: “Readers will finish this witty, deftly crafted debut novel rooting for “Callie Vee” and wishing they knew what kind of adult she would become.”


Goodreads.com: “Debut author Jacqueline Kelly deftly brings Callie and her family to life, capturing a year of growing up with unique sensitivity and a wry wit.”


Awards:


Newbery Honor Book, 2010


Bank Street-Josette Frank Award, 2010

IRA Children’s Book Award, 2010


Connections:


Use in a middle school Science class.  Keep a record of the animal and plant species Calpurnia learns about, including the scientific names and any new facts learned about them. 


Use in a middle school Food Science class. Have students research and create their own pecan recipes to share with the class.


Use in a Texas History class. Have students keep a record of significant historical events in the story and then research the event to determine the accuracy of the author. 

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