Calpurnia is an inquisitive young girls with passion for nature. She is witty and observes the world around her with a sense of maturity at times, other times the reader is reminded that she still a child with a view represented as such. Kelly includes quick journal entries that include her observations and musing with adds a scientific touch as well as the chapter references to Darwin's work which her grandfather gives her to read. The relationship between Calpurnia and her grandfather is sweet and genuine. He supports her interest at a time when girls were not encouraged to pursue science. Readers will fall in love with Calpurnia's love of nature and the relationship between generations.
"A natural-born scientist, she alone among her six brothers has discovered the rare specimen under her own roof—a funny-smelling, rather antisocial grandfather who preoccupies himself with classifying flora and fauna...when he’s not fermenting pecans for whiskey. Their budding friendship is thoughtfully and engagingly portrayed, as is the unfolding of the natural world’s wonders under Calpurnia’s ever-inquisitive gaze. Calpurnia is not a boilerplate folksy Southern heroine who spouts wise-beyond-her-years maxims that seem destined for needlepoint—her character is authentically childlike and complex, her struggles believable. 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
Book Information:
Kelly, J. (2009). THE EVOLUTION OF CALPURNIA TATE. New York: Henry Holt and Company. IBSN 9780805088410
What Next?
Try the sequel, The Curious World of Calpurnia Tate.
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