The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate

Synopsis From Goodreads

The summer of 1899 is hot in Calpurnia Virginia Tate's sleepy Texas town, and there aren't a lot of good ways to stay cool. Her mother has a new wind machine from town, but Callie might just have to resort to stealthily cutting off her hair, one sneaky inch at a time. She also spends a lot time at the river with her notoriously cantankerous grandfather, an avid naturalist. It turns out that every drop of river water is teeming with life - all you have to do is look through a microscope!

As Callie explores the natural world around her, she develops a close relationship with her grandfather, navigates the dangers of living with six brothers, and comes up against just what it means to be a girl at the turn of the century

Review

The story is about a girl named Calpurnia Tate. Before reading the synopsis and remembered one characther in To Kill A Mockingbirf, I would never know that Calpurnia was a name of a girl. It was too weird for me. I would love to question her parents for the reason. Particularly same thought was in Callie's mind. Lucky us, her grandfather had the answer

As stated in the synopsis, the Whole story took a place in Fentress, Texas 1899 during summer till the beginning of winter. I have no pictures but all scenes in The Little House on Prairie. From their dress, school, even the horse cart. It helped me a lot to get what Callie try to describe.

Thanks to the translator. It was easy for me to connect with this smart young girl who could not stop observing something. She was not another ordinary girl. She was not interested in kniting or cooking. I enjoyed all her words and felt amazed with her thoughts. She had many ways to make me giggle with it. I felt something missing when I was in the last page of this delightful novel and found there was no more to read.

What I also loved from this book with 28 chapters inside was the paragraph that told me Callie's relationship with older and younger brothers. Most of them were so touching. I was looking forward to read it in every chapters.

Not only with her brothers, but "quality time" with her mother was also counted. I was completely entertained and laughed couple of times reading those parts. Her mother could read Callie's mind easily. That might what people called as mother's instinct. Callie and also all her brothers had no option but obeyed all her rules.

Actually I really want to give 5 but 4 stars is enough. I enjoyed when Jacqueline wrote about the exploration and observation stuff but I thought it was too much. For those of you who enjoy all things about evolution, spices of plants or animals, I highly recommend this book.

Cover

I like Indonesian cover but the US print is much better.

Author

The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate is Jacqueline Kelly's Debut Novel. IRA Children's Book Award; IRA Teachers' Choices; Newbery Honor Book; CPL: Chicago Public Library Best of the Best; Texas Lone Star Reading List; Vermont Dorothy Canfield Fisher Award Master List are the award for her books. I just found her website. There is Callie's pages. I wish I have seen it in advance. So no need to take all that old movie series.

4/5

The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate

Author: Jacqueline Kelly

Translator: Berliani M. Nugrahani

Editor: Nadya Andwiani

Publisher: Matahati

Fisrt Published: November 2010, 384 pages