Kelly, Jacqueline. 2009. THE
EVOLUTION OF CALPURNIA TATE.
New York: Henry Holt and Company.
ISBN 978-0-312-65930-1
Eleven-year-old Calpurnia Virginia
Tate, or Callie Vee, is not like other Texas girls in 1899. She’s not a great piano player, can’t stand
sewing, barely gets by in her Deportment class at school, and would much prefer
swimming in the river on a hot day to lounging around inside. Out of her six brothers, Callie is the only
one with enough nerve to build a friendship with her daunting grandfather, and
the pair soon becomes fast friends and naturalists, studying Darwin and
observing the world around them.
Callie’s mother is horrified that her daughter is learning evolution
instead of housewifery, but with the dawning of the twentieth century and a new
modern era, Callie just may discover that, for her, anything is possible.
Jacqueline Kelly’s young heroine is
ambitious and independent, determined not to give in to a life of good posture
and stain removing skills, much to her mother’s dismay. Young girls will smile as Callie discovers
her beloved pond is full of tiny, moving creatures and will laugh when her
carefully nursed caterpillar hatches into the world’s largest moth, instead of
a beautiful butterfly. Callie teaches
girls that it is okay not to be girly, and that studying science and nature is
exciting and exhilarating. Kelly’s
message is loud and clear throughout the novel: girls don’t have to learn the
piano and marry well. Instead, they can
become scientists and analysts who are aware of and learning from their
environment. Callie’s Granddaddy
encourages her passion for discovery and helps her realize she can find answers
to the many questions she records in her notebook if she just sits back and
observes. Compared to the other adults
in Callie’s life, Granddaddy is the only one who seems to accept that times are
changing and the world is opening up beyond their small Texas town.
The novel’s setting is a colorful and
vivid backdrop for Callie’s tale. The
Tate family is Texas born and bred, with pride for the state running through
their blood. Callie’s brothers are all
named for heroes of the Alamo (J.B. stands for Jim Bowie) and even a liter of
kittens is named after famous Texas bandits (Jesse James is the favorite). Callie’s mother withers in the Texas summer
heat until a brand new “wind machine” is brought home for some reprieve. Callie’s science classroom with her
grandfather is the sprawling Texas Hill Country, with the San Marcos River
behind her house and a university in Austin, just a few towns over. Kelly’s description of the setting is
detailed and vibrant, allowing readers to feel the heat of the summer press
down on them, just as the family dogs do while they lay still on the porch, too
hot to use any energy.
Callie’s voice is youthful and
inquisitive, like any young scholar who is curious about the world around
her. She is appalled when her brothers
fall in love with her best friend and can’t hide her disappointment when her
mother gifts her with The Science of
Housewifery, instead of an actual
science book. Her knowledge of and
passion for science grows and matures throughout the story, cumulating when she
discovers a new plant species with the help of her grandfather, which an
official telegram from Washington proudly confirms. Callie can’t believe she has earned her place
in one of her beloved science books. The
novel’s plot concludes with the story’s climax, as the New Year rings in the
twentieth century and time does not end.
As Callie wonders to herself, “Part of me wanted our lives to go on as
they always had… The other part of me yearned for a desperate and dramatic
change.” Readers are left to wonder and
hope: will Callie get to experience a changed world?
“THE EVOLUTION OF CALPURNIA TATE is the
most delightful historical novel for tweens in many, many years.” – THE NEW
YORKER
“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.” THE WASHINGTON POST
“Callie’s transformation into an adult
and her unexpected bravery make for an exciting and enjoyable read.” –
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY, Starred Review
THE EVOLUTION OF CALPURNIA TATE is a
charming and unique historical tale of a young girls’ coming of age. Kelly cleverly starts each chapter with a
verse from Callie’s inspiration, Darwin’s THE ORIGIN OF SPECIES, and lists her
extensive research for the novel in an acknowledgement section at the book’s
end. Her preparation took her to
institutions such as the Texas Commission for the Arts and to horticulturists
and professors at universities across the state of Texas. A Newbery Honor Book, ALA Notable Children’s
Book, Chicago Public Library Best of the Best and an ALA Notable Book, THE
EVOLUTION OF CALPURNIA TATE will become a fast favorite of young adults.
___
Readers may also enjoy:
CHARLES AND EMMA: THE DARWINS’ LEAP OF
FAITH, By Deborah Heiligman, ISBN 0312661045
MOON OVER MANIFEST, By Claire
Vanderpool, ISBN 0375858296
WHEN YOU REACH ME, By Rebecca Stead,
ISBN 037585064
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