16th out of 567 books
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2,973 voters
The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate
Calpurnia Virginia Tate is eleven years old in 1899 when she wonders why the yellow grasshoppers in her Texas backyard are so much bigger than the green ones.With a little help from her notoriously cantankerous grandfather, an avid naturalist, she figures out that the green grasshoppers are easier to see against the yellow grass, so they are eaten before they can get any
Hardcover, 338 pages
Published
May 12th 2009
by Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)
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The spunky girl heroine. She’s an enduring character in our middle grade fiction. From 1928’s The Winged Girl of Knossos by Erick Berry to Caddie Woodlawn and Roller Skates, historical fiction and so-called tomboys go together like cereal and milk. It would be tempting then to view The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate as just one more in a long line of spunkified womenfolk. True and not true. Certainly Calpurnia chaffs against the restrictions of her time, but debut novelist Jacqueline Kelly has give...more
Wavering between three and four stars. I liked this a lot; it was very funny in spots, and I enjoyed the setting and everyone in the family. (Monica mentioned that she couldn't keep the brothers straight until well into the book; one of the funniest moments is when the grandfather says "Which one is he?" about one of his grandsons--obviously he had the same problem.) It was maybe a bit longer than it should have been, but that didn't really bother me.
I did feel like it was occasionally insensiti...more
I did feel like it was occasionally insensiti...more
it's the summer of 1899. the sun is burning hot like a ball spouting fire, even the insects are desperately trying to get to a droplet of water by marching through the smallest cracks in the tate house. amidst all the chaos is 11-year old callie vee tate. the only girl out of seven children. the title says it all. this is her story.
callie is as witty, entertaining, caring, understandably self-conscious, vulnerable as she can be determined and blunt to the point of being insolent.
when being expl...more
callie is as witty, entertaining, caring, understandably self-conscious, vulnerable as she can be determined and blunt to the point of being insolent.
when being expl...more
First, let me try to be fair and share things I liked. I liked Calpurnia--her spunk,loyalty and ambition to do "great things". I liked her curiosity about the world and her courage to forge a relationship with her grandfather. In and of itself, I loved that relationship; to be "in" with a grandparent the way she "became" would be a boon and blessing to any child. However, though I thought her grandfather was likable and validated Calpurnia in important ways, his character seems to have devolved...more
Ainda não sei bem se gostei ou não...
A capa e a edição estão muito giras, pena que o conteúdo não seja tão giro. Acabei por ler o livro na diagonal, pois a leitura começou a ficar aborrecida e custava pegá-lo.
O livro não é mau pelo contrário, ganhou imensos prémios e gostei muito da Calpurnia, da sua ambição e curiosidade em querer saber sempre mais e gostei do relacionamento que tinha com o avô. O meu problema com o livro foi mesmo a escrita. Várias páginas de só descrição não são para mim a le...more
A capa e a edição estão muito giras, pena que o conteúdo não seja tão giro. Acabei por ler o livro na diagonal, pois a leitura começou a ficar aborrecida e custava pegá-lo.
O livro não é mau pelo contrário, ganhou imensos prémios e gostei muito da Calpurnia, da sua ambição e curiosidade em querer saber sempre mais e gostei do relacionamento que tinha com o avô. O meu problema com o livro foi mesmo a escrita. Várias páginas de só descrição não são para mim a le...more
May 07, 2011
JG (The Introverted Reader)
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommended to JG (The Introverted Reader) by:
LCE
"My name is Calpurnia Virginia Tate, but back then everybody called me Callie Vee. That summer, I was eleven years old and the only girl out of seven children. Can you imagine a worse situation?" "That summer" is the summer of 1899 and it is a scorcher. Amid the heat and the drought though, Callie is finding out who she is. She is a born scientist. She is a little lost in the shuffle of all those brothers, but one day, desperate for an answer to a scientific question, she bravely goes out to con...more
In1899, girls are expected to grow up to be either wives or teachers. So what is a girl like Calpurnia to do? She is much more interested in different species of grasshoppers than in tatting or cooking. She would rather spend hours with her grandfather in his shed doing experiments than learning to knit all of her six brothers socks. As the only daughter in the family, Calpurnia is expected to be ladylike, play the piano, and eventually be launched into society. Calpurnia is much more likely to...more
Think Caddie Woodlawn, with more Darwin and less boredom. Or don't, because I read Caddie Woodlawn for a class at a time when I hated everything that wasn't by Christopher Pike or featured some breed of sexy, pre-Twilight vampire/monsterman. So I'm not really qualified to judge.
Like Caddie, Calpurnia Tate is also the sort of "educational" book that will probably be required reading in elementary schools for advanced English classes. I think that's a shame, because I am certain that I got more o...more
Like Caddie, Calpurnia Tate is also the sort of "educational" book that will probably be required reading in elementary schools for advanced English classes. I think that's a shame, because I am certain that I got more o...more
Jul 22, 2009
Heather
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
girls 12 and up
Recommended to Heather by:
DaNae
I loved this book, but I didn't give it 5 stars because I don't think it is a life-changing book for me at this stage in my life. Perhaps it would have been when I was younger, but not now. What it did for me, however, was reaffirm that time in my life when I started to "wake up," and really realize that I--a girl--could have aspirations of my own. I had a childhood much like our heroine Calpurnia--lots of time spent outdoors with animals. I too had a mother who exposed me to the "domestic arts,...more
Although there is a trend in YA literature of female lead characters, the question of "being a girl" is often left aside. If only we truly lived in a post-feminist world where there were no barriers on young women!
This book, set at the turn of the 20th century, addresses the issue of girlhood through the eyes of Callie Vee, the only girl in a household of boys, expected to learn sewing, cookery and other womanly tasks - but not until she gets to know her slightly scary grandfather is she expect...more
This book, set at the turn of the 20th century, addresses the issue of girlhood through the eyes of Callie Vee, the only girl in a household of boys, expected to learn sewing, cookery and other womanly tasks - but not until she gets to know her slightly scary grandfather is she expect...more
Jacqueline Kelly is an enormously talented writer and has created a character who will become an instant classic. Twelve-year-old Calpurnia Virginia Tate (Callie Vee) lives with her charming, well-off family in Texas in 1899. Callie has just become her naturalist grandfather's assistant and mentee, and is in love with science and discovery. Meanwhile, her mother decides it's time to improve Callie's feminine skills: tatting, cooking, knitting. As the only girl in a family with six boys, all the...more
Apr 10, 2012
Andreia Silva
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
biblioteca,
leituras-de-2012
Com a premissa deste livro e logo nas primeiras páginas eu soube que iria adorar a história. Não é um livro com uma grande enredo, cheio de acção, de amores arrebatadores, mas é um livro sobre uma menina que nos finais do século XIX descobriu a ciência. Para quem lida com a ciência (como eu) todos os dias é uma delicia. Fala-se do Darwin, do Newton e da Marie Curie e de tudo aquilo que a ciência é e todo aquele fervilhar inerente a uma descoberta cientifica. A Calpurnia Tate quer ser cientista e...more
I love this book a lot, even with the bits and pieces I didn't quite understand fully. The science terms kind of bugged me, but I got the basics of it so I knew what was happening around that. What I really liked was how the story itself, and how Calpurnia "evolved" because of certain aspects in life and influences like Granddaddy. How not just her personality and physical appearance, but more of her interests and dreams can morph intensely into a completely new formation. She never really knew...more
3.5 stars
A Evolução de Calpurnia Tate, da autora estreante Jacqueline Kelly foi uma aposta do ano passado, por parte da editora Contaponto. Aquando o lançamento, fiquei muito curiosa com esta obra, não só pelo título que é curioso, mas também pela capa e a própria edição trabalhada e invulgar a que este livro teve direito. Todos esses elementos trabalharam a favor do meu interessante por este livro e apesar de eu ter intuído logo de início, pela sinopse, que poderia não ser um livro totalmente...more
A Evolução de Calpurnia Tate, da autora estreante Jacqueline Kelly foi uma aposta do ano passado, por parte da editora Contaponto. Aquando o lançamento, fiquei muito curiosa com esta obra, não só pelo título que é curioso, mas também pela capa e a própria edição trabalhada e invulgar a que este livro teve direito. Todos esses elementos trabalharam a favor do meu interessante por este livro e apesar de eu ter intuído logo de início, pela sinopse, que poderia não ser um livro totalmente...more
I was disappointed with this book. I felt like the author kept introducing characters and plot lines and then only developing them halfway. That was frustrating.
Also, I found myself irritated slightly with the the way the author portrayed the whole notion of growing up, and becoming a woman, and what it meant in those days. Calpurnia yearns to be a scientist, go to the university and do things that matter in a time when women just got married and had families. Well, I think that Calpurnia's goal...more
Also, I found myself irritated slightly with the the way the author portrayed the whole notion of growing up, and becoming a woman, and what it meant in those days. Calpurnia yearns to be a scientist, go to the university and do things that matter in a time when women just got married and had families. Well, I think that Calpurnia's goal...more
The best bit was on p. 16. Callie Vee is frustrated so she runs down to the river,
"and ducked my head underwater and let out a long loud scream, the sound burbling in my ears. I came up for air and did it again. And one more time, just to be thorough.... I would live my life in a tower of books. I would read all day long and eat peaches. And if any young knights in armor dared to come calling on their white chargers and plead with me to let down my hair, I would pelt them with peach pits until t...more
"and ducked my head underwater and let out a long loud scream, the sound burbling in my ears. I came up for air and did it again. And one more time, just to be thorough.... I would live my life in a tower of books. I would read all day long and eat peaches. And if any young knights in armor dared to come calling on their white chargers and plead with me to let down my hair, I would pelt them with peach pits until t...more
I just finished reading this book, and it was one of the most enjoyable things I have read in a long time. Jacqueline Kelly writes so beautifully about eleven-year old Calpurnia and her awakening to the world around and her place in it. This is not an adventure story and there is very little action. Ms. Kelly’s writing reflects this languor and slowness—her words are often like poetry: so perfectly chosen and evocative that they need to be read slowly to savor their impact. Besides the wonderful...more
http://www.gerberadaisydiaries.com/20...
4.5 stars
Calpurnia (Callie) Tate was born a century too soon. More interested in bugs and botany than stitchery and pie making, Callie has blossomed into an inquisitive young lady, thanks to her scientific Granddad. But her mother has other plans – her tatting is terrible, her cooking inedible – Callie must spend more time in the kitchen and less time in Granddad’s lab. But in the few moments of her spare time, she is able to read Darwin’s Theory of Evolut...more
4.5 stars
Calpurnia (Callie) Tate was born a century too soon. More interested in bugs and botany than stitchery and pie making, Callie has blossomed into an inquisitive young lady, thanks to her scientific Granddad. But her mother has other plans – her tatting is terrible, her cooking inedible – Callie must spend more time in the kitchen and less time in Granddad’s lab. But in the few moments of her spare time, she is able to read Darwin’s Theory of Evolut...more
En realidad 4.5. No le he puesto las 5 estrellas porque me esperaba otro final. A mi parece que le han faltado páginas. Aún así estará entre mis favoritos. Una historia tierna y entrañable narrada por una niña muy peculiar. Una niña muy inteligente, con inquietudes muy diferentes a las de las niñas de su edad y de su época (finales del siglo XIX). Observadora de la naturaleza y de todo lo que le rodea. La relación que tiene con su numerosa familia y la que crea con su abuelo es encantadora. Una...more
In this engaging tale, 11-year-old Calpurnia talks about herself, her family, and other people and events in the year 1899. This was especially interesting to me as this time in history is very close to that of my dad's growing-up years. Callie talks about the advent of the new drink, Coca Cola, and the viewing of the new auto-mobile, which looked so strange without any horses in front of it. And I loved her growing relationship with Granddaddy, who decided he'd devoted enough of his life to thi...more
I really enjoyed this book. Calpurnia Tate is growing up on a farm with her family and begins spending more and more time with her naturalist Granddaddy, one day they stumble upon an amazing finding, but Calpurnia's mother has other things in mind for her and she pushes Calpurnia towards the housewife role and that is not what Calpurnia had in mind for herself.
I could not put this book down, it caught me from the very beginning and I loved reading about all the adventures of Calpurnia and her Gr...more
I could not put this book down, it caught me from the very beginning and I loved reading about all the adventures of Calpurnia and her Gr...more
This was a very exiting and fun book. The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly is a great book to read. When Calpurnia discovered a new type of plant, it was very intriguing and surprising incident. What would a fascinating discovering be like at the time period? What did Calpurnia's parents think? This is a good book for all ages.
I found this book and started reading it for my girls, 8.5 and 6.5. The language is a bit advanced for the 6.5 year old and I do need to explain certain period settings and prop devices to my 8.5 year old. The writing is excellent and my girls are very engaged in the book.
I will not place any spoilers, but I was terribly upset at the ending. It was unsatisfying and perhaps echoed something Grandaddy explained as finishing the experiment. Once it is done, it's over and you lose the excitement of...more
I will not place any spoilers, but I was terribly upset at the ending. It was unsatisfying and perhaps echoed something Grandaddy explained as finishing the experiment. Once it is done, it's over and you lose the excitement of...more
Wonderful little book. Enjoyed every moment of it. Not a page turner, but great things in every chapter. Grandfather is a fun character...proper and mischievous all at once. I LOVED the ending because it was such a metaphorical ending...much like we have to look at our own unfulfilled futures: with hope tempered with realistic boundaries. Sweet moments when the siblings help each other. Nice descriptive passages without being overdone. A great weekend read. Would be a great American history home...more
Wow, I really loved this book. It's just so well written. Truth be told when I read the description it sounded a bit boring. Young naturalist learning about Darwin in Texas at the turn of the century? Eh...maybe. But the characters are so wonderful you can't help fall in love with them and the descriptions of the natural world blew me away. I was hooked by the end of the first chapter.
There's only one problem, while I can think of a few select girls who would love this book, I'm not sure of it's...more
There's only one problem, while I can think of a few select girls who would love this book, I'm not sure of it's...more
Calpurnia Tate is my new favorite protagonist! From the first lines of the book Callie's voice rings strong and true. With humor and poignancy, Callie learns what it means to be female at the turn of the 20th Century. I also love the multiple meanings of the title. This is a book I wanted to savor, but I ended up gulping it down. I have a feeling, I'll be revisiting this book often. If I were to give a literary dinner party, Calpurnia Tate would be seated at the table along with Scout, Flavia de...more
I loved this charming story set in Texas in the summer of 1899. It's a Newberry Award winner, and I can see why.
There is no deep message to it, other than a heroine who realizes she prefers studying science over becoming proficient in The Science of Housewifery.
I loved her loud, loving family of seven brothers, the broiling hot Texas pecan farm setting, and the aspiring-scientist-dialogues Calpurnia carries on in her head. She slips between pre-teen panic moments to cool obervation of the fact...more
There is no deep message to it, other than a heroine who realizes she prefers studying science over becoming proficient in The Science of Housewifery.
I loved her loud, loving family of seven brothers, the broiling hot Texas pecan farm setting, and the aspiring-scientist-dialogues Calpurnia carries on in her head. She slips between pre-teen panic moments to cool obervation of the fact...more
"En el verano de 1899, Calpurnia tiene once años. Es la mediana de siete hermanos (todos los demás son chicos) y vive en una familia acomodada gracias a las plantaciones de pacana. Su madre quiere que aprenda a tocar el piano, a bordar y a tejer como le corresponde a una chica de buena familia, pero lo que le gusta a Calpurnia es la ciencia. Al principio se dedica a observar a los animalitos que la rodean, pero pronto contará con la ayuda de su abuelo que le deja libros, le explica teorías de la...more
Although this book received good reviews, including a glowing one from a colleague, I was not in a hurry to read it, put off by the summary. However, I am tempted to give this a five star rating and may go back and change my mind after a few days of digesting this novel. This is one of those books for me, like The Secret Life of Bees, where the writing and story are bewitching. The novel chronicles six months in the life of Calpurnia Virginia Tate, a.k.a. Callie Vee at the turn of the century in...more
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PVPA 7/8 Summer R...: Evolution of Calpurnia Tate | 1 | 3 | May 30, 2013 12:45pm | |
| Common Core | 2 | 15 | Apr 11, 2013 12:24am | |
| YA e dintorni: The evolution of Calpurnia Tate, II tappa (13-28 Ottobre), cap. 12-28 | 7 | 13 | Oct 23, 2012 02:39am | |
| YA e dintorni: The evolution of Calpurnia Tate, I tappa (1-12 Ottobre), cap. 1-11 | 9 | 8 | Oct 21, 2012 07:08am | |
| YA e dintorni: Gruppo di lettura di ottobre: The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate di Jacqueline Kelly | 24 | 16 | Oct 12, 2012 05:59am | |
| what is it about? | 10 | 75 | Oct 06, 2012 10:37pm |
Jacqueline Kelly was born in New Zealand and moved with her parents to western Canada at an early age. She grew up in the dense rain forests of Vancouver Island, so you can imagine her shock some years later when her family moved to the desert of El Paso, Texas. She attended university in El Paso and medical school in Galveston (lovingly known as “Galvatraz” among the inmates). She practiced medic...more
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“Ahhh. Bed, book, kitten, sandwich. All one needed in life, really.”
—
179 people liked it
“One day I would have all the books in the world, shelves and shelves of them. I would live my life in a tower of books. I would read all day long and eat peaches. And if any young knights in armor dared to come calling on their white chargers and plead with me to let down my hair, I would pelt them with peach pits until they went home.”
—
148 people liked it
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Jul 05, 2010 09:59pm
updated Aug 13, 2012 05:03pm