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The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate (Calpurnia Tate, #1)

Jacqueline Kelly

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Mar 21, 2021 Linda Martin rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fiction, geo-texas, middle-grade, newbery-honor-books, 2021, families, historical-fiction, favorites

One of my new "favorite books." I like this one a lot. I actually *LOVE* it which is why I'm giving it five stars. Calpurnia Tate is a girl I admire. Her mother drives her toward girlish things like needlework and cooking: the needed preparations for being a bride and eventual motherhood. But Calpurnia's heart is in being a naturalist. She spends time with her grandfather as they go out and observe nature.

Though I think this is an absolutely awesome, well-written story, I do have qualms about t One of my new "favorite books." I like this one a lot. I actually *LOVE* it which is why I'm giving it five stars. Calpurnia Tate is a girl I admire. Her mother drives her toward girlish things like needlework and cooking: the needed preparations for being a bride and eventual motherhood. But Calpurnia's heart is in being a naturalist. She spends time with her grandfather as they go out and observe nature.

Though I think this is an absolutely awesome, well-written story, I do have qualms about the age group it was written for because of one section near the beginning in which her grandfather recounts to her his encounter with a bat during wartime. It includes a description of soldiers injured in battle, and amputations. I could not understand this being in a book with an 11-year-old main character! Do children need to read this stuff? The rest of the book was just fine, but I think it is for older readers. Please do not be put off from reading this book because of what I just revealed - it is a very brief part and the rest of the novel is so good, I would not want you to miss it because of something I wrote. I just wouldn't hand it to my third-grader without reading it first myself, then deciding if my child was mature enough to read something like that. (That scene is in chapter 3 of the book.)

I read this book mainly because it is on the Newbery list and I want to read as many books on that list as possible during the next few years. Yes! It is a Newbery Honor Book from 2010. I like Calpurnia Tate so much I have put the sequel on my TBR list. The sequel isn't on the Newbery list but I want to read it anyway. I've read a review that gave me the impression it is just as good as this book.

I also will use this book as part of my 2021 PopSugar Reading Challenge for prompt #7 - A book where the main character works at your current or dream job. I would love to be a naturalist. Calpurnia's interest in nature reminded me a lot of myself as a child. She taught me a lot about observing nature and recording the many questions she had about life. What a great book this is! ...more

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Mar 28, 2018 Sharon rated it it was amazing

Loved this book. Can’t wait to read the next one.

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Dec 16, 2010 Missyjohnson1 rated it really liked it

I really loved Calpurnia and have recommended this to my niece. this was our book clubs YA selection for the year and one of my favorite in the category over the past few years.

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