Written by: Jacqueline Kelly
Published by: Henry Holt and Company, 2009
ISBN: 978-0-8050-8841-0
Plot Summary
Calpurnia Virginia Tate (or Callie Vee to her friends), is the only sister smack in the middle of 6 brothers. Growing up in the late 1800s, she is expected to become a wife and mother. But when she strikes up a friendship and partnership with her grandfather, her dreams of being a scientist take shape. Calpurnia must balance the expectations of her school and home lives with her aspirations and personal interests. She experiences several firsts of the times- she sees a telephone installed in her town, and is able to try Coca Cola and sit in an automobile at the county fair. This book tells the tale of a seminal year in her life, where she is learning about the theory of evolution and evolving herself.
Critical Analysis
Calpurnia is both a believable character in the book's timeframe of 1899 as well as a character who is relatable today. This is a tale of her coming-of-age and leaving childhood behind as she realizes both what is expected of her by her family and the society she lives in as well as her own hopes and aspirations for her future. In the anecdotes that are shared in the chapters, you get to know her as someone who is frequently falling short of her mother's expectations but this is due to a lack of effort and interest on Callie's part. When a task is related to her interests, she gives it her all- this is evidenced in the chapter where she and her Grandpa find the plant that they think is a new variety. She realizes she forgot to record its location and puts in a great amount of time and effort to find its exact location again.
The character of Callie's best friend, Lula, provides a contrast to Callie. Lula excels in everything that would be considered important to girls of their age in that era- she wins first place in lace tatting at the fair and not one, but three of Callie's brothers show romantic interest in her. When Callie tells Lula about wanting to be a scientist, it is clear that Lula has never considered a path other than the one laid out for her.
Calpurnia's brothers are often lumped together as a group but several do have individual characteristics. Harry, the oldest treats Callie as his pet and is another trusted source of adult advice, outside of her grandfather. Travis, the closest in age to her, is the kindest brother, shown by his attentions to Lula and his reluctance to have the family eat the turkey he raised for Thanksgiving. Calpurnia takes care of Travis in a way that is similar to the way that Harry cares for her.
The main plotline in the book revolves around the plant that Calpurnia and her grandfather found and their growing relationship. It seems that Captain Tate didn't spend much time with any of his seven grandchildren, despite living with them. He spent most of his time in his laboratory, working on his project to distill whiskey from pecans. He takes an interest in Calpurnia when he sees her with her scientific notebook that she's using to observe grasshoppers. As their relationship develops, so do Callie's interests in science and her desire to be something more than a wife and mother when she is an adult. The plot is realistic to the historic timeframe but also resonates with readers today. While there are certainly more options for women today, they are still influenced by the expectations of society and their parents.
The book is told in Calpurnia's voice and the language and thought processes are true to an almost 12-year-old girl at the turn of the twentieth century. You're giving insight into how her mind works from the very first chapter, when she is trying to determine the difference between the small and large grasshoppers in her yard. You can see her grow as a person and as a scientist throughout the book, making more developed choices and observations.
Awards Won
2010- Newbery Honor Book
Review Excerpt
From Kirkus Reviews published April 1, 2009
"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."
Connections
In one of the chapters, Calpurnia describes the important event of the first telephone being installed in her town. In another, she talks about seeing an automobile for the first time at the fair. Students can choose an invention (either a real one or one of their own creation) and imagine what it would be like to see it for the first time.
No comments:
Post a Comment