The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate

It’s 1899. Calpurnia Tate (Callie Vee) is sort of bored and really hot. After all, it  is Texas. It’s SUPPOSED to be hot!

Her mother makes her knit , play piano, cook, sew.. lady lessons that Callie HATES. She would much rather go to a university or be the telephone operator.

So, yeah. Summer isn’t exactly going very well… until her grandfather gives her a science book that no one else will give her because it’s on evolution. Then their scientist to scientist relationship begins.

Callie learns so many new facts and how to be a real scientist. She even discovers a new species of plants!

But sometimes it’s hard to enjoy life with your family in your way… which is exactly what is happening to Callie. Almost all of her 6 brothers have a crush on her best friend, Lula. And one of them is a bully and the other is overly attached to the thanksgiving turkey and another likes a snobby woman! Her mother disapproves of the time spent with Callie’s grandfather. Callie’s father… well, is a neutral. But still!

Callie is what you would call “ahead of her time” and in The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate, you get to read of how she struggles to stay that way and prove that girls can be scientists, too.

I thought it was interesting to see how the “places” of women were so different back then. The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate deserves 5 stars for that! Probably 6th to 8th graders would enjoy this. Or maybe even 5th!