It’s the summer of Calpurnia’s 11th year, a crackling hot summer in the small Texas town of her childhood. With a small notebook in hand, Callie sets off to “observe” the world around her. An initial discovery that the yellow grasshoppers in her backyard are much bigger than the green ones leads her straight to her grandfather’s study where she eventually learns that the green ones get eaten quickly because they don’t blend into the dried yellow grass. This is just the beginning of Callie’s understanding of the ways of nature. I thoroughly enjoyed The Evolution of Calpernia Tate, Jacqueline Kelly’s debut novel, mostly because Callie is an authentic young girl with a curious mind, and the wherewithal to be her own person. Her grandfather, known to all as a grumpy old man, is an avid naturalist and takes Callie under his wing. As she learns about nature and science, they develop a close relationship. Set in 1899, this book touches on being a young, smart girl at the turn of the century. Sprinkled throughout the story are pieces of Charles Darwin and The Origin of the Species.
I highly recommend this book for young readers 10 and 11 years old. ~ Wendee