Kelly, Jacqueline. The
Evolution of Calpurnia Tate. New York: Henry Holt and Company, 2009. ISBN:
978-0-8050-8841-0.
PLOT SUMMARY
It is the
Summer of 1899 in Texas, and the relentless heat wave and drought drain the energy from everything, including the Tate family. The afternoon
hours are spent indoors, where everyone tries to stay as still as possible by
napping in their large country home in order to escape the blasting heat and to
reserve whatever energy remains in their heat-weary bodies. All family members,
that is, except for the high-spirited Calpurnia Virginia Tate and her eccentric
grandfather. The only girl in a family of seven children, almost 12 years-old Calpurnia
uses the hot afternoon hours to escape the drudgery of routine as she quietly
slips away from the house to explore the countryside around it. Calpurnia, with the wise guidance and advice
from her grandfather, learns about the complexities and changing nature of the
world around her. As the year passes, she discovers that change occurs in human
relationships and society, as well as in nature. She realizes her dreams for her life are
bigger than those for the typical girl of that era: Calpurnia longs to become a
scientist, yet her mother has other plans for her. Struggling with what is
expected and what is desired, Calpurnia finds herself wondering if she will be
able to break the mold that holds her so she may follow her dreams when the
20th Century opens the world to new beginnings.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Jacqueline
Kelly's debut novel The Evolution of
Calpurnia Tate immediately captures the reader's interest from the first
page. Calpurnia Virginia Tate, the novel's protagonist, is a spunky, forward
thinking, fearless girl living with her six brothers, her parents, their
housekeeper, and a rather intimidating grandfather whom the family respects but
from a respectful distance.
Kelly
cleverly uses the end of the 19th century as the setting, a time where the
world is quickly evolving into a world of new inventions, incredible scientific
theories, and faster modes of transportation . As the book opens, Calpurnia's
world is seen in the simple life before modern day conveniences became a staple
in society. Calpurnia spends endless afternoons exploring the lands around her
home. During her explorations, she begins to see the differences in the plants
and animals around her. This sparks her curiosity, and she bravely, with a
little trepidation, turns to her grandfather for guidance in her
ever-inquisitive nature to find out the why's and how's of life. To her amazement and delight, he becomes her
closest companion and supporter in her search for knowledge.
It
eventually happens that modern inventions enter the rural Texas home when Mother
gets a wind machine, run by kerosene, to help her to cool down during the hot
afternoons. The family is thrilled with this invention, but there are more to
come: a telephone, just one, is placed in their small town. The possibilities
it brings of relaying important news faster sets minds reeling. Then the
automobile enters. In one year, Lily's life sees many changes. In one year,
Lily wants to become a part of the change. She knows that to fit into the new
20th century, she needs to be brave enough to step out of the role of a girl of
preparing for a woman's proper role in society and become a woman in her own
right. She longs to evolve with the undisputable changes that will transform
lifestyles and civilization forever.
Jacqueline Kelly adds character to a plot that could have
been set in a serious tone by incorporating Texas dialect and adjectives into her
writing that lends a humorous telling of a serious theme. This is what makes
the story a delight to read. Calpurnia's frank and funny observations of the
people and events around her make the reader smile at almost every turn of the
page. So many humorous little scenes of the family's life are scattered
throughout the story, the reader almost forgets the thought-provoking theme
behind the story. Kelly, though, cleverly interjects a more serious Calpurnia
when her thoughts turn to wondering about her place in the world. The reader
cheers her on, encourages her to go for her dream, and then realizes that it was daring women like Calpurnia who opened a world of possibilities for all women in future generations.
AWARDS AND REVIEWS
Best Books - 16 lists to include:
Best Children's
Book of the Year, 2010
Notable
Children's Books, 2010
YALSA Best
Books for Young Adults, 2010
Teacher's
Choices, 2010
Washington Post Best Kid's Books, 2009
School
Library Journal Book Review Stars, May 2009
Awards, Honors, and Prizes - Recipient or nominee of 8 awards to include:
John Newbery
Medal, 2010. (Honor book)
Josette
Frank Award, 2010. (Winner)
Judy Lopez
Memorial Award for Children's Literature, 2010. (Winner)
Young Reader's
Choice Award, 2012
Nominee for 5 State reading lists
"Kelly's
debut novel combines the episodic pleasures of Anne of Green Gables with the girls-can-love-science-too
sensibility of Klage's The Green Glass
Sea (BCCB 1/07)." Elisabeth Bush -The
Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, July/August 2009.
"Readers
will finish this witty, deftly crafted debut novel rooting for "Callie
Vee" and wishing they knew what kind of adult she would become." Kirkus Reviews, April 1, 2009.
CONNECTIONS
Historical Fiction. Interest level
(suggested grades) 6-8.
Related
Books
Ann of Green Gables, Lucy Maud Montgomery
The Green Glass Sea, Ellen Klages
Enrichment
Activities
PERSONAL RESPONSE
The
Adventures of Calpurnia Tate captured me from the beginning. I immediately
loved Calpurnia, lovingly called Callie Vee by her family. The story reminded
me a little of myself when I was a child and basically lived in the woods
behind my family home in Upstate New York during the summers. Like Callie Vee,
I would spend hours down in the ravine, catching salamanders and crayfish,
collecting plants, and digging up insects from the rich soil. My friends and I
would build Indian villages and pretend we were Mohawk Indians before the White
Man came. The summers were long and wonderful, and little Callie Vee's
adventures brought back sweet memories of a quieter time in my life.
The Evolution of
Calpurnia Tate. Cover illustration. Internet on-line. Accessed November 10, 2012 from http://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/jacqueline-kelly/the-evolution-of-calpurnia-tate/.
No comments:
Post a Comment