Wednesday, April 20, 2011

"The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate" by Jacqueline Kelly

I chose to review this book because it is a Newberry Honor book as well as a nominee for the 2011 Oregon Readers' Choice Award.

The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate
Author: Jacqueline Kelly
Genre: Historical Fiction
Age Level: 10-14 years

SUMMARY
Calpurnia Virginia Tate, affectionately called Callie Vee, is eleven years old and the only girl in a family of seven children. With so many brothers, it is not surprising that she is a tomboy. With the help and encouragement of her grandfather, who is an amateur naturalist, she discovers that she has an interest in and aptitude for science. While her mother wants her to dedicate her time to learning how to knit and cook, Callie prefers to be romping through the woods, Notebook in hand, searching for new specimens to collect.

Over the course of the novel, we learn how science and technology are changing rapidly, yet social mores remain relatively stagnant. Callie struggles to find her role as a young woman living at the turn of the twentieth century. By the end of the story, Callie has an increased understanding of the conflict between her true interests and society's expectations for her.

CRITIQUE
I had varied opinions about this book. I enjoyed the writing style. The beginning of the novel, in particular, had some great descriptions of the hot Texan summer. It was also intriguing to read a novel set in this time period. There were many changes happening and the author captured the excitement and sometimes bewilderment that accompanied these rapid technological advances. Having said this, while there were some genuinely interesting and entertaining parts, I also found myself on a couple of occasions feeling indifferent about finishing the book. I had to force myself to keep reading and then the ending was disappointing. There was very little resolution to the various plot lines. We are given hints about the future of the Tate family, but overall it was a bit unsatisfying.

The character development was also inconsistent. For the most part, Callie was a compelling character and I hoped that she would find the strength to break free from her social bonds and pursue her scientific interests. Most of the other characters, however, were not well developed enough to generate much interest. Others may disagree with me, but I thought that the character of Callie's grandfather was unappealing. He was detached, selfish, and uncaring toward his family. The only individual he showed interest in was Callie, and he set her up for a big disappointment by encouraging her to pursue science without the approval, or even full knowledge, of her parents.

The bottom line is that there is nothing objectionable about this story. It is a good book, but probably not the best story I have read. If you are looking for a tale about a young, strong-willed female character, who is resisting the social pressures of approximately the same time period in history, I would recommend Caddie Woodlawn by Carol Ryrie Brink.

RATINGS
Disrespectful/Bad Attitude: Mild
Frightening/Suspenseful: None
Profanity: Mild
Sex: Mild
Substance Use: Moderate
Mature Themes: Mild
Violence: Mild

SPECIFIC CONTENT
Disrespectful/Bad Attitude:
-On numerous occasions Callie complains and/or argues with her parents. No serious disrespect, but it is pretty constant.

Profanity:
-Grandfather says "damn" and "hell" a handful of times.

Sex:
-Fairly innocent descriptions of Callie's older brother courting two different girls.
-Three of Callie's brothers "fall in love" with her best friend. There is an entire chapter dedicated to describing their attempts to get Lula's attention. She is completely ignorant of their feelings.

Substance Use:
-Grandfather is trying to find a way to distill liquor from pecans, so there is quite a bit of sampling of alcohol. At one point, he has Callie try it, and it makes her sick.
-There is smoking of cigars on various occasions. At the fair, there is so much smoke in the tent that Callie gets sick and faints.
-Callie's mother regularly drinks Lydia Pinkham's Vegetable Compound for Women, ostensibly for her headaches. The reader discovers later that it is 20% alcohol.

Violence:
-Grandfather briefly describes the aftermath of a battle scene and an amputation of a boy's leg.
-Callie narrates that a man, after discovering that his wife was an octoroon, “pitch-forked her to death.”

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