The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly
The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate, a Newbury Honor book by Jacqueline Kelly is a refreshing story about a young lady coming of age at the turn of the twentieth century. She is expected to be prim and embody certain feminine qualities such as knitting socks and sewing. However, Calpurnia would rather swim in the river and collect specimens to study with her grandfather. One day she and her grandfather discover a new plant and send in required documents to the Smithsonian Institution to verify that it is indeed a new plant. While the plant is being verified the pressure from Calpurnia’s parents becomes nearly unbearable as they seem to be molding her into a housewife rather than a scientist. Do Calpurnia and her grandfather discover a new plant? And can Calpurnia break through societal expectations to pave a new path for herself as a woman scientist? Kelly’s writing is wonderful and the story is great for students in grades 4-8.
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