The summer of 1899 is hot in Calpurnia’s sleepy Texas town, and there aren’t a lot of good ways to stay cool. Her mother has a new wind machine from town, but Callie might just have to resort to stealthily cutting off her hair, one sneaky inch at a time. She also spends a lot of time at the river with her notoriously cantankerous grandfather, an avid naturalist. It turns out that every drop of river water is teeming with life — all you have to do is look through a microscope! As Callie explores the natural world around her, she develops a close relationship with her grandfather, navigates the dangers of living with six brothers, and learns just what it means to be a girl at the turn of the century. Debut author Jacqueline Kelly deftly brings Callie and her family to life, capturing an unusual year with unique sensitivity and wit.
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"This book kept me captivated and I loved it. If I were to have a girl I would name her Calpernia Barbara and caller Callie Bee. Story is about Calpernia Virginia Tate and her standing in a family of boys who called her Callie Vee. I loved how she and her Grandfather developed a relationship. " — Barbara (5 out of 5 stars)
"This book kept me captivated and I loved it. If I were to have a girl I would name her Calpernia Barbara and caller Callie Bee. Story is about Calpernia Virginia Tate and her standing in a family of boys who called her Callie Vee. I loved how she and her Grandfather developed a relationship. "
" Really fun read! Great character development and I laughed out loud multiple times. A great reminder to let kids be who they are, not what society dictates them to be. Reccomended. "
" Completely delightful!!!! I loved Callie Vee. She's an entertaining, engaging narrator with lots of spunk and fun. Also, there were some very very funny tidbits regarding Travis and Lula. "
" Loved it- a great coming of age book- love the main characters. "
" Highly enjoyable read. Calpurnia reminds me of myself. :) "
" This is a wonderfully adorable tale. As I read the last sentence, I was wishing there was more. "
" Listened to this one with the whole family in the car. We loved it! "
" Charming story in turn of the century Texas (20th century that is). The ending was a little weak. Does Calpurnia go to college?. Sequel maybe. "
" I cannot say enough about this book. From the moment I picked it up I was taken in by Calpurnia's story and how she grew over one magical summer. As I was reading I couldn't help but smiling. The story was simple yet beautifully written. I recommend this book to everyone! "
" Great fun and interesting! Great for adults and teens "
" What a delight! A charming book that reminded me so much of Mark Twain: lots of local color, colorful characters, and a spunky heroine that would give Huck Finn or Tom Sawyer a run for their money. "
" Didn't love this book and found it to be somewhat boring. Not sure why so many people gave it such high ratings. "
" Cute book, loved Calpurnia as a character. Wondering what she made of her life.... "
" I really loved this book. I loved Calpurnia and her family and came away feeling so uplifted. Great read. "
" This was a really engaging story, and I will recommend it to students who like science, especially. But it has a good message for everyone about going after your dreams. "
" Okay, so it's heavy-handed. Still. "
" Pretty good listen. We found the evolution of the main character story very interesting but the story strayed too often. If like the Laura Ingels series this is similar enough that you might like this one too. "
" Such a great story! Can't wait for Kate to read it in a few years, when she can appreciate it more. "
" I read this in 6th grade in a book group and I loved it! "
" i love it. it laeves it clearly for you to imagine life before all these technological evolutions. you really feel for Calpurnia "
" Coming of age story of Callie, who loves science and the special relationship she has with grandfather. She respected him and would have done anything to please him. "
" I read this at the same time that I reread "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn". Was fun to compare/contrast. Loved it! "
" I loved every page of this book. Callie Vee was truly inspiring in a world determined to make her a housewife, even at the young age of eleven. She made science look great fun, and her grandfather was a laugh. "
" Cute, a little predictable. More than anything, it made me sad. Callie was born at the wrong time. "
" nice writing style but supported evolution which I disagree with so intensly that I did not finish the book. "
" This book was delightful, an opinion aided by the almost eerie degree to which I was able to connect with the heroine. At moments laugh-out-loud funny, at other moments thought-provoking. Enjoy! "
" This is a sweet children's book about a young girl in Texas who wants to grow up to be a naturalist. It is a beautiful picture of family and of creating new expectations and goals for yourself. "
Natalie Ross is an actress and voice-over artist whose acting credits include multiple appearances in the television series All My Children, among others. She is an AudioFile Earphones Award–winning narrator.
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