The Evolution of Procrastination

What's that, you ask?  Why am I writing yet another book review when I should be studying?

You're such a smart reader!  I have no answer for you!  But I have a really, really good book recommendation!

The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly

Have you heard of this book before?  As you can see, it's a Newberry Honor Book.  Put it on your reading list and the kids' reading list.  I am not sure the intended age bracket but I was trolling around Barnes & Noble this weekend and saw that The Hobbit is in the Age 7-12 bracket.  I would place this book within those ages as well.  The language is fairly sophisticated, even compared to books written for older kids (cough Twilight series cough), and the themes are just subtle enough for an older-than-elementary-school-audience.  Also, the book touches on complex issues such as slavery and the food chain in a way that would be inappropriate for children younger than 7.

Says the woman with no kids, but I'm trying, people!  I'm trying!  I helped raise my brother so I do have some street cred here.  And I was a kid with her nose in a book all the time.  So.

This book follows Calpurnia Tate through the monumental year of 1899 in Texas.  She is on the cusp of turning twelve years old and America is on the cusp of a brand new century.  Changes are afoot and she is going to have to learn how to grow up and navigate them.  Luckily, she becomes - quite unexpectedly - close to her grandfather.  They begin to go on adventures that teach her valuable lessons about nature and the power of observation, and that present her with challenges in all areas of her life.

The book is great for animal lovers, nature lovers, science lovers, history lovers, and those who strive to empower young girls.  Calpurnia must learn to balance expectations of becoming a lady with her goals of becoming much, much more than that.  With that said, she has four brothers to contend with, and has a brilliant role model in her grandfather, which makes this an entertaining book for boys, too.

Her writing is not in-your-face-Southern-drawl.  It is easy to understand, sophisticated, and witty:

"With the change in the weather came the realization that Thanksgiving was sneaking up on us.  We'd all been too hot for too long to give it much thought.  It was unfortunate that this year the task of feeding our small flock of turkeys (numbering exactly three) fell to Travis.  One turkey was destined for our table, one was for the hired help, and one was for the poor at the other end of town.  This was traditional in our house.  What was not traditional was that this year the softest-hearted child had been assigned to look after them.

Travis had promptly christened his charges Reggie, Tom Turkey, and Lavinia.  He spent hours communing with them, preening their feathers with a stick while sitting in the dust and gobbling softly at them.  They, in turn, seemed attached to him and followed him about within the confines of their pen.

Helen Keller could have seen what was coming, so why couldn't my parents?"

(The Type A in me must mention this:  overall the writing and dialogue is superb.  But.  There are just a couple of times that the author includes words and phrases that took me right out of 1899 Texas and placed me back in 2013 with a jolt.  She used the phrase, "bust a gut," once and I was like, WTF?  She also used "fat chance."  I ain't no historian but something tells me that is inaccurate.  And nothing will remove the suspension of disbelief faster than small slipups like this.  But back to the praise!)

It is possible that this book resonated with me because it closely mirrored (time frame and big family aside) my childhood relationship and adventures with my Papa.  So there's that.  But I do believe you and the kids will enjoy it!

It is going back on my shelf for several future readings.

Enjoy!