The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly is a terrific book.  I enjoyed the interaction of the main character with her grandfather.  With six grandsons living in the same house, the grandfather discovers a kindred soul within his granddaughter.  I would use this book with middle school students.  Upper elementary students could read it and would enjoy the story.  However, it is a rather long book and I'm not sure they would get through it in a timely enough manner to really get the meat out of it.  There are many possibilities for discussion questions or writing prompts.  As the students are reading, I would ask them to keep a journal of their thoughts as they read, mainly because of the length of the book.  There is so much rich vocabulary, I would also ask them to keep lists of words in their journals that they may not have been familiar with prior to this reading.



Some questions I would pose include:

1. Calpurnia learns the origin of her name on page 27 when her grandfather enlightens her.  What is the origin of your name?  Were you named after someone in particular?  What does your name mean?

2.  This story is set in the year 1899.  The reader learns about Granddaddy through his war stories, but he never specifically mentions the war in which he fought.  Which war was it and why was it fought?   

3.  Out of seven children, Calpurnia is the only girl.  She is expected to learn how to cook, sew, knit, and run a household like other women of her time.  Do you think this is fair?  Why or why not?  What was significant about the Christmas gift her parents gave her?

4.  After trying his latest pecan alcohol experiment and declaring it unsuccessful, Granddaddy says, "The day the experiment succeeds is the day the experiment ends. And I inevitably find that the sadness of the ending outweights the celebration of success." (p. 324)  How does this comment relate to his reaction upon receiving the letter from the Smithsonian?  Does his reaction surprise you? Do you agree with his comment?

 

5.  At the end of the novel, as the year turns to 1900, Calpurnia experiences her first sighting of snow covering everything outside her house.  What does this symbolize for Calpurnia and her family?

 

6.  Do you think that Calpurnia will continue her observations in science or do you think she is going to become the woman her mother wants and expects her to become?  Why do you think that?

The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate is a 2010 Newbery Honor book.  Somehow I had skipped right over it and never heard of it until recently.  I'm glad I picked up the book and read it.  It was well worth the time!