Description Calpurnia Virginia Tate is eleven years old in 1899 when she wonders why the yellow grasshoppers in her Texas backyard are so much bigger than the green ones. With a little help from her notoriously cantankerous grandfather, an avid naturalist, she figures out that the green grasshoppers are easier to see against the yellow grass, so they are eaten before they can get any larger. 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 comes up against just what it means to be a girl at the turn of the century.
Reviews Customer Booksource Emma Williams, Collection Development Specialist Star Star Star Star Star 9/20/2011 4:42:10 PMReaders meet Calpurnia Virginia Tate, commonly known as Callie Vee. Callie is a spunky 11-year-old living in an affluent family in Texas in 1899. She spends most of her time pondering child-like questions about her world. As the only girl out of seven children, she asks, “Can you imagine a worse situation?” Callie has an innate interest in the natural world. She develops a method to conjure up worms for fishing from the dry, Texas dirt … which she then sells to her younger brother for a penny a piece! As luck would have it, Callie’s grandfather, an avid naturalist, lives with her family. He is a very private, distant old man, yet Callie manages to form a bond with him. Grandfather encourages Callie’s curiosities and in time becomes her best companion, scientific collaborator, and teacher. Callie soon begins to realize the difficulties she faces as a girl interested in Science at the turn of the century, but this does not stop her from hoping for change!