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bickie's review against another edition
3.0
Stands on its own despite previous Calpurnia Tate books. Does not follow gender stereotypes (brother is sensitive animal-lover wanting to save baby skunks; sister is scientific) which is refreshing while feeling natural. The family lives in Texas in 1901, and there is talk of a cook and lots of cotton fields as well as strict parents. Overall, an engaging book suitable for advanced 1st graders as well as 3rd graders preferring easier reads.
mblair8506's review against another edition
5.0
Super cute beginning chapter book. The characters are well-developed. Loved the cute story!
lorathelibrarian's review against another edition
4.0
Such a fun story. I loved the science bits thrown in. It reminded me of Little House, but for a much younger audience.
aggrano's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
informative
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
betsycrawford's review against another edition
5.0
This is an EXCELLENT middle grade series set in the early 1900s in Texas, narrated by Calpurnia who’s the only girl in her family (with 6 brothers!) It’s funny, but also has a great plot and the role of her eccentric-but-scholarly grandfather is unique. He is teaching Calpurnia all sorts of interesting science skills such as observation and using a Scientific Notebook to document her findings. I highly recommend this chapter book series, especially to children who love stories involving animals.
thedizzyreader's review against another edition
1.0
Wow. Not in a good way.
Calpurnia and her brother love the outdoors for very different reasons. Calpurnia wants to be a scientist, and Travis just wants a pet. But when Travis brings home first one baby skunk and then another, things get complicated! Chaos ensues when Travis brings the cute but lethal critters to the schoolhouse.
I really wanted to like this story and recommend it to my young animal fiction fans, but I can't. The author relies heavily on "crazy" and "insane" as descriptors, which is irritating enough. But the ending scene in the schoolhouse, where the teacher gives a brief lesson on Texas history before being interrupted by the skunks, was even worse.
The teacher in this story completely glosses over the fact that slavery was a huge motivator in the conflict, instead painting it as a brave fight of Texans against Mexico for independence. The author also has the teacher describe General Santa Anna and his Mexican troops as lazy and incompetent, so stupid they took a siesta without keeping watch - and thus the brave Texans naturally won the day. Racism much? (By the way, this exhausted siesta came after General Santa Anna's troops came off a two day nonstop march).
There is no nuance to this discussion, no further resources in the end pages to help young readers and their families have a conversation about this moment in time, no facts - just bias.
Calpurnia and her brother love the outdoors for very different reasons. Calpurnia wants to be a scientist, and Travis just wants a pet. But when Travis brings home first one baby skunk and then another, things get complicated! Chaos ensues when Travis brings the cute but lethal critters to the schoolhouse.
I really wanted to like this story and recommend it to my young animal fiction fans, but I can't. The author relies heavily on "crazy" and "insane" as descriptors, which is irritating enough. But the ending scene in the schoolhouse, where the teacher gives a brief lesson on Texas history before being interrupted by the skunks, was even worse.
The teacher in this story completely glosses over the fact that slavery was a huge motivator in the conflict, instead painting it as a brave fight of Texans against Mexico for independence. The author also has the teacher describe General Santa Anna and his Mexican troops as lazy and incompetent, so stupid they took a siesta without keeping watch - and thus the brave Texans naturally won the day. Racism much? (By the way, this exhausted siesta came after General Santa Anna's troops came off a two day nonstop march).
There is no nuance to this discussion, no further resources in the end pages to help young readers and their families have a conversation about this moment in time, no facts - just bias.
yapha's review against another edition
3.0
Fun early chapter book series for animal lovers! Calpurnia, with her love of nature and science, helps out her younger brother who rescues two skunk kits when their mother is killed. A great look at turn of the century life in Texas. Recommended for grades 1 and up.
azajacks's review against another edition
3.0
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quinn_0611's review against another edition
4.0
Really enjoyed this. Those skunks were too adorable.