Calpurnia Virginia Tate

Calpurnia Tate, the book's main character, is an 11-year-old girl who lives on a Texas farm with her parents, six brothers and unapproachable grandfather. She has always known that she is different from other girls because she has no interest in cooking, sewing and the other pursuits expected of women in her time, but she discovers her real passion when she develops an interest in exploring nature and science. This leads to an increasingly close, life-changing relationship with her grandfather, who is an avid naturalist.

Callie is funny, headstrong and determined. She uses her scientific mind to solve everyday problems in inventive ways, but her proper upbringing leaves her without the ability to fight back when her mother forces her to spend less time with her grandfather and more time learning the domestic skills she will need in her inevitable role as a wife and mother...