In central Texas in 1899, eleven-year-old Callie Vee Tate is instructed to be a lady by her mother, learns about love from the older three of her six brothers, and studies the natural world with her grandfather, the latter of which leads to an important discovery.

Liz says:

“We predicted this to be a Newbery Winner, and in fact it received the Newbery Honor Medal. This first book by Kelly is about a young girl growing up at a time when girls were taught to be housewives. Instead, Callie wants to be a scientist just like her Grandfather. As she and her Grandfather observe nature and ultimately make a discovery, Callie also looks inward and makes her own discoveries about herself. Beautifully written, this book is best enjoyed by 5th and 6th grade girls.”

As her mother prepares to be a contestant on the 1980s television game show, “The $20,000 Pyramid,” a twelve-year-old New York City girl tries to make sense of a series of mysterious notes received from an anonymous source that seems to defy the laws of time and space.

Liz & Rob (Liz’s son) say:

“This is a thought-provoking, fun story. You have to pay attention to details and suspend your disbelief and you will be in for a real treat!”