Publisher, Brilliance Audio (November 2009)

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Ages 12+

Winner of the 2011 Audie® Award for Best Children's Titles for Ages 8-12

The summer of 1899 is hot in Calpurnia’s sleepy Texas town, and there aren’t a lot of good ways to stay cool. Her mother has a new wind machine from town, but Callie might just have to resort to stealthily cutting off her hair, one sneaky inch at a time. She also spends a lot of time at the river with her notoriously cantankerous grandfather, an avid naturalist. It turns out that every drop of river water is teeming with life — all you have to do is look through a microscope!

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 learns just what it means to be a girl at the turn of the century.

Debut author Jacqueline Kelly deftly brings Callie and her family to life, capturing an unusual year with unique sensitivity and wit.

About the Author: Jacqueline Kelly was born in New Zealand and raised in Canada. She is a practicing physician and now makes her home in Austin and Fentress, Texas. This is her first novel.

About the Performer: Earphones award winner Natalie Ross is a native Texan. She has been a stage actor for over 20 years, and is the author of the children’s play Cat Tales: Thoughts from the Family Feline. She has narrated many audiobooks, including romances, thrillers, science fiction and young adult fiction. She currently resides in the Midwest with her husband, two sons and four cats.