A Matter of Pride and Other Stories Book

I'd heard so much about the prize named after Pura Belpre' that I decided to read one of her books. Firefly Summer is a children's book about life on a finca (plantation)in Puerto Rico. Teresa is allowed to leave school before the summer officially starts because of her excellent grades. She's excited to go home to her family's finca to see her father and her friends. Teresa lives through a hurricane and several different local celebrations which are described here with great love. She learns to make lace and enjoys having her best friend, Mercedes, stay with her for the summer. There is a mystery involving the family of a little boy taken in by the family and Teresa helps unearth more information. Some things in the book seem a little patronizing such as referring to the campesinos as peasants, even though other Puerto Rican words are used but all in all, this is a pleasant book about a long ago time in another country.