Firefly Summer is an enchanting poetic recreation of life in rural Puerto Rico at the turn of the century. Returning home to her parents’ plantation for the holidays, a young student rediscovers the quaint customs, music and lore of country folk, and the lush verdant beauty and lure of the tropical hills. Teresa is honored when her family initiates her in their traditional rites and celebrations that mark the seasons of the year as well as the stages in people’s lives.
However this idyllic journey is not without intrigue. Unknown to Teresa and her best friend from school, there is a real-life mystery unraveling concerning the foreman of the plantation who was raised by the family since early childhood. In the course of their sleuthing, the three young people discover the challenges of approaching adulthood. The events of the summer bind the trio in a lasting friendship.
Included in the 1996 Américas Commended List for Children and Young Adult Literature
“A welcome addition to collections.”—School Library Journal
A writer, folktale collector and puppeteer, PURA BELPRÉ was the first Puerto Rican librarian hired by the New York Public Library. Born and raised on the island, she came to the Mainland for her sister’s wedding in New York City in 1920 and lived there the rest of her life. She was a pioneer in library outreach to the Puerto Rican community, organizing bilingual story hours, buying books in Spanish and celebrating important cultural traditions and holidays. She wrote the first Juan Bobo story published in the U.S., Juan Bobo and the Queen’s Necklace: A Puerto Rican Folk Tale, which was published in 1962. Other books include A Rainbow-Colored Horse and Once in Puerto Rico. She died July 1, 1982. The Pura Belpré Award, the American Library Association’s award for Latino authors and illustrators, is named in her honor.
ATOS Interest Level: Lower/Middle Grades
Category: Intermediate Reader
ATOS English: 5.4
Accelerated Reader Quiz #: 35001
