In the Shade of the Nispero Tree

by Carmen T. Bernier-Grand

When her mother wants her to be part of the high society world in their native Puerto Rico, Teresa attends a private school but loses her best friend.

All Teresa and her best friend and classmate Ana think about is winning the contest for the Junior Queen and Princess of their town in Ponce, Puerto Rico. But Tere's mother has different ideas for her only daughter. She wants her to be part of La Sociedad, "high society," and go to a fancy private school.

At first Tere doesn't want to leave her school friends to follow her mother's dream. She knows her parents can't afford the luxuries the rich girls take for granted. But when Tere gets into trouble and has a fight with Ana, she quickly changes her mind. Now she finds herself caught between two worlds.

Genres: Cultural, Fiction

192 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1999

About the author

Carmen T. Bernier-Grand is a national award winning author of eleven books for children and young adults. She teaches writing at the Whidbey Island MFA, a program of Northwest Literary Arts, at Writers in the Schools, a program of Oregon Literary Arts, and at Wordstock.

In 2008, The Oregon Library Association's Children's Division gave her the Evelyn Lampman Award for her significant contribution to the children of Oregon in the field of children's literature.

Bernier-Grand was born in Puerto Rico but lives in Portland, Oregon with her husband, Jeremy Grand, and her bilingual dog, Lily.

(source)

Reviews

[Salsabrarian]

Teresa and Ana are best friends at Cordero School in Ponce. Ana is dark-skinned and Teresa is unaware that her Mami has a problem with that. Mami is very concerned about Teresa becoming part of "high society" and wanting her to attend La Academia, an exclusive private school for girls. After Teresa has a falling out with her friends at Cordero, she decides to attend La Academia, much to Mami's pleasure. But being high society doesn't make someone a better person as Teresa finds out.

[Nivea Torres · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novel is set in the early 1960s in Ponce, Puerto Rico 🇵🇷 and it provides a colorful account into the traditions, songs, and sweet delights that many Puerto Rican children grew up with. Tere and Ana are two childhood friends who find themselves torn between their friendship and differences in class and race. Highly recommended for middle school children and for adults who are wanting to reminisce of childhood memories in Puerto Rico.

[Sheelie Kittee · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wished the characters had been given perhaps more depth. but otherwise it was a lovely story, some good moral lessons here too.

I liked this one exerpt in particular to write down:

- Tell me why the insults fly.
Telll me why a child must cry.
And what is the color of our souls
Is it the color of laughter and love?
Is it the hue of a rainbow above?
Is it the image we fail to see?
Love for mankind is my fantasy.

[idiomatic · Rating 4 out of 5]

i have obviously not read this since i was a kid and i remember functionally nothing of the content now but i would check it out almost monthly from the library back in the day