What is the author's style in The Black Pearl by Scott O'Dell?

The author, Scott O'Dell, deliberately avoids stereotyping and increases the reader's rapport with the main characters by using translations for common Spanish words. The word "mate" is substituted for "amigo," giving Gaspar Ruiz a piratical air. In most instances, "celebration" is used for a fiesta, and "corn cakes" is always substituted for tortillas. The body of water commonly called the Sea of Cortez, after the Spanish explorer, is given its local name, the Vermillion Sea. By using English words closer to the actual meaning for the speakers, O'Dell allows the reader to understand the characters more fully. This is especially true of the protagonist, Ramun Salazar.