Mexican WhiteBoy

Matt de la Peña

Aug 2008 · Sold by Delacorte Press

About this ebook

Newbery Award-winning and New York Times bestselling author Matt de la Peña's Mexican WhiteBoy is a story of friendship, acceptance, and the struggle to find your identity in a world of definitions.

Danny's tall and skinny. Even though he’s not built, his arms are long enough to give his pitch a power so fierce any college scout would sign him on the spot. Ninety-five mile an hour fastball, but the boy’s not even on a team. Every time he gets up on the mound he loses it.
   But at his private school, they don’t expect much else from him. Danny’ s brown. Half-Mexican brown. And growing up in San Diego that close to the border means everyone else knows exactly who he is before he even opens his mouth. Before they find out he can’t speak Spanish, and before they realize his mom has blond hair and blue eyes, they’ve got him pegged. But it works the other way too. And Danny’s convinced it’s his whiteness that sent his father back to Mexico.
   That’s why he’s spending the summer with his dad’s family. Only, to find himself, he may just have to face the demons he refuses to see--the demons that are right in front of his face. And open up to a friendship he never saw coming.
   Matt de la Peña's critically acclaimed novel is an intimate and moving story that offers hope to those who least expect it.

"[A] first-rate exploration of self-identity."-SLJ

"Unique in its gritty realism and honest portrayal of the complexities of life for inner-city teens...De la Peña poignantly conveys the message that, despite obstacles, you must believe in yourself and shape your own future."-The Horn Book Magazine

"The baseball scenes...sizzle like Danny's fastball...Danny's struggle to find his place will speak strongly to all teens, but especially to those of mixed race."-Booklist

"De la Peña blends sports and street together in a satisfying search for personal identity."-Kirkus Reviews

"Mexican WhiteBoy...shows that no matter what obstacles you face, you can still reach your dreams with a positive attitude. This is more than a book about a baseball player--this is a book about life."-Curtis Granderson, New York Mets outfielder

An ALA-YALSA Top Ten Best Book for Young Adults

A Junior Library Guild Selection

Ratings and reviews

Danny lopez is a confused high school student who wants desperately to find his real father, he is half white and half mexican and is not sure where exactly he fits in. He decides to spend his summer with his Mexican relatives and spends most of it practicing baseball. This is a story of coming out of your shell and growing into your own skin, discovering who you are and being proud of it. Grades 8-12.

Pretty would book that is really capable of connect with many of the Latino american living in the U.S. the author has many Elements in this book that helps connect you connect with the book. It also has a iceberg technique at the end that lives you hanging and wanting more. Overall its an average book.

Great book for high schoolers. A middle schooler could comprehend the story, but the content would be a bit mature for that age group.

About the author

Matt de la Peña is the first Mexican American author to win the Newbery Medal. He attended the University of the Pacific on a basketball scholarship and went on to earn a Master of Fine Arts in creative writing at San Diego State University. He lives in Brooklyn, New York, where he teaches creative writing. Mexican WhiteBoy is his first novel. Look for his other books, Ball Don't Lie, We Were Here, I Will Save You, The Living, which was named a Pura Belpré Honor Book, and The Hunted, all available from Delacorte Press. You can also visit him at mattdelapena.com and follow @mattdelapena on Twitter.