{"product_id":"mexican-whiteboy-9780440239383","title":"Mexican Whiteboy","description":"\u003cb\u003eNewbery Award-winning and \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling author Matt de la Peña's \u003ci\u003eMexican WhiteBoy\u003c\/i\u003e is a story of friendship, acceptance, and the struggle to find your identity in a world of definitions\u003c\/b\u003e. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eDanny is 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. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eBut at his private school, they don't expect much else from him. Danny is 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. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eThat's why he's spending the summer with his dad's family. But 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. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eMatt de la Peña's critically acclaimed novel is an intimate and moving story that offers hope to those who least expect it.\u003cb\u003e \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\"[A] first-rate exploration of self-identity.\" --\u003ci\u003eSLJ\u003c\/i\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\"\u003cb\u003eUnique in its gritty realism and honest portrayal of the complexities of life for inner-city teens\u003c\/b\u003e...de la Peña poignantly conveys the message that, despite obstacles, you must believe in yourself and shape your own future.\" --\u003ci\u003eThe Horn Book Magazine\u003c\/i\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\"\u003cb\u003eThe baseball scenes...sizzle like Danny's fastball.\u003c\/b\u003e Danny's struggle to find his place will speak strongly to all teens, but especially to those of mixed race.\" --\u003ci\u003eBooklist\u003c\/i\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003e\"De la Peña blends sports and street together in a satisfying search for personal identity.\"\u003c\/b\u003e --\u003ci\u003eKirkus Reviews \u003c\/i\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\"\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eMexican WhiteBoy\u003c\/i\u003e...shows that no matter what obstacles you face, you can still reach your dreams with a positive attitude. \u003c\/b\u003eThis is more than a book about a baseball player--this is a book about life.\" --Curtis Granderson, New York Mets outfielder \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003eAn ALA-YALSA Top Ten Best Book for Young Adults \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eA Junior Library Guild Selection\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMatt 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. \u003ci\u003eMexican WhiteBoy\u003c\/i\u003e is his first novel. Look for his other books, \u003ci\u003eBall Don't Lie\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003e\u003ci\u003eWe Were Here, \u003c\/i\u003eI Will Save You\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eThe Living\u003c\/i\u003e, which was named a Pura Belpré Honor Book, and \u003ci\u003eThe Hunted\u003c\/i\u003e, all available from Delacorte Press. You can also visit him at mattdelapena.com and follow @mattdelapena on Twitter.\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Ember","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50600377712914,"sku":"9780440239383","price":9.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_3571db94-634c-4a67-9df2-87708d8c4e42.jpg?v=1732212744","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/mexican-whiteboy-9780440239383","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}