111 pages 3 hours read

Matt de la Peña

Mexican WhiteBoy

Fiction | Novel | YA | Published in 2008

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Introduction

Mexican WhiteBoy

  • Genre: Fiction; YA realistic
  • Originally Published: 2008
  • Reading Level/Interest: Lexile 680L; grades 9-12
  • Structure/Length: Approx. 249 pages; approx. 7 hours, 20 minutes on audio
  • Protagonist and Central Conflict: Sixteen-year-old Danny’s mother is white; his father is Mexican. Spending the summer with his father’s family in Mexico, he faces questions about personal identity and finding his place.
  • Potential Sensitivity Issues: Profanity; cultural identity issues, self-harm

Matt de la Peña, Author

  • Bio: Earned MFA in Creative Writing at San Diego University; writes YA novels, picture books, short fiction, and essays; earned the NCTE (National Council of Teachers of English) Intellectual Freedom Award (2016); awarded the Newbery Medal (2016) for his picture book, Last Stop on Market Street
  • Other Works: We Were Here (2009); The Living (2013); Superman: Dawnbreaker (2019)
  • Awards: Notable Books for a Global Society Selection (2009); ALA-YALSA Best Books for Young Adults (2009); Top Ten New Latino Authors to Watch and Read (2009)

CENTRAL THEMES connected and noted throughout this Teaching Unit:

  • Violence and Its Consequences
  • False Hope versus Real Hope
  • Physical Manifestations of Emotional Pain
  • The Limiting Nature of Homogeneous Groups

STUDY OBJECTIVES: In accomplishing the components of this Unit, students will:

  • Gain an understanding of the cultural contexts in which multiracial identity is shaped, which drives Danny’s struggle to acclimate to life in National City.

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By Matt de la Peña