Matthew de la Peña is an American writer of
children's books
A child (plural, : children) is a human being between the stages of childbirth, birth and puberty, or between the Development of the human body, developmental period of infancy and puberty. The legal definition of ''child'' generally refers ...
who specializes in novels for young adults. He won the
Newbery Medal
The John Newbery Medal, frequently shortened to the Newbery, is a literary award given by the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), to the author of "the most distinguished contr ...
in 2016 for his book ''
Last Stop on Market Street''.
Biography
A
San Diego, California
San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the eighth most populous city in the United States ...
, native, Matt de la Peña received his BA from
University of the Pacific, which he attended on a
basketball scholarship. He then received his MFA in creative writing from
San Diego State University
San Diego State University (SDSU) is a public research university in San Diego, California. Founded in 1897 as San Diego Normal School, it is the third-oldest university and southernmost in the 23-member California State University (CSU) system ...
.
De la Peña wrote ''Mexican WhiteBoy'' in 2008, drawing on his own teenage passion for sports and Mexican heritage. The novel was banned from classrooms in
Tucson
, "(at the) base of the black ill
, nicknames = "The Old Pueblo", "Optics Valley", "America's biggest small town"
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,
Arizona
Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...
, starting in 2012, when lawmakers passed laws to remove materials containing "
critical race theory
Critical race theory (CRT) is a cross-disciplinary examination, by social and civil-rights scholars and activists, of how laws, social and political movements, and media shape, and are shaped by, social conceptions of race and ethnicity. Goa ...
," until 2017, when the court ruled the law violated the constitutional rights of Mexican American students.
In 2016, de la Peña was honored with the
National Council of Teachers of English
The National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) is a United States professional organization dedicated to "improving the teaching and learning of English and the language arts at all levels of education. Since 1911, NCTE has provided a forum ...
(NCTE) National Intellectual Freedom Award. In 2015, he wrote ''
Last Stop on Market Street'' which won the 2016
Newbery Medal
The John Newbery Medal, frequently shortened to the Newbery, is a literary award given by the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), to the author of "the most distinguished contr ...
. In 2021, he published ''Milo Imagines the World'', which was named to the 2022 Bank Street Children's Best Books of the Year List with an "Outstanding Merit" distinction and shared the Committee's
Josette Frank Award The Josette Frank Award is an American children's literary award for fiction given annually by the Children's Book Committee at Bank Street College of Education. It "honors a book or books of outstanding literary merit in which children or young peo ...
with
Angeline Boulley's
Firekeeper's Daughter
''Firekeeper's Daughter'' is a young adult (YA) novel by Angeline Boulley, published March 16, 2021, by Henry Holt and Co. The book is a ''New York Times'' best seller.
The book follows Daunis Fontaine, a half-native, half-white young adult w ...
.
, he resides in Southern California.
He teaches creative writing at San Diego State University.
Books
References
External links
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2005 ALA-YALSA Best Book for Young Adults2006 ALA-YALSA Quick Picks for Reluctant Readers2009 ALA-YALSA Best Books for Young Adults2010 ALA-YALSA Best Books for Young Adults2010 ALA-YALSA Quick Picks for Reluctant Readers2011 ALA-YALSA Quick Picks for Reluctant Readers
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pena, Matt de la
Living people
21st-century American novelists
American young adult novelists
American male novelists
Pacific Tigers men's basketball players
San Diego State University alumni
Year of birth missing (living people)
Place of birth missing (living people)
Newbery Medal winners
21st-century American male writers
American men's basketball players