Book Summary: Mexican Whiteboy By Matt De La Peña

In the novel, Mexican Whiteboy, by Matt de la Peña, a baseball obsessed half-Mexican and half-white teenage boy, Danny, visits his father’s family in National City, California. In the beginning, Danny, dressed in a Billabong shirt and Vans, meets all of his cousin’s friends. His cousin, Sofia, and all of her friends are joking around while Danny makes some observations. He feels that he is not Mexican enough to be in National City, but he also feels he isn’t white enough to be at the private school in San Diego that he attends. He notices a group of teenagers about his age playing baseball, and he instantly feels the urge to play. He notices a beautiful girl with a kid, and he gets a knot in his stomach. He looks between the girl and the game.

Uno, the Babe Ruth of National City, is sweeping the home run derby that the city’s kids hold every Saturday. They all put in money, and whoever wins keeps it all. Every kid in the area has a part in the derby, and Uno’s step-brother with special needs, Manny, is always the person who cheers no matter what. Uno hits a home run, so him and Manny celebrate. Uno is dancing when notices Sofia and a pretty boy, Danny, next to her.

Sofia and Danny go up to Uno, and Sofia pays for Danny to enter the derby. They agree that Danny will play after …show more content…
He yells at Uno for not taking out the trash, and Uno immediately leaves for his favorite liquor store afterwards. He runs into Danny and they talk about Kyle Sorenson and Uno’s new busboy job. Uno suggests they go to his spot by the train tracks. Uno explains how he throws five rocks at a sign near the track to see if a wish will come true. If three of the five rocks hit it, the wish will come true. Danny wishes to see his father, and all five rocks he throws hit the center of the sign. They then go down to the actual train tracks. They grab onto posts as the train flies by. They feel the power of the train and return