On the eve of World War II, African American boxer Joe Louis fought German Max Schmeling in a bout that had more at stake than just the world heavyweight title; for much of America their fight came to represent America’s war with Germany. This elegant and powerful picture book biography centers around the historic fight in which Black and White America were able to put aside prejudice and come together to celebrate our nation’s ideals.

A 2019 Bank Street Best Children’s Picture Book of the Year in Spanish

En el comienzo hay luz,
y dos siluetas de grandes ojos
al pie de tu cuna,
y el sonido de sus voces es amor.

Amor es la melodía que nos acompaña todos y cada uno de los días de nuestra vida. Ya sea el suave arrullo de nuestros padres a la hora de dormir, la risa divertida que provoca un cuento inventado por nuestro tío o el abrazo cálido de un ser querido que nos tranquiliza, es un sentimiento que toma diferentes formas y un lazo que nos une a todos.

En esta emotiva celebración del amor, Matt de la Peña, autor ganador de la Medalla Newbery, y Loren Long, renombrado ilustrador y de gran éxito en ventas, describen las diferentes maneras en que experimentamos este vínculo universal. Con emotivas ilustraciones y un susurrante texto lírico, esta tierna historia nos brinda tranquilidad y también un nuevo clásico que calará hondo en los lectores de todas las edades.

Love:

“In the beginning there is light
and two wide-eyed figures standing near the foot of your bed
and the sound of their voices is love.
…
A cab driver plays love softly on his radio
while you bounce in back with the bumps of the city
and everything smells new, and it smells like life.”

In this heartfelt celebration of love, Newbery Medal-winning author Matt de la Peña and bestselling illustrator Loren Long depict the many ways we experience this universal bond, which carries us from the day we are born throughout the years of our childhood and beyond. With a lyrical text that’s soothing and inspiring, this tender tale is a needed comfort and a new classic that will resonate with readers of every age.

Desde las calles de Stockton hasta las playas de Venice Beach, y hasta la frontera con México, Aquí estuvimos narra el viaje de autodescubrimiento de un niño que intenta perdonarse a sí mismo en un mundo implacable.

Cuando sucedió, a Miguel lo enviaron al centro de detención juvenil. El juez lo sentenció a un año en una casa hogar para menores; dijo que tenía que escribir en un diario para que algún consejero pudiera tratar de entender su forma de pensar. El juez no tenía idea de que en realidad le había hecho un favor a Miguel. Desde que sucedió, su madre ni siquiera había podido mirarlo a la cara. Cualquier hogar que no fuese el suyo sería un lugar mejor para vivir.

Pero Miguel jamás pensó que conocería a Rondell y a Mong, y en todo lo que sucedería cuando huyesen. Solo pensó en llegar a la frontera con México, donde podría empezar de nuevo. Olvidar a su mamá. Olvidar a su hermano. Olvidarse de sí mismo.

Sin embargo, la vida no suele funcionar como uno cree. Y la mayoría de las veces, escapar te lleva de regreso al mismo lugar del que una vez huiste.

ENGLISH DESCRIPTION

Newbery Award-winning author Matt de la Peña’s We Were Here is a fast, funny, smart, and heartbreaking” (Booklist) novel repackaged for a new generation of readers. A Vintage Español Original.
 
When it happened, Miguel was sent to Juvi. The judge gave him a year in a group home–said he had to write in a journal so some counselor could try to figure out how he thinks. The judge had no idea that he actually did Miguel a favor. Ever since it happened, his mom can’t even look at him in the face. Any home besides his would be a better place to live.
 
But Miguel didn’t bet on meeting Rondell or Mong or on any of what happened after they broke out. He only thought about Mexico and getting to the border to where he could start over. Forget his mom. Forget his brother. Forget himself.
 
Life usually doesn’ t work out how you think it will, though. And most of the time, running away is the quickest path right back to what you’re running from.
 
From the streets of Stockton to the beaches of Venice, all the way to the Mexican border, Aquí estuvimos follows a journey of self-discovery by a boy who is trying to forgive himself in an unforgiving world.

Newbery Award-winning and New York Times bestselling author Matt de la Pena’s Ball Don’t Lie “is a must-read.” [The Bulletin]

   Sticky is a beat-around-the-head foster kid with nowhere to call home but the street, and an outer shell so tough that no one will take him in. He started out life so far behind the pack that the finish line seems nearly unreachable. He’s a white boy living and playing in a world where he doesn’t seem to belong.
    But Sticky can ball. And basketball might just be his ticket out . . . if he can only realize that he doesn’t have to be the person everyone else expects him to be.
    Matt de la Peña’s breakout urban masterpiece, Ball Don’t Lie takes place where the street and the court meet and where a boy can be anything if he puts his mind to it.

★“[An] inspiring story. Sticky is a true original, and de la Peña has skillfully brought him to life.”-School Library Journal, Starred

“Riveting…Teens will be strongly affected by the unforgettable…basketball action; and the questions about race, love, self-worth, and what it means to build a life without advantages.”-Booklist

“Stunningly realistic.”-VOYA

“Gritty and mesmerizing.“-Kirkus Reviews

“I have never before seen blacktop ball depicted so well. In this novel, you will find its flash, its power, and its elegance without chains. This is powerful stuff.”-Antawn Jamison, forward for the Los Angeles Clippers

“Truly authentic in its examination of both the game I love and the invariable missteps toward manhood. You cannot fail to be moved by the eloquence and truth of this story.“-Rick Fox, former forward for the Los Angeles Lakers

An ALA Best Book for Young Adults

An ALA Quick Pick for Reluctant Readers

An Instant New York Times Bestseller!

In Matt de la Peña and Christian Robinson’s first collaboration since the Newbery Medal- and Caldecott Honor-winning Last Stop on Market Street comes a poignant and timely new book that’s sure to be an instant classic: now adapted for audio, with narration by the author

When Carmela wakes up on her birthday, her wish has already come true–she’s finally old enough to join her big brother as he does the family errands. Together, they travel through their neighborhood, past the crowded bus stop, the fenced-off repair shop, and the panadería, until they arrive at the Laundromat, where Carmela finds a lone dandelion growing in the pavement. But before she can blow its white fluff away, her brother tells her she has to make a wish. If only she can think of just the right wish to make . . .

With lyrical, stirring text and evocative narration, Matt de la Peña and Christian Robinson have delivered a moving ode to family, to dreamers, and to finding hope in the most unexpected places.

Benny’s friend Ray come up with his craziest invention idea yet: a machine that grants wishes. But when Benny realizes he has some wishes that need granting, he starts to wonder if it might just work. A short story from Guys Read: Thriller, edited by Jon Scieszka.

Every Sunday after church, CJ and his grandma ride the bus across town. But today, CJ wonders why they don’t own a car like his friend Colby. Why doesn’t he have an iPod like the boys on the bus? How come they always have to get off in the dirty part of town? Each question is met with an encouraging answer from grandma, who helps him see the beauty-and fun-in their routine and the world around them.

Los deseos de Carmela

Hasta ahora el cumpleaños de Carmela no puede ser mejor. Hoy es lo suficientemente mayor para acompañar a su hermano en su recorrido por la ciudad. Y la tarde que pasan juntos se llena con la magia de lo que ven a su alrededor:
desde el brillante sol de los campos hasta las golosinas en la vidriera de la panadería. Pero cuando recoge un diente de león que crece en el concreto, se pregunta qué otra cosa podría desear … y decide entonces salir en busca del deseo perfecto.

En esta nueva colaboración, Matt de la Peña y Christian Robinson, galardonados por su trabajo en Última parada de la calle Market, que ganó la Medalla Newbery y Mención de Honor Caldecott por la edición en inglés, han creado una oda, conmovedora y actual, al coraje de los soñadores y al poder de la esperanza.

Carmela Full of Wishes

An Instant New York Times Bestseller!

In Matt de la Peña and Christian Robinson’s first collaboration since the Newbery Medal- and Caldecott Honor-winning Last Stop on Market Street comes a poignant and timely new book that’s sure to be an instant classic: now adapted for audio, with narration by the author

When Carmela wakes up on her birthday, her wish has already come true–she’s finally old enough to join her big brother as he does the family errands. Together, they travel through their neighborhood, past the crowded bus stop, the fenced-off repair shop, and the panadería, until they arrive at the Laundromat, where Carmela finds a lone dandelion growing in the pavement. But before she can blow its white fluff away, her brother tells her she has to make a wish. If only she can think of just the right wish to make . . .

With lyrical, stirring text and evocative narration, Matt de la Peña and Christian Robinson have delivered a moving ode to family, to dreamers, and to finding hope in the most unexpected places.

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

“[A] poetic reckoning of the importance of love in a child’s life . . . eloquent and moving.”—People

“Everything that can be called love — from shared joy to comfort in the darkness — is gathered in the pages of this reassuring, refreshingly honest picture book.”—The New York Times Book Review, Editors’ Choice / Staff Picks From the Book Review

“Lyrical and sensitive, ‘Love’ is the sort of book likely to leave readers of all ages a little tremulous, and brimming with feeling.”—The Wall Street Journal

From Newbery Medal-winning author Matt de la Peña and bestselling illustrator Loren Long comes a story about the strongest bond there is and the diverse and powerful ways it connects us all.

“In the beginning there is light
and two wide-eyed figures standing near the foot of your bed
and the sound of their voices is love.
…
A cab driver plays love softly on his radio
while you bounce in back with the bumps of the city
and everything smells new, and it smells like life.”

In this heartfelt celebration of love, Newbery Medal-winning author Matt de la Peña and bestselling illustrator Loren Long depict the many ways we experience this universal bond, which carries us from the day we are born throughout the years of our childhood and beyond. With a lyrical text that’s soothing and inspiring, this tender tale is a needed comfort and a new classic that will resonate with readers of every age.

Milo hace un largo viaje en metro. Para pasar el tiempo, observa a la gente a su alrededor y hace dibujos de cómo se imagina que son sus vidas.
 
Está el hombre de bigotes con un crucigrama; Milo lo dibuja jugando al solitario en un apartamento desordenado. Está la mujer vestida de novia; Milo la dibuja en una gran ceremonia en la catedral. Y luego está el chico del traje; Milo lo dibuja llegando a su hogar, que es un castillo.
 
¿Pero qué pasa si la vida de cada uno es diferente de lo que Milo imaginó inicialmente?
 
De los creadores galardonados Matt de la Peña y Christian Robinson nos llega este oportuno e importante álbum ilustrado sobre cómo no se puede conocer realmente la historia de alguien con solo mirarlo.

Milo Imagines the World:
The team behind the Newbery Medal winner and Caldecott Honor book Last Stop on Market Street and the award-winning New York Times bestseller Carmela Full of Wishes once again delivers a poignant and timely picture book that’s sure to become an instant classic.

Milo is on a long subway ride with his older sister. To pass the time, he studies the faces around him and makes pictures of their lives. There’s the whiskered man with the crossword puzzle; Milo imagines him playing solitaire in a cluttered apartment full of pets. There’s the wedding-dressed woman with a little dog peeking out of her handbag; Milo imagines her in a grand cathedral ceremony. And then there’s the boy in the suit with the bright white sneakers; Milo imagines him arriving home to a castle with a drawbridge and a butler. But when the boy in the suit gets off on the same stop as Milo–walking the same path, going to the exact same place–Milo realizes that you can’t really know anyone just by looking at them.

The team behind the Newbery Medal winner and Caldecott Honor book Last Stop on Market Street and the award-winning New York Times bestseller Carmela Full of Wishes once again delivers a poignant and timely children’s book that’s sure to become an instant classic.

Milo is on a long subway ride with his older sister. To pass the time, he studies the faces around him and makes pictures of their lives. There’s the whiskered man with the crossword puzzle; Milo imagines him playing solitaire in a cluttered apartment full of pets. There’s the wedding-dressed woman with a little dog peeking out of her handbag; Milo imagines her in a grand cathedral ceremony. And then there’s the boy in the suit with the bright white sneakers; Milo imagines him arriving home to a castle with a drawbridge and a butler. But when the boy in the suit gets off on the same stop as Milo—walking the same path, going to the exact same place—Milo realizes that you can’t really know anyone just by looking at them.

From a Newbery Medal-winning author comes a deeply moving ode to the complexity and uniqueness of every child.

In profound, uplifting verse, beloved author Matt de la Peña explores the endless possibilities each child contains: A young dancer may grow into a computer coder; a basketball player might become a poet; a class clown may one day serve as an inspiring teacher; and today’s quiet empath might be tomorrow’s great leader. Here’s a profound and uplifting new classic with an empowering message for listeners of all ages: Your story is still being written.

Pocho es una historia de amistad, aceptación y la lucha por encontrar tu identidad en el mundo.

Danny es alto y delgado. A pesar de no ser fuerte, sus brazos son lo suficientemente largos como para lanzar un balón de fútbol americano con tanta fuerza, que cualquier cazatalentos lo contrataría sin pensarlo dos veces. Pero Danny ni siquiera es parte de un equipo. Cada vez que se entra en el campo, es como si perdiera sus poderes.

Pero eso no tiene importancia. No es como si en la escuela privada a la que va esperen mucho de el. Danny es morenito. Y crecer en San Diego, una ciudad tan cercana a la frontera, significa que todo el mundo sabe exactamente quien es, incluso antes de pronunciar una palabra. Antes de saber que Danny no habla español y que su mamá es rubia y de ojos azules, ya todos han formado una impresión de el. Incluso el mismo. De hecho, Danny está convencido de que las discrepancias entre su piel y su cultura han sido la causa de que su padre haya regresado a México.

Por eso pasará el verano con la familia de su papá. Pero para encontrarse a sí mismo, primero tendrá que enfrentarse a los demonios que tanto ha evadido, y tendrá que aceptar abrirse a una amistad jamás imagino que formaría.

ENGLISH DESCRIPTION

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 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.

But 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.

That’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.

Matt de la Peña’s critically acclaimed novel is an intimate and moving story that offers hope to those who least expect it.

An ALA-YALSA Top Ten Best Book for Young Adults

A Junior Library Guild Selection

Del autor ganador de la Medalla Newbery, Matt de la Peña, llega esta profundamente conmovedora oda a las infinitas posibilidades que cada niño promete:
 
Una joven bailarina podría convertirse un día en programadora.
 
Un jugador de baloncesto podría convertirse en poeta.
 
La chistosa de la clase podría llegar a ser una  maestra inspiradora.
 
Y la niña silenciosa y solidaria de hoy podría ser la gran líder del mañana.
 
Un clásico nuevo, profundo y edificante, con un mensaje de empoderamiento para lectores de todas las edades: tu historia aún se está escribiendo.

ENGLISH DESCRIPTION

From a Newbery Medal-winning author comes a deeply moving ode to the complexity and uniqueness of every child.

In profound, uplifting verse, beloved author Matt de la Peña explores the endless possibilities each child contains: A young dancer may grow into a computer coder; a basketball player might become a poet; a class clown may one day serve as an inspiring teacher; and today’s quiet empath might be tomorrow’s great leader. Here’s a profound and uplifting new classic with an empowering message for listeners of all ages: Your story is still being written.

The blockbuster DC Icons series that began with Leigh Bardugo’s Wonder Woman, Marie Lu’s Batman, and Sarah J. Maas’s Catwoman continues with the story of the world’s first super hero–SUPERMAN–from award-winning and #1 New York Times bestselling author MATT DE LA PEÑA.

When the dawn breaks, a hero rises.

His power is beyond imagining.
Clark Kent has always been faster, stronger–better–than everyone around him. But he wasn’t raised to show off, and drawing attention to himself could be dangerous. Plus, it’s not like he’s earned his powers . . . yet.
But power comes with a price.
Lately it’s difficult to hold back and keep his heroics in the shadows. When Clark follows the sound of a girl crying, he comes across Gloria Alvarez and discovers a dark secret lurking in Smallville. Turns out, Clark’s not the only one hiding something. Teaming up with his best friend, Lana Lang, he throws himself into the pursuit of the truth. What evil lies below the surface of his small town? And what will it cost Clark to learn about his past as he steps into the light to become the future Man of Steel? Because before he can save the world, he must save Smallville.

Don’t miss the rest of the DC Icons series! Listen to the books in any order you choose:
  *  Wonder Woman: Warbringer by Leigh Bardugo
  *  Batman: Nightwalker by Marie Lu
  *  Catwoman: Soulstealer by Sarah J. Maas

“Yo te salvaré de Matt de la Peña, obra ganadora de la medalla Newbery, es una “novela conmovedora que hace alentar y apoyar a los más débiles y desamparados.” -SLJ

Kidd huye de su pasado y su futuro. No tiene ni mamá ni papá, siente que no le beneficia de nada estar en el hogar de acogida para jóvenes donde vive, más que las terapias que recibe ahí. Tampoco siente que forma parte de la comunidad de la playa donde trabaja, a menos que encuentre una razón para quedarse.

Olivia es rubia, tiene ojos azules y un padre adinerado. Es la chica más guapa de Cardiff. Ella le oculta algo a Kidd, pero ¿podrían alguna vez estar juntos de todos modos?

Devon trata mal a las personas, es misterioso e impulsado por un deseo de muerte. Es un mejor amigo y un peor enemigo a la vez. Siguió a Kidd hasta la playa y no se irá hasta que le enseñe algunas lecciones de vida. Y a Olivia.

“Una novela psicológicamente tensa […] con personajes intrigantes y bien desarrollados … [que] permanecerán en las mentes de los lectores.” –Booklist

“De la Peña captura hábilmente los lados resbaladizos de una personalidad esquizofrénica en esta novela conmovedora que hace alentar y apoyar a los más débiles y desamparados.” -SLJ

Finalista al Premio Amelia Elizabeth
Nombrado “Mejor libro para jóvenes” por el ALA-YALSA
Seleccionado como “Quick Pick” por el ALA-YALSA
Selección del Junior Library Guild

ENGLISH DESCRIPTION

Newbery Medal-winning author Matt de la Peña’s I Will Save You is a heartwarming, root-for-the-underdog novel. [SLJ]

Kidd is running from his past and his future. No mom, no dad, and there’s nothing for him at the group home but therapy. He doesn’t belong at the beach where he works either, unless he finds a reason to stay.

Olivia is blond hair, blue eyes, rich dad. The prettiest girl in Cardiff. She’s hiding something from Kidd–but could they ever be together anyway?

Devon is mean, mysterious, and driven by a death wish. A best friend and worst enemy. He followed Kidd all the way to the beach and he’s not leaving until he teaches him a few lessons about life. And Olivia.

A taut psychological novel…[with] intriguing, well-developed characters…[that] will stay with readers. –Booklist

De la Peña skillfully captures the slippery sides of a schizophrenic personality in this heartwarming, root-for-the-underdog novel. –SLJ

An Amelia Elizabeth Walden Award Finalist
ALA-YALSA Best Book for Young Readers
An ALA-YALSA Quick Pick
A Junior Library Guild Selection