Mexican Whiteboy

Gr 9 Up—Danny is constantly out of place, or at least that's how he sees it. He has a gift for pitching-his lanky arms can throw a baseball fast enough to get noticed by any coach or college scout-but he loses his cool on the mount. His mother is a blue-eyed blonde, but the color of his skin sets him apart at the private school he attends in San Diego, where he isn't "white enough." He isn't "Mexican enough" for the barrio either though. He looks Mexican so everyone assumes he speaks Spanish, but he doesn't. He can throw a baseball 95 miles per hour but isn't on any team. All in all, he is out of place. When he spends the summer with relatives in his dad's old neighborhood, Danny becomes convinced that if he saves up enough money he can go to Mexico and find his father. Danny is desperate to find his place in this world and develop a sense of self, longings that will ring true with any teen. Narrator Herny Leyva effortlessly eases among various tones, accents, and languages, creating an audio experience with a lot of depth. This is an essential purchase for communities serving Latinos, urban, and reluctant readers.—Katie Llera, Bound Brook High School, NJ