Mexican WhiteBoy

Several fistfights, including one in which a man is brutally beaten and then run over with a car. After another fight, a boy needs stitches. A boy is hit in the face with a baseball bat, breaking his teeth and nose. Reference to spousal abuse. Danny deliberately cuts himself.

Some teen kissing, mentions of STDs, and mild sexual fantasies. Teens and adults make references to prostitution and masturbation, as well as getting "laid" or getting "slick." A teen boy and girl go into a bedroom together.

Teens and adults do plenty of swearing, such as "s--t," "f--k," "motherf----r," "bitch," "bastard," "ass," etc. Some racist language, including the slur "wetback," and a dark-skinned boy is called "blacky" and told to move his "black ass."

Teens and adults smoke cigarettes, marijuana, and drink wine, beer, hard liquor and get drunk. Adults laugh when they catch teens drinking beer. Little kids are given sips of alcohol.

Parents need to know that Matt de la Peña's novel Mexican WhiteBoy focuses on one summer in the life of a teen named Danny. With his mom and sister temporarily relocated to San Francisco, Danny spends his summer with cousins in National City, just outside of San Diego. Danny, whose mom is White and whose dad is Mexican American, wants very much to fit in with his dad's side of the family, but he feels out of place. Life in National City is portrayed as gritty, with teens swearing, drinking, and smoking marijuana, flirting and talking about sex. There's also significant violence in the novel. Several fistfights break out, a boy suffers an injury that requires stitches, and a man is beaten and hit by a car. Spousal abuse is also discussed. When he's unhappy, Danny engages in self-cutting. Many teens may identify with Danny's inner conflict about his identity, and his desire to fit in with family and friends who seem confident and connected. However, the novel's portrayal of Mexican Americans as violent drug and alcohol users can also be viewed as promoting stereotypes.