Pocho es una historia de amistad, aceptaci n 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 bal n de f tbol americano con tanta fuerza, que cualquier cazatalentos lo contratar a 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 espa ol y que su mam es rubia y de ojos azules, ya todos han formado una impresi n de el. Incluso el mismo. De hecho, Danny est convencido de que las discrepancias entre su piel y su cultura han sido la causa de que su padre haya regresado a M xico.

Por eso pasar el verano con la familia de su pap . Pero para encontrarse a s mismo, primero tendr que enfrentarse a los demonios que tanto ha evadido, y tendr que aceptar abrirse a una amistad jam s imagino que formar a.

ENGLISH DESCRIPTION

Newbery Award-winning and New York Times bestselling author Matt de la Pe a'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 Pe a'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

It's the summer before his senior year, and Dustin can't wait to take a special trip to Japan with his high school baseball team. His plans are quickly dashed by the sudden death of his similarly athletic cousin. As someone focused on fitness, Dustin is deeply shaken by this loss. While attending his very first funeral, Dustin meets Andrea, the new stepdaughter of a distant relative who seems to have a playlist for every occasion. At first, Dustin dislikes her. But as the summer continues, death seems to be stalking them both. More funerals crop up, one after another, challenging Dustin's sense of stability. Andrea is there at every gathering, each with its own flair and antics by quirky family members, trying to find meaning in the madness alongside Dustin. As they reflect on life, death, and music, they learn to embrace the weird ways people cope--and find a path forward.

In his senior year of high school, late bloomer Ryan Ward has just begun to feel the magic of baseball--the thrill of catching a wicked slider, of throwing a runner out, of training hard and playing hard. His friend Josh, the star of the team, has helped Ryan push his limits. But when Josh clearly pushes the limits too far, Ryan is faced with a heartbreaking dilemma: he must choose between his love for the game and his sense of integrity.

In this riveting story about baseball and brotherhood, a boy from the wrong side of the tracks finds himself pitching his way out of poverty--one strike at a time. By a premier author of provocative YA sports novels (The Bulletin).

Lazarus Laz Weathers has always been shy, and his issue with stuttering when he speaks hasn't helped. Stuck in a Seattle trailer park, Laz finds baseball helps him escape from the world of poverty and drugs. When he gets an opportunity to pitch for the rich kids across town, he has a chance to get drafted by the major leagues.

But playing for the other team means leaving behind his family, including Antonio, Laz's younger brother, who more and more, seems to be drawn to the dark world of the Jet City's drug ring. Now Laz will have to choose between being the star pitcher he always dreamed of becoming and the team player his family needs.

As the Braves prepare for the championship game, they are faced with some shocking news when it comes down to the last game of the season. The team struggles to find out who will play what position after the loss of one of their teammates. However, soon enough, the Braves learn it's not about winning but coming together as a team.

Just Like My Dad 2 also explores the impact of fathers, both in and out of these kids' lives. Father figures are everywhere, but how often can fathers become absent and other family members step in to fill the void?

That is the situation for many of these players. That is where Coach Carl and Coach Mike step in. For a lot of the players, they are the ones they look up to and lean on in the difficult times within their own families. Can these families reconnect through open communication and strengthen their bond?

Along everyone's journey during the baseball season, can Coach Carl and Coach Mike prepare the team for an unbelievable game as they learn to stick together and find strength in each other?

Discover the power of teamwork, friendship, and overcoming adversity on and off the baseball field.

It's the summer before his senior year, and Dustin can't wait to take a special trip to Japan with his high school baseball team. His plans are quickly dashed by the sudden death of his similarly athletic cousin. As someone focused on fitness, Dustin is deeply shaken by this loss. While attending his very first funeral, Dustin meets Andrea, the new stepdaughter of a distant relative who seems to have a playlist for every occasion. At first, Dustin dislikes her. But as the summer continues, death seems to be stalking them both. More funerals crop up, one after another, challenging Dustin's sense of stability. Andrea is there at every gathering, each with its own flair and antics by quirky family members, trying to find meaning in the madness alongside Dustin. As they reflect on life, death, and music, they learn to embrace the weird ways people cope--and find a path forward.

This funny and poignant novel celebrates the power of writing to help young people make sense of their lives and unlock and confront their problems. -- School Library Journal (starred review)

When MVP Kevin Boland gets the news that he has mono and won't be seeing a baseball field for a while, he suddenly finds himself scrawling a poem down the middle of a page in his journal. To get some help, he cops a poetry book from his dad's den -- and before Kevin knows it, he's writing in verse about stuff like, Will his jock friends give up on him? What's the deal with girlfriends? Surprisingly enough, after his health improves, he keeps on writing, about the smart-talking Latina girl who thinks poets are cool, and even about his mother, whose death is a still-tender loss. Written in free verse with examples of several poetic forms slipped into the mix, including a sonnet, haiku, pastoral, and even a pantoum, this funny, poignant story by a master of dialogue is an English teacher's dream -- sure to hook poetry lovers, baseball fanatics, mono recoverers, and everyone in between.

Twelve-year-old Danny thinks that there is something very familiar about the girl who plays shortstop on the team he faces during the championship series, and his curiosity leads him to a surprising discovery about his own adoption.

Like the game of baseball, life is quirky and unpredictable, as Shane Hunter discovers in the spring of his sophomore year. Suddenly and without warning his life of privilege is turned upside down. And just as suddenly, life begins to seem utterly without fairness or purpose to him.
Exciting, well-written sports scenes transport readers right into the stands while complex issues engage their hearts and minds. For here is a novel of loss, of morality, and of the rare, redemptive power of baseball. Can speaking the truth really determine lives? Just how does one accept, move on, and begin doing the right thing?

In this riveting story about baseball and brotherhood, a boy from the wrong side of the tracks finds himself pitching his way out of poverty--one strike at a time. By a premier author of provocative YA sports novels (The Bulletin).

Lazarus Laz Weathers has always been shy, and his issue with stuttering when he speaks hasn't helped. Stuck in a Seattle trailer park, Laz finds baseball helps him escape from the world of poverty and drugs. When he gets an opportunity to pitch for the rich kids across town, he has a chance to get drafted by the major leagues.

But playing for the other team means leaving behind his family, including Antonio, Laz's younger brother, who more and more, seems to be drawn to the dark world of the Jet City's drug ring. Now Laz will have to choose between being the star pitcher he always dreamed of becoming and the team player his family needs.

A struggling minor league baseball pitcher is suddenly unhittable. But why? Tommy Browning is hopelessly trapped in his baseball dream. Wallowing in Single A with the Macon Peaches, he doesn't know if he'll ever make The Show--the major leagues--or if his dream of a professional career is even worth pursuing. But fate steps in and the 21-year-old pitcher is launched on a roller-coaster ride that he can't control, much less understand. He has The Gift, but can he keep it?

With everything she loves on the line, she faces the ultimate challenge...

Haunted by her missing father and wishing her family would treat her like an adult, seventeen-year-old softball pitcher River Harte is most alive when she's zipping the ball past opposing batters. She's thrilled when she earns a scholarship to play for her dream coach, but after arriving at college, she's flustered when her math tutor turns out to be the hot guy she kissed over the summer.

Battling to keep her grades up and deal with a jealous rival pitcher, River has to dig deep to excel against the elite-level competition. But when tragedy strikes, and a suspension she doesn't deserve fractures the squad, she turns to her enigmatic tutor and discovers a secret that might be exactly what she needs to get back on the mound.

At the Heart of the Game is an uplifting young adult coming-of-age novel. If you like well-developed characters, beating the odds, and a touch of romance, then you'll love this inspiring home run.

Robbie, a determined ninth-grader in a suburban Detroit high school, is on a mission to chase his dream of earning a place on the baseball team, despite grappling with a disability. As spring unfolds, heralding the anticipation of the 2005 All-Star Game in Detroit, Robbie navigates the tumultuous waters of high school life, each day bringing him closer to the trials and tryouts.

Amidst the challenges, he contends with the taunts of bullies, the complexities of family dynamics, and the quest for acceptance among his peers and potential teammates. His journey is one many young readers will find relatable, with familiar faces and scenarios playing out against the backdrop of adolescent ambition.

As Robbie perseveres, strong female figures grace his path, notably his spirited grandmother. She unveils a family secret: a hidden account of an integrated baseball game held on their family farm during the era of segregation, a monumental game featuring the stars of both Major and Negro Leagues.

With each revelation and hurdle, Robbie inches closer to his dream. The camaraderie of baseball begins to transcend the boundaries on and off the field, intertwining with Robbie's personal quest for acceptance and achievement.

Baseball season has begun for the South Coast Sharks.

As a senior, Griffin has college in his sights and plans to land himself a baseball scholarship. His determination causes him to turn a blind eye to the hazing of new players by the team captain, Wade. But when Griffin senses that his cousin Carson is getting the brunt of Wade's aggression, Griffin finally stands up to him. Soon after, steroids are found in Carson's locker, and he's kicked off the team. Can Griffin stop Wade's reign of terror, prove his cousin's innocence and still stay on track with his baseball dreams?

This short novel is a high-interest, low-reading level book for middle-grade readers who are building reading skills, want a quick read or say they don't like to read!

Two teams, six innings, one game.

A lively cast of characters--baseball-loving boys between the ages of eleven to thirteen--are playing the biggest game of their lives. With acrobatic catches, clutch hits, dramatic whiffs, and costly errors, this game is full of action. But as the book unfolds, pitch by pitch, a deeper story emerges, with far more at stake: Sam and Mike, best friends, are trying to come to terms with Sam's newly diagnosed cancer. And this baseball diamond becomes the ultimate testing ground of Sam and Mike's remarkable friendship as they strive to find a way to both come out winners.

This is for the championship.

This is for life.

Six Innings is a 2009 Bank Street - Best Children's Book of the Year.

After losing his parents to an auto accident at the age of two, Robert Anthony is raised by his grandmother and her friend, Manuel, a former major league baseball player. It quickly becomes evident to Manuel that Robert has a special talent. Through a series of extraordinary events and with the help of the Baseball Gods, Robert is given his chance with the Detroit Tigers. However, is The Kid talented enough to become the youngest player in major league history at the age of fifteen?

Moonbeam Children's Book Awards Bronze Medalist (2023), Young Adult Fiction category

San Francisco Book Festival Honorable Mention (2023), Children's Books category

On the last day of eighth grade, Millie Bauer receives a package from her brother, George, who is serving overseas in the Army. Minutes later a telegram arrives notifying the family that he is missing in action. Having already lost her father to an accident, Millie learns to navigate challenging emotions through her love of baseball, her seemingly unnatural pitching talent, and friendship. Later recruited by the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, Millie's journey in Fields Apart will have you falling in love with the timeless game of baseball all over again!

Fields Apart tells a historical fiction story about baseball and war, though these topics are merely vessels. Kelly uses these topics to underwrite more significant issues such as the struggles of men going to war, causing an increased workload that women must now undertake. These compounded struggles take a toll on main character, Millie, as she learns to navigate challenging emotions entwined with the loss of her father and the news of her brother, stated missing in action. The reader gets an up-close and personal view into what family life and the surrounding community became after young men were drafted or encouraged to join the Armed Forces.

J.N. Kelly is a lifelong fan of baseball. He spent the summers of his childhood playing on sandlots with his brothers and kids from the neighborhood. He now works as a librarian in Wisconsin, where he lives with his wife and three children. He still dreams about those summer days. Find out more about him here: joeniese.com

... vibrant, memorable characters that linger long after the final page is turned.

Fearless Ali-implanted with a pacemaker-sets her sights on a return to the diamond, but her overprotective dad throws her a curveball when he enlists her childhood nemesis to keep her out of the game.

After a daredevil play on the baseball field leads to a four-minute long cardiac arrest, seventeen-year-old Ali Benton is lucky to be alive. Now she wants to make the most of her second chance-and she's not going to let a pesky little pacemaker, or her helicopter dad, slow her down.

Between chairing multiple school clubs and working two jobs to help his single mother pay the bills, Max Delaney has got every second of every day planned. His childhood nemesis, Ali, doesn't figure into any of them. But when her overprotective father offers him cash to keep an eye on her and steer her away from baseball, his plans change.

Ali can't figure out why Max, the condescending know-it-all, is sticking to her side like Krazy Glue, and Max can barely tolerate headstrong Ali. But opposites attract, and before long, fighting turns to kissing. Even as sparks fly, the secrets they've been keeping threaten to tear them apart. When Max learns Ali's been putting herself in harm's way and playing ball in secret, he struggles with how to tell her father. If he tattles, he'll lose her trust. If he doesn't, he may lose her heart...in more ways than one.

★★★★★ A truly, well written, must-read book! - Reader review

A unique, and groundbreaking Sports Fiction, and Dystopian novel for Young Adults on up. A clean story, suitable for Young Adults (YA) and adult fiction lovers everywhere!

• What if Civil War 2.0 is the endpoint in the current trajectory of America's divisiveness?
• What if early warning signs of baseball's long-term popularity continue downward?
• What if among the personal and cultural casualties of a Civil War 2.0, baseball was to die as a sport?

The Death and Resurrection of Baseball take those what-if propositions and transports the reader 140 years from now into the futuristic United States of America to the year 2166. A United States that is far from our current recognition.

12-year-old Joe Scott lives in the northern Illinois city of McHenry and goes exploring in the woods one day in a no man's land that a hundred years earlier was the site of the bloodiest battle of the Second Civil War. While there, he discovers a relic from the distant past, from before the war. It sparks a search for its meaning.

As events unfold, Joe finds himself at the center of the rediscovery of the sport of baseball, long lost and forgotten by the ravages of time and the lingering aftereffects of Civil War 2.0.

The Death and Resurrection of Baseball will take you back to the happy days of your youth and your coming of age. The story will thrill you, move you, and make you think long and hard about where The United States of America is currently, and where we could be headed.

Baseball has always been a metaphor for America and has always brought Americans together. In The Death and Resurrection of Baseball, you will find its greatest strength, hope!

Dyno is a fourteen-year-old pitching phenom. Chip is his best friend, a highly skilled defensive catcher, a solid hitter, and an exceptional leader. Chip is also the only player who can keep hothead Dyno in line. Together, they're the star players on the under-fifteen baseball team called the Badgers.

High school baseball coach Jim Robertson sees the Badgers' talent so agrees to be their coach, shaping these young athletes into stars. However, Dyno proves to be a problem. He might be a gifted pitcher, but his cocky and negative attitude leaves much to be desired-so much so that his teammates start turning against him.

Coach Robertson knows a player like Dyno could tear a winning team apart, so he enlists Dyno's best bud. Chip needs to help Dyno work through his personal issues to build trust and chemistry with his team. The Badgers could go all the way to the top if they find a way to work together and support each other, because talent alone does not produce winners.