ABSTRACT
Matt de la Pena is author of eighteen books, including children's books and young adult novels. He won the Newbery Medal in 2016 for his picture book Last Stop on Market Street, which was illustrated by Christian Robinson. In 2016, the National Council of Teachers of English honored de la Pena for his courage in standing up for intellectual freedom. De la Pena's novels Ball Don't Lie, Mexican WhiteBoy, We Were Here, and I Will Save You were all named "Best Books for Young Adults" by the Young Adult Library Services Association of the American Library Association. Travis B. Bevis, a reader of de la Pena's work and preservice teacher enrolled in the English Education Program of the Department of English at University of Texas at El Paso, assisted with the transcription of the conversation.
