Westerville City Schools’ Spirit Book Club, part of the Student Connections program, is collaborating with the Westerville Public Library to host award winning author Matt de la Peña.
He will speak at Westerville North High School at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, November 2. Tickets are free and available to the public beginning on Wednesday, September 14, but registration is required. Seats are first come, first served. Learn more by contacting the Library’s Program Office at 614/259-5019 or programoffice@westervillelibrary.org.
Earlier that day, de la Peña will meet with Spirit Book Club members at Walnut Springs Middle School. This group is reading, among other things, books that have received the Coretta Scott King Award. de la Peña earned this award for Last Stop on Market Street.
Matt de la Peña is the New York Times Bestselling, Newbery Medal-winning author of six young adult novels: Ball Don’t Lie, Mexican WhiteBoy, We Were Here, I Will Save You, The Living and The Hunted. He’s also the author of the critically-acclaimed picture books A Nation’s Hope: The Story of Boxing Legend Joe Louis (illustrated by Kadir Nelson) and Last Stop on Market Street (illustrated by Christian Robinson). de la Peña received his MFA in creative writing from San Diego State University and his BA from the University of the Pacific where he attended school on a full basketball scholarship. He currently lives in Brooklyn, New York. de la Peña teaches creative writing and visits high schools and colleges throughout the country.
The New York Times followed Matt into Tucson High School after his book was banned from the curriculum (along with the work of several other Hispanic authors).